Book V - Part 07 - Beginnings Of Civilization Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCD EDBFGDDHDIGDJKLGGMGD DGDNGDGOGPOPQDRBBSDT DDDGUCGDCVWXGFYZA2B2 GDGBC2DUD2E2DGHOGDDD DGIF2DGPPGZDGDGG2GDD H2GGSDUDKDE2DGDDFI2D DUJ2GGDDGDDK2DDDFDDD DGDDDDDGL2GGDDD2DGDL F2DGGDM2VGDN2DGDK2DD DDDZDGDO2P2Q2GR2DJ2L DN2

AfterwardsA
When huts they had procured and pelts and fireB
And when the woman joined unto the manC
Withdrew with him into one dwelling placeD
-
Were known and when they saw an offspring bornE
From out themselves then first the human raceD
Began to soften For 'twas now that fireB
Rendered their shivering frames less staunch to bearF
Under the canopy of the sky the coldG
And Love reduced their shaggy hardinessD
And children with the prattle and the kissD
Soon broke the parents' haughty temper downH
Then too did neighbours 'gin to league as friendsD
Eager to wrong no more or suffer wrongI
And urged for children and the womankindG
Mercy of fathers whilst with cries and gesturesD
They stammered hints how meet it was that allJ
Should have compassion on the weak And stillK
Though concord not in every wise could thenL
Begotten be a good a goodly partG
Kept faith inviolate or else mankindG
Long since had been unutterably cut offM
And propagation never could have broughtG
The species down the agesD
Lest perchanceD
Concerning these affairs thou ponderestG
In silent meditation let me sayD
'Twas lightning brought primevally to earthN
The fire for mortals and from thence hath spreadG
O'er all the lands the flames of heat For thusD
Even now we see so many objects touchedG
By the celestial flames to flash aglowO
When thunderbolt has dowered them with heatG
Yet also when a many branched treeP
Beaten by winds writhes swaying to and froO
Pressing 'gainst branches of a neighbour treeP
There by the power of mighty rub and rubQ
Is fire engendered and at times out flaresD
The scorching heat of flame when boughs do chafeR
Against the trunks And of these causes eitherB
May well have given to mortal men the fireB
Next food to cook and soften in the flameS
The sun instructed since so oft they sawD
How objects mellowed when subdued by warmthT
And by the raining blows of fiery beamsD
Through all the fieldsD
And more and more each dayD
Would men more strong in sense more wise in heartG
Teach them to change their earlier mode and lifeU
By fire and new devices Kings beganC
Cities to found and citadels to setG
As strongholds and asylums for themselvesD
And flocks and fields to portion for each manC
After the beauty strength and sense of eachV
For beauty then imported much and strengthW
Had its own rights supreme Thereafter wealthX
Discovered was and gold was brought to lightG
Which soon of honour stripped both strong and fairF
For men however beautiful in formY
Or valorous will follow in the mainZ
The rich man's party Yet were man to steerA2
His life by sounder reasoning he'd ownB2
Abounding riches if with mind contentG
He lived by thrift for never as I guessD
Is there a lack of little in the worldG
But men wished glory for themselves and powerB
Even that their fortunes on foundations firmC2
Might rest forever and that they themselvesD
The opulent might pass a quiet lifeU
In vain in vain since in the strife to climbD2
On to the heights of honour men do makeE2
Their pathway terrible and even when onceD
They reach them envy like the thunderboltG
At times will smite O hurling headlong downH
To murkiest Tartarus in scorn for loO
All summits all regions loftier than the restG
Smoke blasted as by envy's thunderboltsD
So better far in quiet to obeyD
Than to desire chief mastery of affairsD
And ownership of empires Be it soD
And let the weary sweat their life blood outG
All to no end battling in hate alongI
The narrow path of man's ambitionF2
Since all their wisdom is from others' lipsD
And all they seek is known from what they've heardG
And less from what they've thought Nor is this follyP
Greater to day nor greater soon to beP
Than' twas of oldG
And therefore kings were slainZ
And pristine majesty of golden thronesD
And haughty sceptres lay o'erturned in dustG
And crowns so splendid on the sovereign headsD
Soon bloody under the proletarian feetG
Groaned for their glories gone for erst o'er muchG2
Dreaded thereafter with more greedy zestG
Trampled beneath the rabble heel Thus thingsD
Down to the vilest lees of brawling mobsD
Succumbed whilst each man sought unto himselfH2
Dominion and supremacy So nextG
Some wiser heads instructed men to foundG
The magisterial office and did frameS
Codes that they might consent to follow lawsD
For humankind o'er wearied with a lifeU
Fostered by force was ailing from its feudsD
And so the sooner of its own free willK
Yielded to laws and strictest codes For sinceD
Each hand made ready in its wrath to takeE2
A vengeance fiercer than by man's fair lawsD
Is now conceded men on this accountG
Loathed the old life fostered by force 'Tis thenceD
That fear of punishments defiles each prizeD
Of wicked days for force and fraud ensnareF
Each man around and in the main recoilI2
On him from whence they sprung Not easy 'tisD
For one who violates by ugly deedsD
The bonds of common peace to pass a lifeU
Composed and tranquil For albeit he 'scapeJ2
The race of gods and men he yet must dreadG
'Twill not be hid forever since indeedG
So many oft babbling on amid their dreamsD
Or raving in sickness have betrayed themselvesD
As stories tell and published at lastG
Old secrets and the sinsD
But nature 'twasD
Urged men to utter various sounds of tongueK2
And need and use did mould the names of thingsD
About in same wise as the lack speech yearsD
Compel young children unto gesturingsD
Making them point with finger here and thereF
At what's before them For each creature feelsD
By instinct to what use to put his powersD
Ere yet the bull calf's scarce begotten hornsD
Project above his brows with them he 'ginsD
Enraged to butt and savagely to thrustG
But whelps of panthers and the lion's cubsD
With claws and paws and bites are at the frayD
Already when their teeth and claws be scarceD
As yet engendered So again we seeD
All breeds of winged creatures trust to wingsD
And from their fledgling pinions seek to getG
A fluttering assistance Thus to thinkL2
That in those days some man apportioned roundG
To things their names and that from him men learnedG
Their first nomenclature is fooleryD
For why could he mark everything by wordsD
And utter the various sounds of tongue what timeD2
The rest may be supposed powerlessD
To do the same And if the rest had notG
Already one with other used wordsD
Whence was implanted in the teacher thenL
Fore knowledge of their use and whence was givenF2
To him alone primordial facultyD
To know and see in mind what 'twas he willedG
Besides one only man could scarce subdueG
An overmastered multitude to chooseD
To get by heart his names of things A taskM2
Not easy 'tis in any wise to teachV
And to persuade the deaf concerning whatG
'Tis needful for to do For ne'er would theyD
Allow nor ne'er in anywise endureN2
Perpetual vain dingdong in their earsD
Of spoken sounds unheard before And whatG
At last in this affair so wondrous isD
That human race in whom a voice and tongueK2
Were now in vigour should by divers wordsD
Denote its objects as each divers senseD
Might prompt since even the speechless herds aye sinceD
The very generations of wild beastsD
Are wont dissimilar and divers soundsD
To rouse from in them when there's fear or painZ
And when they burst with joys And this forsoothD
'Tis thine to know from plainest facts when firstG
Huge flabby jowls of mad Molossian houndsD
Baring their hard white teeth begin to snarlO2
They threaten with infuriate lips peeled backP2
In sounds far other than with which they barkQ2
And fill with voices all the regions roundG
And when with fondling tongue they start to lickR2
Their puppies or do toss them round with pawsD
Feigning with gentle bites to gape and snapJ2
They fawn with yelps of voice far other thenL
Than when alone within the house they bayD
Or whimperiN2

Lucretius



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