Book Iv - Part 02 - Existence And Character Of The Images Poem Rhyme Scheme

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But since I've taught already of what sort	A
The seeds of all things are and how distinct	B
In divers forms they flit of own accord	C
Stirred with a motion everlasting on	D
And in what mode things be from them create	E
And since I've taught what the mind's nature is	F
And of what things 'tis with the body knit	G
And thrives in strength and by what mode uptorn	D
That mind returns to its primordials	F
Now will I undertake an argument	H
One for these matters of supreme concern	D
That there exist those somewhats which we call	I
The images of things these like to films	F
Scaled off the utmost outside of the things	F
Flit hither and thither through the atmosphere	J
And the same terrify our intellects	F
Coming upon us waking or in sleep	K
When oft we peer at wonderful strange shapes	F
And images of people lorn of light	L
Which oft have horribly roused us when we lay	M
In slumber that haply nevermore may we	N
Suppose that souls get loose from Acheron	D
Or shades go floating in among the living	O
Or aught of us is left behind at death	P
When body and mind destroyed together each	Q
Back to its own primordials goes away	M
	-
And thus I say that effigies of things	F
And tenuous shapes from off the things are sent	R
From off the utmost outside of the things	F
Which are like films or may be named a rind	S
Because the image bears like look and form	T
With whatso body has shed it fluttering forth	U
A fact thou mayst however dull thy wits	F
Well learn from this mainly because we see	N
Even 'mongst visible objects many be	N
That send forth bodies loosely some diffused	V
Like smoke from oaken logs and heat from fires	F
And some more interwoven and condensed	W
As when the locusts in the summertime	X
Put off their glossy tunics or when calves	F
At birth drop membranes from their body's surface	F
Or when again the slippery serpent doffs	F
Its vestments 'mongst the thorns for oft we see	N
The breres augmented with their flying spoils	F
Since such takes place 'tis likewise certain too	Y
That tenuous images from things are sent	R
From off the utmost outside of the things	F
For why those kinds should drop and part from things	F
Rather than others tenuous and thin	D
No power has man to open mouth to tell	Z
Especially since on outsides of things	F
Are bodies many and minute which could	A2
In the same order which they had before	B2
And with the figure of their form preserved	C2
Be thrown abroad and much more swiftly too	Y
Being less subject to impediments	F
As few in number and placed along the front	H
For truly many things we see discharge	D2
Their stuff at large not only from their cores	F
Deep set within as we have said above	E2
But from their surfaces at times no less	F
Their very colours too And commonly	N
The awnings saffron red and dusky blue	Y
Stretched overhead in mighty theatres	F
Upon their poles and cross beams fluttering	O
Have such an action quite for there they dye	F2
And make to undulate with their every hue	Y
The circled throng below and all the stage	G2
And rich attire in the patrician seats	F
And ever the more the theatre's dark walls	F
Around them shut the more all things within	D
Laugh in the bright suffusion of strange glints	F
The daylight being withdrawn And therefore since	F
The canvas hangings thus discharge their dye	F2
From off their surface things in general must	H2
Likewise their tenuous effigies discharge	D2
Because in either case they are off thrown	D
From off the surface So there are indeed	I2
Such certain prints and vestiges of forms	F
Which flit around of subtlest texture made	J2
Invisible when separate each and one	D
Again all odour smoke and heat and such	K2
Streams out of things diffusedly because	F
Whilst coming from the deeps of body forth	U
And rising out along their bending path	L2
They're torn asunder nor have gateways straight	E
Wherethrough to mass themselves and struggle abroad	M2
But contrariwise when such a tenuous film	N2
Of outside colour is thrown off there's naught	O2
Can rend it since 'tis placed along the front	H
Ready to hand Lastly those images	F
Which to our eyes in mirrors do appear	J
In water or in any shining surface	F
Must be since furnished with like look of things	F
Fashioned from images of things sent out	P2
There are then tenuous effigies of forms	F
Like unto them which no one can divine	D
When taken singly which do yet give back	Q2
When by continued and recurrent discharge	D2
Expelled a picture from the mirrors' plane	D
Nor otherwise it seems can they be kept	R2
So well conserved that thus be given back	Q2
Figures so like each object	S2
Now then learn	D
How tenuous is the nature of an image	T2
And in the first place since primordials be	N
So far beneath our senses and much less	F
E'en than those objects which begin to grow	U2
Too small for eyes to note learn now in few	Y
How nice are the beginnings of all things	F
That this too I may yet confirm in proof	V2
First living creatures are sometimes so small	I
That even their third part can nowise be seen	D
Judge then the size of any inward organ	D
What of their sphered heart their eyes their limbs	F
The skeleton How tiny thus they are	W2
And what besides of those first particles	F
Whence soul and mind must fashioned be Seest not	X2
How nice and how minute Besides whatever	Y2
Exhales from out its body a sharp smell	Z
The nauseous absinth or the panacea	F
Strong southernwood or bitter centaury	Y2
If never so lightly with thy fingers twain	D
Perchance thou touch a one of them	Z2
	-
Then why not rather know that images	F
Flit hither and thither many in many modes	F
Bodiless and invisible	A3
But lest	B3
Haply thou holdest that those images	F
Which come from objects are the sole that flit	G
Others indeed there be of own accord	C
Begot self formed in earth's aery skies	F
Which moulded to innumerable shapes	F
Are borne aloft and fluid as they are	Y2
Cease not to change appearance and to turn	D
Into new outlines of all sorts of forms	F
As we behold the clouds grow thick on high	F2
And smirch the serene vision of the world	C3
Stroking the air with motions For oft are seen	D
The giants' faces flying far along	D3
And trailing a spread of shadow and at times	F
The mighty mountains and mountain sundered rocks	F
Going before and crossing on the sun	D
Whereafter a monstrous beast dragging amain	D
And leading in the other thunderheads	F
Now hear how easy and how swift they be	N
Engendered and perpetually flow off	E3
From things and gliding pass away	M
	-
For ever every outside streams away	M
From off all objects since discharge they may	M
And when this outside reaches other things	F
As chiefly glass it passes through but where	Y2
It reaches the rough rocks or stuff of wood	A2
There 'tis so rent that it cannot give back	Q2
An image But when gleaming objects dense	F
As chiefly mirrors have been set before it	G
Nothing of this sort happens For it can't	F3
Go as through glass nor yet be rent its safety	N
By virtue of that smoothness being sure	Y2
'Tis therefore that from them the images	F
Stream back to us and howso suddenly	N
Thou place at any instant anything	O
Before a mirror there an image shows	F
Proving that ever from a body's surface	F
Flow off thin textures and thin shapes of things	F
Thus many images in little time	X
Are gendered so their origin is named	G3
Rightly a speedy And even as the sun	D
Must send below in little time to earth	H3
So many beams to keep all things so full	I3
Of light incessant thus on grounds the same	J3
From things there must be borne in many modes	F
To every quarter round upon the moment	H
The many images of things because	F
Unto whatever face of things we turn	D
The mirror things of form and hue the same	J3
Respond Besides though but a moment since	F
Serenest was the weather of the sky	F2
So fiercely sudden is it foully thick	K3
That ye might think that round about all murk	L3
Had parted forth from Ac	N

Lucretius

Book Iv - Part 02 - Existence And Character Of The Images Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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