Ambition And Content: A Fable Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABA CCDDEEFFBB GGHHGGIIBB JJKKCCBBLLMM NNOOPPQQRSNNNBBFFFTT UUCCBBJJUUVVUUUUWW GGMMBB UUUUXXUU UUUUYZJJBB A2A2MB2EEUUC2IUUUUSS D2D2UUUUIIUUA | |
Optat quietem Hor | B |
A | |
- | |
While yet the world was young and men were few | C |
Nor lurking fraud nor tyrant rapine knew | C |
In virtue rude the gaudy arts they scorn'd | D |
Which virtue lost degenerate times adorn'd | D |
No sumptuous fabrics yet were seen to rise | E |
Nor gushing fountains taught to invade the skies | E |
With nature art had not begun the strife | F |
Nor swelling marble rose to mimic life | F |
No pencil yet had learn'd to express the fair | B |
The bounteous earth was all their homely care | B |
- | |
Then did Content exert her genial sway | G |
And taught the peaceful world her power to obey | G |
Content a female of celestial race | H |
Bright and complete in each celestial grace | H |
Serenely fair she was as rising day | G |
And brighter than the sun's meridian ray | G |
Joy of all hearts delight of every eye | I |
Nor grief nor pain appear'd when she was by | I |
Her presence from the wretched banish'd care | B |
Dispers'd the swelling sigh and stopt the falling tear | B |
- | |
Long did the nymph her regal state maintain | J |
As long mankind were blest beneath her reign | J |
Till dire Ambition hellish fiend arose | K |
To plague the world and banish man's repose | K |
A monster sprung from that rebellious crew | C |
Which mighty Jove's Phlegr an thunder slew | C |
Resolv'd to dispossess the royal fair | B |
On all her friends he threaten'd open war | B |
Fond of the novelty vain fickle man | L |
In crowds to his infernal standard ran | L |
And the weak maid defenceless left alone | M |
To avoid his rage was forc'd to quit the throne | M |
- | |
It chanc'd as wandering through the fields she stray'd | N |
Forsook of all and destitute of aid | N |
Upon a rising mountain's flowery side | O |
A pleasant cottage roof'd with turf she spied | O |
Fast by a gloomy venerable wood | P |
Of shady planes and ancient oaks it stood | P |
Around a various prospect charm'd the sight | Q |
Here waving harvests clad the fields with white | Q |
Here a rough shaggy rock the clouds did pierce | R |
From which a torrent rush'd with rapid force | S |
Here mountain woods diffus'd a dusky shade | N |
Here flocks and herds in flowery valleys play'd | N |
While o'er the matted grass the liquid crystal stray'd | N |
In this sweet place there dwelt a cheerful pair | B |
Though bent beneath the weight of many a year | B |
Who wisely flying public noise and strife | F |
In this obscure retreat had pass'd their life | F |
The husband Industry was call'd Frugality the wife | F |
With tenderest Friendship mutually blest | T |
No household jars had e'er disturb'd their rest | T |
A numerous offspring grac'd their homely board | U |
That still with Nature's simple gifts was stor'd | U |
The father rural business only knew | C |
The sons the same delightful art pursue | C |
An only daughter as a goddess fair | B |
Above the rest was the fond mother's care | B |
Plenty the brightest nymph of all the plain | J |
Each heart's delight ador'd by every swain | J |
Soon as Content this charming scene espied | U |
Joyful within herself the goddess cried | U |
This happy sight my drooping heart doth raise | V |
The gods I hope will grant me gentler days | V |
When with prosperity my life was blest | U |
In yonder house I've been a welcome guest | U |
There now perhaps I may protection find | U |
For royalty is banish'd from my mind | U |
I'll thither haste how happy should I be | W |
If such a refuge were reserv'd for me | W |
- | |
Thus spoke the fair and straight she bent her way | G |
To the tall mountain where the cottage lay | G |
Arriv'd she makes her chang'd condition known | M |
Tells how the rebels drove her from the throne | M |
What painful dreary wilds she'd wander'd o'er | B |
And shelter from the tyrant doth implore | B |
- | |
The faithful aged pair at once were seiz'd | U |
With joy and grief at once were pain'd and pleas'd | U |
Grief for their banish'd queen their hearts possest | U |
And joy succeeded for their future guest | U |
And if you'll deign bright goddess here to dwell | X |
And with your presence grace our humble cell | X |
Whate'er the gods have given with bounteous hand | U |
Our harvests fields and flocks our all command | U |
- | |
Meantime Ambition on his rival's flight | U |
Sole lord of man attain'd his wish's height | U |
Of all dependence on his subjects eas'd | U |
He rag'd without a curb and did whate'er he pleas'd | U |
As some wild flame driven on by furious winds | Y |
Wide spreads destruction nor resistance finds | Z |
So rush'd the fiend destructive o'er the plain | J |
Defac'd the labours of the industrious swain | J |
Polluted every stream with human gore | B |
And scatter'd plagues and death from shore to shore | B |
- | |
Great Jove beheld it from the Olympian towers | A2 |
Where sate assembled all the heavenly powers | A2 |
Then with a nod that shook the empyrean throne | M |
Thus the Saturnian thunderer begun | B2 |
You see immortal inmates of the skies | E |
How this vile wretch almighty power defies | E |
His daring crimes the blood which he has spilt | U |
Demand a torment equal to his guilt | U |
Then Cyprian goddess let thy mighty boy | C2 |
Swift to the tyrant's guilty palace fly | I |
There let him choose his sharpest hottest dart | U |
And with his former rival wound his heart | U |
And thou my son the god to Hermes said | U |
Snatch up thy wand and plume thy heels and head | U |
Dart through the yielding air with all thy force | S |
And down to Pluto's realms direct thy course | S |
There rouse Oblivion from her sable cave | D2 |
Where dull she sits by Lethe's sluggish wave | D2 |
Command her to secure the sacred bound | U |
Where lives Content retir'd and all around | U |
Diffuse the deepest glooms of Stygian night | U |
And screen the virgin from the tyrant's sight | U |
That the vain purpose of his life may try | I |
Still to explore what still eludes his eye | I |
He spoke loud praises shake the bright abode | U |
And all applaud the justice of the god | U |
Mark Akenside
(1)
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