Book Iv - Part 03 - The Senses And Mental Pictures Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOFPQRA HSTFFUVW LXYZFTA2B2C2D2FFD2D2 CFD2E2F2G2D2C H2I2J2D2K2L2M2D2D2RD 2N2O2P2Q2R2 D2J2S2G2FD2T2U2J2D2D 2D2G2V2W2C2D2D2D2W2X 2Y2D2Y2D2D2F Z2D2D2A3B3D2C3D3E3F3 FP2G3H3D2G2D2D2RD2D2 D2D2C3D2D2H3Y2H3A3I3 AD2J3FD2PK3ZL3D2D2M3 N3O3 AD2P3D2X2D2D2D2FZ2P2 D2Q3R3S3P2ASFD2D2FD2 J3AFCAP2T3M2FD2D2D2 U3V3D2D2XD2K2Bodies that strike the eyes awaking sight | A |
From certain things flow odours evermore | B |
As cold from rivers heat from sun and spray | C |
From waves of ocean eater out of walls | D |
Around the coasts Nor ever cease to flit | E |
The varied voices sounds athrough the air | F |
Then too there comes into the mouth at times | G |
The wet of a salt taste when by the sea | H |
We roam about and so whene'er we watch | I |
The wormword being mixed its bitter stings | J |
To such degree from all things is each thing | K |
Borne streamingly along and sent about | L |
To every region round and Nature grants | M |
Nor rest nor respite of the onward flow | N |
Since 'tis incessantly we feeling have | O |
And all the time are suffered to descry | F |
And smell all things at hand and hear them sound | P |
Besides since shape examined by our hands | Q |
Within the dark is known to be the same | R |
As that by eyes perceived within the light | A |
And lustrous day both touch and sight must be | H |
By one like cause aroused So if we test | S |
A square and get its stimulus on us | T |
Within the dark within the light what square | F |
Can fall upon our sight except a square | F |
That images the things Wherefore it seems | U |
The source of seeing is in images | V |
Nor without these can anything be viewed | W |
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Now these same films I name are borne about | L |
And tossed and scattered into regions all | X |
But since we do perceive alone through eyes | Y |
It follows hence that whitherso we turn | Z |
Our sight all things do strike against it there | F |
With form and hue And just how far from us | T |
Each thing may be away the image yields | A2 |
To us the power to see and chance to tell | B2 |
For when 'tis sent at once it shoves ahead | C2 |
And drives along the air that's in the space | D2 |
Betwixt it and our eyes And thus this air | F |
All glides athrough our eyeballs and as 'twere | F |
Brushes athrough our pupils and thuswise | D2 |
Passes across Therefore it comes we see | D2 |
How far from us each thing may be away | C |
And the more air there be that's driven before | F |
And too the longer be the brushing breeze | D2 |
Against our eyes the farther off removed | E2 |
Each thing is seen to be forsooth this work | F2 |
With mightily swift order all goes on | G2 |
So that upon one instant we may see | D2 |
What kind the object and how far away | C |
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Nor over marvellous must this be deemed | H2 |
In these affairs that though the films which strike | I2 |
Upon the eyes cannot be singly seen | J2 |
The things themselves may be perceived For thus | D2 |
When the wind beats upon us stroke by stroke | K2 |
And when the sharp cold streams 'tis not our wont | L2 |
To feel each private particle of wind | M2 |
Or of that cold but rather all at once | D2 |
And so we see how blows affect our body | D2 |
As if one thing were beating on the same | R |
And giving us the feel of its own body | D2 |
Outside of us Again whene'er we thump | N2 |
With finger tip upon a stone we touch | O2 |
But the rock's surface and the outer hue | P2 |
Nor feel that hue by contact rather feel | Q2 |
The very hardness deep within the rock | R2 |
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Now come and why beyond a looking glass | D2 |
An image may be seen perceive For seen | J2 |
It soothly is removed far within | S2 |
'Tis the same sort as objects peered upon | G2 |
Outside in their true shape whene'er a door | F |
Yields through itself an open peering place | D2 |
And lets us see so many things outside | T2 |
Beyond the house Also that sight is made | U2 |
By a twofold twin air for first is seen | J2 |
The air inside the door posts next the doors | D2 |
The twain to left and right and afterwards | D2 |
A light beyond comes brushing through our eyes | D2 |
Then other air then objects peered upon | G2 |
Outside in their true shape And thus when first | V2 |
The image of the glass projects itself | W2 |
As to our gaze it comes it shoves ahead | C2 |
And drives along the air that's in the space | D2 |
Betwixt it and our eyes and brings to pass | D2 |
That we perceive the air ere yet the glass | D2 |
But when we've also seen the glass itself | W2 |
Forthwith that image which from us is borne | X2 |
Reaches the glass and there thrown back again | Y2 |
Comes back unto our eyes and driving rolls | D2 |
Ahead of itself another air that then | Y2 |
'Tis this we see before itself and thus | D2 |
It looks so far removed behind the glass | D2 |
Wherefore again again there's naught for wonder | F |
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In those which render from the mirror's plane | Z2 |
A vision back since each thing comes to pass | D2 |
By means of the two airs Now in the glass | D2 |
The right part of our members is observed | A3 |
Upon the left because when comes the image | B3 |
Hitting against the level of the glass | D2 |
'Tis not returned unshifted but forced off | C3 |
Backwards in line direct and not oblique | D3 |
Exactly as whoso his plaster mask | E3 |
Should dash before 'twere dry on post or beam | F3 |
And it should straightway keep at clinging there | F |
Its shape reversed facing him who threw | P2 |
And so remould the features it gives back | G3 |
It comes that now the right eye is the left | H3 |
The left the right An image too may be | D2 |
From mirror into mirror handed on | G2 |
Until of idol films even five or six | D2 |
Have thus been gendered For whatever things | D2 |
Shall hide back yonder in the house the same | R |
However far removed in twisting ways | D2 |
May still be all brought forth through bending paths | D2 |
And by these several mirrors seen to be | D2 |
Within the house since Nature so compels | D2 |
All things to be borne backward and spring off | C3 |
At equal angles from all other things | D2 |
To such degree the image gleams across | D2 |
From mirror unto mirror where 'twas left | H3 |
It comes to be the right and then again | Y2 |
Returns and changes round unto the left | H3 |
Again those little sides of mirrors curved | A3 |
Proportionate to the bulge of our own flank | I3 |
Send back to us their idols with the right | A |
Upon the right and this is so because | D2 |
Either the image is passed on along | J3 |
From mirror unto mirror and thereafter | F |
When twice dashed off flies back unto ourselves | D2 |
Or else the image wheels itself around | P |
When once unto the mirror it has come | K3 |
Since the curved surface teaches it to turn | Z |
To usward Further thou might'st well believe | L3 |
That these film idols step along with us | D2 |
And set their feet in unison with ours | D2 |
And imitate our carriage since from that | M3 |
Part of a mirror whence thou hast withdrawn | N3 |
Straightway no images can be returned | O3 |
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Further our eye balls tend to flee the bright | A |
And shun to gaze thereon the sun even blinds | D2 |
If thou goest on to strain them unto him | P3 |
Because his strength is mighty and the films | D2 |
Heavily downward from on high are borne | X2 |
Through the pure ether and the viewless winds | D2 |
And strike the eyes disordering their joints | D2 |
So piecing lustre often burns the eyes | D2 |
Because it holdeth many seeds of fire | F |
Which working into eyes engender pain | Z2 |
Again whatever jaundiced people view | P2 |
Becomes wan yellow since from out their bodies | D2 |
Flow many seeds wan yellow forth to meet | Q3 |
The films of things and many too are mixed | R3 |
Within their eye which by contagion paint | S3 |
All things with sallowness Again we view | P2 |
From dark recesses things that stand in light | A |
Because when first has entered and possessed | S |
The open eyes this nearer darkling air | F |
Swiftly the shining air and luminous | D2 |
Followeth in which purges then the eyes | D2 |
And scatters asunder of that other air | F |
The sable shadows for in large degrees | D2 |
This air is nimbler nicer and more strong | J3 |
And soon as ever 'thas filled and oped with light | A |
The pathways of the eyeballs which before | F |
Black air had blocked there follow straightaway | C |
Those films of things out standing in the light | A |
Provoking vision what we cannot do | P2 |
From out the light with objects in the dark | T3 |
Because that denser darkling air behind | M2 |
Followeth in and fills each aperture | F |
And thus blockades the pathways of the eyes | D2 |
That there no images of any things | D2 |
Can be thrown in and agitate the eyes | D2 |
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And when from far away we do behold | U3 |
The squared towers of a city oft | V3 |
Rounded they seem on this account because | D2 |
Each distant angle is perceived obtuse | D2 |
Or rather it is not perceived at all | X |
And perishes its blow nor to our gaze | D2 |
Arrives its stroke | K2 |
Lucretius
(1)
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