The Poet Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDEFGHIJCKLMNOPQARS TURVWXYDZGA2VB2GHC2D 2E2F2U G2H2I2URJ2G2G2G2C2 NG2UG2K2G2L2G2UM2B AN2UUG2UG2KG2G2O2G2A UG2I2RAP2UQ2G2R2G2S2 AH2G2UUG2G2G2G2G2G2T 2UG2O2G2BO2U2V2G2K2G 2H2W2UUG2QUQG2G2G2G2 G2G2NUG2UUG2X2UUBUG2 O2G2G2G2G2UG2Y2UH2Z2 UO2A3EUG2B3C3UG2UD3G 2UUJE3NNUF3 UG3H3G2UG2G2UUA Rhapsody | A |
- | |
- | |
Of all the various lots around the ball | B |
Which fate to man distributes absolute | C |
Avert ye gods that of the Muse's son | D |
Curs'd with dire poverty poor hungry wretch | E |
What shall he do for life he cannot work | F |
With manual labour shall those sacred hands | G |
That brought the counsels of the gods to light | H |
Shall that inspired tongue which every Muse | I |
Has touch'd divine to charm the sons of men | J |
These hallow'd organs these be prostitute | C |
To the vile service of some fool in power | K |
All his behests submissive to perform | L |
Howe'er to him ingrateful Oh he scorns | M |
The ignoble thought with generous disdain | N |
More eligible deeming it to starve | O |
Like his fam'd ancestors renown'd in verse | P |
Than poorly bend to be another's slave | Q |
Than feed and fatten in obscurity | A |
These are his firm resolves which fate nor time | R |
Nor poverty can shake Exalted high | S |
In garret vile he lives with remnants hung | T |
Of tapestry But oh precarious state | U |
Of this vain transient world all powerful time | R |
What dost thou not subdue See what a chasm | V |
Gapes wide tremendous see where Saul enrag'd | W |
High on his throne encompass'd by his guards | X |
With levell'd spear and arm extended sits | Y |
Ready to pierce old Jesse's valiant son | D |
Spoil'd of his nose around in tottering ranks | Z |
On shelves pulverulent majestic stands | G |
His library in ragged plight and old | A2 |
Replete with many a load of criticism | V |
Elaborate products of the midnight toil | B2 |
Of Belgian brains snatch'd from the deadly hands | G |
Of murderous grocer or the careful wight | H |
Who vends the plant that clads the happy shore | C2 |
Of Indian Patomack which citizens | D2 |
In balmy fumes exhale when o'er a pot | E2 |
Of sage inspiring coffee they dispose | F2 |
Of kings and crowns and settle Europe's fate | U |
- | |
Elsewhere the dome is fill'd with various heaps | G2 |
Of old domestic lumber that huge chair | H2 |
Has seen six monarchs fill the British throne | I2 |
Here a broad massy table stands o'erspread | U |
With ink and pens and scrolls replete with rhyme | R |
Chests stools old razors fractur'd jars half full | J2 |
Of muddy Zythum sour and spiritless | G2 |
Fragments of verse hose sandals utensils | G2 |
Of various fashion and of various use | G2 |
With friendly influence hide the sable floor | C2 |
- | |
This is the bard's museum this the fane | N |
To Ph bus sacred and the Aonian maids | G2 |
But oh it stabs his heart that niggard fate | U |
To him in such small measure should dispense | G2 |
Her better gifts to him whose generous soul | K2 |
Could relish with as fine an elegance | G2 |
The golden joys of grandeur and of wealth | L2 |
He who could tyrannize o'er menial slaves | G2 |
Or swell beneath a coronet of state | U |
Or grace a gilded chariot with a mien | M2 |
Grand as the haughtiest Timon of them all | B |
- | |
But 'tis in vain to rave at destiny | A |
Here he must rest and brook the best he can | N2 |
To live remote from grandeur learning wit | U |
Immur'd amongst th' 'ignoble vulgar herd | U |
Of lowest intellect whose stupid souls | G2 |
But half inform their bodies brains of lead | U |
And tongues of thunder whose insensate breasts | G2 |
Ne'er felt the rapturous soul entrancing fire | K |
Of the celestial Muse whose savage ears | G2 |
Ne'er heard the sacred rules nor even the names | G2 |
Of the Venusian bard or critic sage | O2 |
Full fam'd of Stagyra whose clamorous tongues | G2 |
Stun the tormented ear with colloquy | A |
Vociferate trivial or impertinent | U |
Replete with boorish scandal yet alas | G2 |
This this he must endure or muse alone | I2 |
Pensive and moping o'er the stubborn rhyme | R |
Or line imperfect No the door is free | A |
And calls him to evade their deafening clang | P2 |
By private ambulation 'tis resolved | U |
Off from his waist he throws the tatter'd gown | Q2 |
Beheld with indignation and unloads | G2 |
His pericranium of the weighty cap | R2 |
With sweat and grease discolour'd then explores | G2 |
The spacious chest and from its hollow womb | S2 |
Draws his best robe yet not from tincture free | A |
Of age's reverend russet scant and bare | H2 |
Then down his meagre visage waving flows | G2 |
The shadowy peruke crown'd with gummy hat | U |
Clean brush'd a cane supports him Thus equipp'd | U |
He sallies forth swift traverses the streets | G2 |
And seeks the lonely walk Hail sylvan scenes | G2 |
Ye groves ye valleys ye meand'ring brooks | G2 |
Admit me to your joys in rapturous phrase | G2 |
Loud he exclaims while with the inspiring Muse | G2 |
His bosom labours and all other thoughts | G2 |
Pleasure and wealth and poverty itself | T2 |
Before her influence vanish Rapt in thought | U |
Fancy presents before his ravished eyes | G2 |
Distant posterity upon his page | O2 |
With transport dwelling while bright Learning's sons | G2 |
That ages hence must tread this earthly ball | B |
Indignant seem to curse the thankless age | O2 |
That starv'd such merit Meantime swallow'd up | U2 |
In meditation deep he wanders on | V2 |
Unweeting of his way But ah he starts | G2 |
With sudden fright his glaring eye balls roll | K2 |
Pale turn his cheeks and shake his loosen'd joints | G2 |
His cogitations vanish into air | H2 |
Like painted bubbles or a morning dream | W2 |
Behold the cause see through the opening glade | U |
With rosy visage and abdomen grand | U |
A cit a dun As in Apulia's wilds | G2 |
Or where the Thracian Hebrus rolls his wave | Q |
A heedless kid disportive roves around | U |
Unheeding till upon the hideous cave | Q |
Of the dire wolf she treads half dead she views | G2 |
His bloodshot eye balls and his dreadful fangs | G2 |
And swift as Eurus from the monster flies | G2 |
So fares the trembling bard amaz'd he turns | G2 |
Scarce by his legs upborne yet fear supplies | G2 |
The place of strength straight home he bends his course | G2 |
Nor looks behind him till he safe regain | N |
His faithful citadel there spent fatigu'd | U |
He lays him down to ease his heaving lungs | G2 |
Quaking and of his safety scarce convinc'd | U |
Soon as the panic leaves his panting breast | U |
Down to the Muse's sacred rites he sits | G2 |
Volumes pil'd round him see upon his brow | X2 |
Perplex'd anxiety and struggling thought | U |
Painful as female throes whether the bard | U |
Display the deeds of heroes or the fall | B |
Of vice in lay dramatic or expand | U |
The lyric wing or in elegiac strains | G2 |
Lament the fair or lash the stubborn age | O2 |
With laughing satire or in rural scenes | G2 |
With shepherds sport or rack his hard bound brains | G2 |
For the unexpected turn Arachne so | G2 |
In dusty kitchen corner from her bowels | G2 |
Spins the fine web but spins with better fate | U |
Than the poor bard she caitiff spreads her snares | G2 |
And with their aid enjoys luxurious life | Y2 |
Bloated with fat of insects flesh'd in blood | U |
He hard hard lot for all his toil and care | H2 |
And painful watchings scarce protracts awhile | Z2 |
His meagre hungry days ungrateful world | U |
If with his drama he adorn the stage | O2 |
No worth discerning concourse pays the charge | A3 |
Or of the orchestra or the enlightening torch | E |
He who supports the luxury and pride | U |
Of craving Lais he whose carnage fills | G2 |
Dogs eagles lions has not yet enough | B3 |
Wherewith to satisfy the greedier maw | C3 |
Of that most ravenous that devouring beast | U |
Yclep'd a Poet What new Halifax | G2 |
What Somers or what Dorset canst thou find | U |
Thou hungry mortal break wretch break thy quill | D3 |
Blot out the studied image to the flames | G2 |
Commit the Stagyrite leave this thankless trade | U |
Erect some pedling stall with trinkets stock'd | U |
There earn thy daily halfpence nor again | J |
Trust the false Muse so shall the cleanly meal | E3 |
Repel intruding hunger Oh 'tis vain | N |
The friendly admonition's all in vain | N |
The scribbling itch has seiz'd him he is lost | U |
To all advice and starves for starving's sake | F3 |
- | |
Thus sung the sportful Muse in mirthful mood | U |
Indulging gay the frolic vein of youth | G3 |
But oh ye gods avert th' impending stroke | H3 |
This luckless omen threatens Hark methinks | G2 |
I hear my better angel cry Retreat | U |
Rash youth in time retreat let those poor bards | G2 |
Who slighted all all for the flattering Muse | G2 |
Yet curs'd with pining want as landmarks stand | U |
To warn thee from the service of the ingrate | U |
Mark Akenside
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about The Poet poem by Mark Akenside
Best Poems of Mark Akenside