Of Discretion. From Proverbial Philosophy Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJFKLMNFOPBQ OCRSBIPHTHRBCUOBLTBT UBRCSUOBVBCBUWULXY UEBSCZBA2HL RBCUB2RC2BOBC L| For what then was I born to fill the circling year with daily toil for daily bread with sordid pains and pleasures | A |
| To walk this chequered world alternate light and darkness | B |
| The day dreams of deep thought followed by the night dreams of fancy | C |
| To be one in a full procession to dig my kindred clay | D |
| To decorate the gallery of art to clear a few acres of forest | E |
| For more than these my soul thy God hath lent thee life | F |
| Is then that noble end to feed this mind with knowledge | G |
| To mix for mine own thirst the sparkling wine of wisdom | H |
| To light with many lamps the caverns of my heart | I |
| To reap in the furrows of my brain good harvest of right reasons | J |
| For more than these my soul thy God hath lent thee life | F |
| Is it to grow stronger in self government to check the chafing will | K |
| To curb with tightening rein the mettled steeds of passion | L |
| To welcome with calm heart far in the voiceless desert | M |
| The gracious visitings of heaven that bless my single self | N |
| For more than these my soul thy God hath lent thee life | F |
| To aim at thine own happiness is an end idolatrous and evil | O |
| In earth yea in heaven if thou seek it for itself seeking thou shalt not find | P |
| Happiness is a road side flower growing on the highway of Usefulness | B |
| Plucked it shall wither in thy hand passed by it is fragrance to thy spirit | Q |
| Love not thine own soul regard not thine own weal | O |
| Trample the thyme beneath thy feet be useful and be happy | C |
| Thus unto fair couclusions argueth generous youth | R |
| And quickly he starteth on his course knight errant to do good | S |
| His sword is edged with arguments his vizor terrible with censures | B |
| He goeth full mailed in faith and zeal is flaming at his heart | I |
| Yet one thing he lacketh the Mentor of the mind | P |
| The quiet whisper of Discretion Thy time is not yet come | H |
| For he smiteth an oppressor and vengeance for that smiting | T |
| Is dealt in doubled stripes on the faint body of the victim | H |
| He is glad to give and to distribute and clamorous pauperism feasteth | R |
| While honest labour pining hideth his sharp ribs | B |
| He challengeth to a fair field that subtle giant Infidelity | C |
| And worsted in the unequal fight strengtheneth the hands of error | U |
| He hasteth to teach and preach as the war horse rusheth to the battle | O |
| And to pave a way for truth would break up the Apennines of prejudice | B |
| He wearieth by stale proofs where none looked for a reason | L |
| And to the listening ear will urge the false argument of feeling | T |
| So hath it often been that judging by results | B |
| The hottest friends of truth have done her deadliest wrong | T |
| Alas for there are enemies without glad enough to parley with a traitor | U |
| And a zealot will let down the drawbridge to prove his own prowess | B |
| Yea from within will he break away a breach in the citadel of truth | R |
| That he may fill the gap for fame with his own weak body | C |
| Zeal without judgment is an evil though it be zeal unto good | S |
| Touch not the ark with unclean hand yea though it seem to totter | U |
| There are evil who work good and there are good who work evil | O |
| And foolish hackers of wisdom have brought on her many reproaches | B |
| Truth hath more than enough to combat in the minds of all men | V |
| For the mist of sense is a thick veil and sin hath warped their wills | B |
| Yet doth an officious helper awkwardly prevent her victory | C |
| These thy wounded hands were smitten in the house of friends | B |
| To point out a meaning in her words he will blot those words with his finger | U |
| And winnow chaff into the eyes before he hath wheat to show | W |
| He will heap sturdy logs on a faint expiring fire | U |
| And with a room in flames will cast the casement open | L |
| By a shoulder to the wheel downhill harasseth the labouring beast | X |
| And where obstruction were needed will harm by an ill judged thrusting on | Y |
| - | |
| A vessel foundereth at sea if a storm have unshipped the rudder | U |
| And a mind with much sail shall require heavy ballast | E |
| Take a lever by the middle thou shalt seem to prove it powerless | B |
| Argue for truth indiscreetly thou shalt toil for falsehood | S |
| There is plenty of room for a peaceable man in the most thronged assembly | C |
| But a quarrelsome spirit is straitened in the open field | Z |
| Many a teacher lacking judgment hindereth his own lessons | B |
| And the savoury mess of pottage is spoiled by a bitter herb | A2 |
| The garment woven of a piece is rashly torn by schism | H |
| Because its unwise claimants will not cast lots for its possession | L |
| - | |
| Discretion guide thee on thy way noble minded youth | R |
| Help thee to humour infirmities to wink at innocent errors | B |
| To take small count of forms to bear with prejudice and fancy | C |
| Discretion guard thine asking discretion aid thine answer | U |
| Teach thee that well timed silence hath more eloquence than speech | B2 |
| Whisper thee thou art Weakness though thy cause be Strength | R |
| And tell thee the key stone of an arch can be loosened with least labour from within | C2 |
| The snows of Hecla lie around its troubled smoking Geysers | B |
| Let the cool streams of prudence temper the hot spring of zeal | O |
| So shalt thou gain thine honourable end nor lose the midway prize | B |
| So shall thy life be useful and thy young heart happy | C |
| - | |
| - | |
| Transcribed from the th edition Proverbial Philosophy by Martin Farquhar Tupper by Mick Puttock August Spelling punctuation and grammer left mostly unchanged from the th edition | L |
Martin Farquhar Tupper
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
About Of Discretion. From Proverbial Philosophy
Of Discretion. From Proverbial Philosophy is a poem by Martin Farquhar Tupper. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.