Book Ii - Part 01 - Proem Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJKLMGNOPQGR STUVGWXYZA2B2C2D2E2F 2G2H2A2I2J2VK2L2M2JN 2O2P2Q2A2R2S2T2U2A2V 2W2LX2Y2Z2A3B3PPPC3X D3J2E3V2O2D3PPF3G3| 'Tis sweet when down the mighty main the winds | A |
| Roll up its waste of waters from the land | B |
| To watch another's labouring anguish far | C |
| Not that we joyously delight that man | D |
| Should thus be smitten but because 'tis sweet | E |
| To mark what evils we ourselves be spared | F |
| 'Tis sweet again to view the mighty strife | G |
| Of armies embattled yonder o'er the plains | H |
| Ourselves no sharers in the peril but naught | I |
| There is more goodly than to hold the high | J |
| Serene plateaus well fortressed by the wise | K |
| Whence thou may'st look below on other men | L |
| And see them ev'rywhere wand'ring all dispersed | M |
| In their lone seeking for the road of life | G |
| Rivals in genius or emulous in rank | N |
| Pressing through days and nights with hugest toil | O |
| For summits of power and mastery of the world | P |
| O wretched minds of men O blinded hearts | Q |
| In how great perils in what darks of life | G |
| Are spent the human years however brief | R |
| O not to see that Nature for herself | S |
| Barks after nothing save that pain keep off | T |
| Disjoined from the body and that mind enjoy | U |
| Delightsome feeling far from care and fear | V |
| Therefore we see that our corporeal life | G |
| Needs little altogether and only such | W |
| As takes the pain away and can besides | X |
| Strew underneath some number of delights | Y |
| More grateful 'tis at times for Nature craves | Z |
| No artifice nor luxury if forsooth | A2 |
| There be no golden images of boys | B2 |
| Along the halls with right hands holding out | C2 |
| The lamps ablaze the lights for evening feasts | D2 |
| And if the house doth glitter not with gold | E2 |
| Nor gleam with silver and to the lyre resound | F2 |
| No fretted and gilded ceilings overhead | G2 |
| Yet still to lounge with friends in the soft grass | H2 |
| Beside a river of water underneath | A2 |
| A big tree's boughs and merrily to refresh | I2 |
| Our frames with no vast outlay most of all | J2 |
| If the weather is laughing and the times of the year | V |
| Besprinkle the green of the grass around with flowers | K2 |
| Nor yet the quicker will hot fevers go | L2 |
| If on a pictured tapestry thou toss | M2 |
| Or purple robe than if 'tis thine to lie | J |
| Upon the poor man's bedding Wherefore since | N2 |
| Treasure nor rank nor glory of a reign | O2 |
| Avail us naught for this our body thus | P2 |
| Reckon them likewise nothing for the mind | Q2 |
| Save then perchance when thou beholdest forth | A2 |
| Thy legions swarming round the Field of Mars | R2 |
| Rousing a mimic warfare either side | S2 |
| Strengthened with large auxiliaries and horse | T2 |
| Alike equipped with arms alike inspired | U2 |
| Or save when also thou beholdest forth | A2 |
| Thy fleets to swarm deploying down the sea | V2 |
| For then by such bright circumstance abashed | W2 |
| Religion pales and flees thy mind O then | L |
| The fears of death leave heart so free of care | X2 |
| But if we note how all this pomp at last | Y2 |
| Is but a drollery and a mocking sport | Z2 |
| And of a truth man's dread with cares at heels | A3 |
| Dreads not these sounds of arms these savage swords | B3 |
| But among kings and lords of all the world | P |
| Mingles undaunted nor is overawed | P |
| By gleam of gold nor by the splendour bright | P |
| Of purple robe canst thou then doubt that this | C3 |
| Is aught but power of thinking when besides | X |
| The whole of life but labours in the dark | D3 |
| For just as children tremble and fear all | J2 |
| In the viewless dark so even we at times | E3 |
| Dread in the light so many things that be | V2 |
| No whit more fearsome than what children feign | O2 |
| Shuddering will be upon them in the dark | D3 |
| This terror then this darkness of the mind | P |
| Not sunrise with its flaring spokes of light | P |
| Nor glittering arrows of morning can disperse | F3 |
| But only Nature's aspect and her law | G3 |
Lucretius
(1)
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