Hymn To Cheerfulness Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGGHHII CCJJKKFFLLMM NNOOPPQQRRSSTTUUVVLL WW XXYYEFZZTTA2B2 C2C2PPCCD2D2E2E2HHF2 F2 G2G2RRNNH2H2JJI2I2J2 O NK2L2G2QQ M2M2N2N2O2P2IIQ2Q2CD R2R2LLS2S2T2T2E2E2U2 U2HHV2V2H2H2W2W2X2X2 IIQ2Q2Y2CZ2A3NNLL X2X2B3B3KK CCC3C3A3Z2D3E3QQS2S2 F3F3G3KUU

How thick the shades of evening closeA
How pale the sky with weight of snowsB
Haste light the tapers urge the fireC
And bid the joyless day retireD
Alas in vain I try withinE
To brighten the dejected sceneF
While rouz'd by grief these fiery painsG
Tear the frail texture of my veinsG
While winter's voice that storms aroundH
And yon deep death bell's groaning soundH
Renew my mind's oppressive gloomI
Till starting horror shakes the roomI
-
Is there in nature no kind powerC
To sooth affliction's lonely hourC
To blunt the edge of dire diseaseJ
And teach these wintry shades to pleaseJ
Come Cheerfulness triumphant fairK
Shine through the hovering cloud of careK
O sweet of language mild of mienF
O virtue's friend and pleasure's queenF
Asswage the flames that burn my breastL
Compose my jarring thoughts to restL
And while thy gracious gifts i feelM
My song shall all thy praise revealM
-
As once 'twas in Astrea's reignN
The vernal powers renew'd their trainN
It happen'd that immortal LoveO
Was ranging through the spheres aboveO
And downward hither cast his eyeP
The year's returning pomp to spyP
He saw the radiant god of dayQ
Waft in his car the rosy MayQ
The fragrant Airs and genial HoursR
Were shedding round him dews and flowersR
Before his wheels Aurora pass'dS
And Hesper's golden lamp was lastS
But fairest of the blooming throngT
When Health majestic mov'd alongT
Delighted to survey belowU
The joys which from her presence flowU
While earth enliven'd hears her voiceV
And swains and flocks and fields rejoiceV
Then mighty Love her charms confess'dL
And soon his vows inclin'd her breastL
And known from that auspicious mornW
The pleasing Cheerfulness was bornW
-
Thou Cheerfulness by heaven design'dX
To sway the movements of the mindX
Whatever fretful passion springsY
Whatever wayward fortune bringsY
To disarrange the power withinE
And strain the musical machineF
Thou Goddess thy attempering handZ
Doth each discordant string commandZ
Refines the soft and swells the strongT
And joining nature's general songT
Through many a varying tone unfoldsA2
The harmony of human soulsB2
-
Fair guardian of domestic lifeC2
Kind banisher of homebred strifeC2
Nor sullen lip nor taunting eyeP
Deforms the scene where thou art byP
No sickening husband damns the hourC
Which bound his joys to female powerC
No pining mother weeps the caresD2
Which parents waste on thankless heirsD2
The officious daughters pleas'd attendE2
The brother adds the name of friendE2
By thee with flowers their board is crown'dH
With songs from thee their walks resoundH
And morn with welcome lustre shinesF2
And evening unperceiv'd declinesF2
-
Is there a youth whose anxious heartG2
Labors with love's unpitied smartG2
Though now he stray by rills and bowersR
And weeping waste the lonely hoursR
Or if the nymph her audience deignN
Debase the story of his painN
With slavish looks discolor'd eyesH2
And accents faltering into sighsH2
Yet thou auspicious power with easeJ
Can'st yield him happier arts to pleaseJ
Inform his mien with manlier charmsI2
Instruct his tongue with nobler armsI2
With more commanding passion moveJ2
And teach the dignity of loveO
-
Friend to the Muse and all her trainN
For thee I court the Muse againK2
The Muse for thee may well exertL2
Her pomp her charms her fondest artG2
Who owes to thee that pleasing swayQ
Which earth and peopled heaven obeyQ
-
Let melancholy's plaintive tongueM2
Repeat what later bards have sungM2
But thine was Homer's ancient mightN2
And thine victorious Pindar's flightN2
Thy hand each Lesbian wreathe attir'dO2
Thy lip Sicilian reeds inspir'dP2
Thy spirit lent the glad perfumeI
Whence yet the flowers of Teos bloomI
Whence yet from Tibur's Sabine valeQ2
Delicious blows the inlivening galeQ2
While Horace calls thy sportive choirC
Heroes and nymphs around his lyreD
-
But see where yonder pensive sageR2
A prey perhaps to fortune's rageR2
Perhaps by tender griefs oppress'dL
Or glooms congenial to his breastL
Retires in desert scenes to dwellS2
And bids the joyless world farewellS2
Alone he treads the autumnal shadeT2
Alone beneath the mountain laidT2
He sees the nightly damps ascendE2
And gathering storms aloft impendE2
He hears the neighbouring surges rollU2
And raging thunders shake the poleU2
Then struck by every object roundH
And stunn'd by every horrid soundH
He asks a clue for nature's waysV2
But evil haunts him through the mazeV2
He sees ten thousand demons riseH2
To wield the empire of the skiesH2
And chance and fate assume the rodW2
And malice blot the throne of GodW2
O thou whose pleasing power i singX2
Thy lenient influence hither bringX2
Compose the storm dispell the gloomI
Till nature wear her wonted bloomI
Till fields and shades their sweets exhaleQ2
And music swell each opening galeQ2
Then o'er his breast thy softness pourY2
And let him learn the timely hourC
To trace the world's benignant lawsZ2
And judge of that presiding causeA3
Who founds on discord beauty's reignN
Converts to pleasure every painN
Subdues each hostile form to restL
And bids the universe be bless'dL
-
O thou whose pleasing power I singX2
If right I touch the votive stringX2
If equal praise I yield thy nameB3
Still govern thou thy poet's flameB3
Still with the Muse my bosom shareK
And sooth to peace intruding careK
-
But most exert thy pleasing powerC
On friendship's consecrated hourC
And while my Sophron points the roadC3
To godlike wisdom's calm abodeC3
Or warm in freedom's ancient causeA3
Traceth the source of Albion's lawsZ2
Add thou o'er all the generous toilD3
The light of thy unclouded smileE3
But if by fortune's stubborn swayQ
From him and friendship torn awayQ
I court the Muse's healing spellS2
For griefs that still with absence dwellS2
Do thou conduct my fancy's dreamsF3
To such indulgent placid themesF3
As just the struggling breast may cheerG3
And just suspend the starting tearK
Yet leave that sacred sense of woeU
Which none but friends and lovers knowU

Mark Akenside



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