Ambition And Content Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEE FFGGFFHHEE IIJJAAEKLLMM NNOOPPQQRSNNNETDDDUU VVAAEEIIVVWWVVVVXX FFMMYK VVVVZZVV VVVVA2B2IIKK C2C2MD2CCVVE2HVVVVSS F2F2VVVVHHVVWhile yet the world was young and men were few | A |
Nor lurking fraud nor tyrant rapine knew | A |
In virtue rude the gaudy arts they scorn'd | B |
Which virtue lost degenerate times adorn'd | B |
No sumptuous fabrics yet were seen to rise | C |
Nor gushing fountains taught to invade the skies | C |
With nature art had not begun the strife | D |
Nor swelling marble rose to mimic life | D |
No pencil yet had learn'd to express the fair | E |
The bounteous earth was all their homely care | E |
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Then did Content exert her genial sway | F |
And taught the peaceful world her power to obey | F |
Content a female of celestial race | G |
Bright and complete in each celestial grace | G |
Serenely fair she was as rising day | F |
And brighter than the sun's meridian ray | F |
Joy of all hearts delight of every eye | H |
Nor grief nor pain appear'd when she was by | H |
Her presence from the wretched banish'd care | E |
Dispers'd the swelling sigh and stopt the falling tear | E |
- | |
Long did the nymph her regal state maintain | I |
As long mankind were blest beneath her reign | I |
Till dire Ambition hellish fiend arose | J |
To plague the world and banish man's repose | J |
A monster sprung from that rebellious crew | A |
Which mighty Jove's Phlegr an thunder slew | A |
Resolv'd to dispossess the royal fair | E |
On all her friends he threaten'd open war | K |
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 | E |
Though bent beneath the weight of many a year | T |
Who wisely flying public noise and strife | D |
In this obscure retreat had pass'd their life | D |
The husband Industry was call'd Frugality the wife | D |
With tenderest Friendship mutually blest | U |
No household jars had e'er disturb'd their rest | U |
A numerous offspring grac'd their homely board | V |
That still with Nature's simple gifts was stor'd | V |
The father rural business only knew | A |
The sons the same delightful art pursue | A |
An only daughter as a goddess fair | E |
Above the rest was the fond mother's care | E |
Plenty the brightest nymph of all the plain | I |
Each heart's delight ador'd by every swain | I |
Soon as Content this charming scene espied | V |
Joyful within herself the goddess cried | V |
This happy sight my drooping heart doth raise | W |
The gods I hope will grant me gentler days | W |
When with prosperity my life was blest | V |
In yonder house I've been a welcome guest | V |
There now perhaps I may protection find | V |
For royalty is banish'd from my mind | V |
I'll thither haste how happy should I be | X |
If such a refuge were reserv'd for me | X |
- | |
Thus spoke the fair and straight she bent her way | F |
To the tall mountain where the cottage lay | F |
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 | Y |
And shelter from the tyrant doth implore | K |
- | |
The faithful aged pair at once were seiz'd | V |
With joy and grief at once were pain'd and pleas'd | V |
Grief for their banish'd queen their hearts possest | V |
And joy succeeded for their future guest | V |
And if you'll deign bright goddess here to dwell | Z |
And with your presence grace our humble cell | Z |
Whate'er the gods have given with bounteous hand | V |
Our harvests fields and flocks our all command | V |
- | |
Meantime Ambition on his rival's flight | V |
Sole lord of man attain'd his wish's height | V |
Of all dependence on his subjects eas'd | V |
He rag'd without a curb and did whate'er he pleas'd | V |
As some wild flame driven on by furious winds | A2 |
Wide spreads destruction nor resistance finds | B2 |
So rush'd the fiend destructive o'er the plain | I |
Defac'd the labours of the industrious swain | I |
Polluted every stream with human gore | K |
And scatter'd plagues and death from shore to shore | K |
- | |
Great Jove beheld it from the Olympian towers | C2 |
Where sate assembled all the heavenly powers | C2 |
Then with a nod that shook the empyrean throne | M |
Thus the Saturnian thunderer begun | D2 |
You see immortal inmates of the skies | C |
How this vile wretch almighty power defies | C |
His daring crimes the blood which he has spilt | V |
Demand a torment equal to his guilt | V |
Then Cyprian goddess let thy mighty boy | E2 |
Swift to the tyrant's guilty palace fly | H |
There let him choose his sharpest hottest dart | V |
And with his former rival wound his heart | V |
And thou my son the god to Hermes said | V |
Snatch up thy wand and plume thy heels and head | V |
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 | F2 |
Where dull she sits by Lethe's sluggish wave | F2 |
Command her to secure the sacred bound | V |
Where lives Content retir'd and all around | V |
Diffuse the deepest glooms of Stygian night | V |
And screen the virgin from the tyrant's sight | V |
That the vain purpose of his life may try | H |
Still to explore what still eludes his eye | H |
He spoke loud praises shake the bright abode | V |
And all applaud the justice of the god | V |
Mark Akenside
(1)
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