Of Hidden Uses. From Proverbial Philosophy Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDCECFGHIJKCLMNOPC QRS TQUCCQVQJW QXQNQYZA2QB2 C2TQNQD2QE2 QQTF2QQC2JQG2S QQH2I2J2K2QL2TTQQC2Q QM2N2 N2QTQO2P2Q2R2N2S2QJ HT2QQXU2QI2QQN2TV2QW 2 N2

The sea wort floating on the waves or rolled up high along the shoreA
Ye counted useless and vile heaping on it names of contemptB
Yet hath it gloriously triumphed and man been humbled in his ignoranceC
For health is in the fresliness of its savour and it cumbereth the beach with wealthD
Comforting the tossings of pain with its violet tinctured essenceC
And by its humbler ashes enriching many proudE
Be this then a lesson to thy soul that thou reckon nothing wortlilessC
Because thou heedest not its use nor knowest the virtues thereofF
And herein as thou walkest by the sea shall weeds be a type and an earnestG
Of the stored and uncounted riches lying hid in all creatures of GodH
There be flowers making glad the desert and roots fattening the soilI
And jewels in the secret deep scattered amongst groves of coralJ
And comforts to crown all wishes and aids unto every needK
Influences yet unthought and virtues and many inventionsC
And uses above and around which man hath not yet regardedL
Not long to charm away disease hath the crocus yielded up its bulbM
Nor the willow lent its bark nor the nightshade its vanquished poisonN
Not long hath the twisted leaf the fragrant gift of ChinaO
Nor that nutritious root the boon of far PeruP
Nor the many coloured dahlia nor the gorgeous flaunting cactusC
Nor the multitude of fruits and flowers ministered to Life and luxuryQ
Even so there be virtues yet unknown in the wasted foliage of the elmR
In the sun dried harebell of the downs and the hyacinth drinking in the meadowS
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In the sycamore's winged fruit and the facet cut cones of the cedarT
And the pansy and bright geranium live not alone for beautyQ
Nor the waxen flower of the arbute though it dieth in a dayU
Nor the sculptured crest of the fir unseen but by the starsC
And the meanest weed of the garden serveth unto many usesC
The salt tamarisk and juicy flag the freckled orchis and the daisyQ
The world may laugh at famine when forest trees yield breadV
When acorns give out fragrant drink and the sap of the linden is as fatnessQ
For every green herb from the lotus to the darnelJ
Is rich with delicate aids to help incurious manW
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Still Mind is up and stirring and pryeth in the corners of contrivanceQ
Often from the dark recesses picking out bright seeds of truthX
Knowledge hath clipped the lightning's wings and mewed it up for a purposeQ
Training to some domestic task the fieiy bird of heavenN
Tamed is the spirit of the storm to slave in all peaceful artsQ
To walk with husbandry and science to stand in the vanguard against deathY
And the chemist balanceth his elements with more than magic skillZ
Commanding stones that they be bread and draining sweetness out of wormwoodA2
Yet man heedless of a God countethup vain reckoningsQ
Fearing to be jostled and starved out by the too prolific increase of his kindB2
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And asketh in unbelieving dread for how few years to comeC2
Will the black cellars of the world yield unto him fuel for his winterT
Might not the wide waste sea be pent within narrower boundsQ
Might not the arm of diligence make the tangled wilderness a gardenN
And for aught thou canst tell there may be a thousand methodsQ
Of comforting thy limbs in warmth though thou kindle not a sparkD2
Fear not son of man for thyself nor thy seed with a multitude is plentyQ
God's blessing giveth increase and with it larger than enoughE2
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Search out the wisdom of nature there is depth in all her doingsQ
She seemeth prodigal of power yet her rules are the maxims of frugalityQ
The plant refresheth the air and the earth filtereth the waterT
And dews are sucked into the cloud dropping fatness on the worldF2
She hath on a miglity scale a general use for all thingsQ
Yet hath she specially for each its microscopic purposeQ
There is use in the prisoned air that swelleth the pods of the laburnumC2
Design in the venomed thorns that sentinel the leaves of the nettleJ
A final cause for the aromatic gum that congealeth the moss around a roseQ
A reason for each blade of grass that reareth its small spireG2
How knoweth discontented man what a train of ills might followS
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If the lowest menial of nature knew not her secret officeQ
If the thistle never sprang up to mock the loose husbandry of indolenceQ
Or the pestilence never swept away an unknown curse from among menH2
Would ye crush the buzzing myriads that float on the breath of eveningI2
Would ye trample the creatures of God that people the rotting fruitJ2
Would ye suffer no mildew forest to stain the unhealthy wallK2
Nor a noisome savour to exhale from the pool that breedeth diseaseQ
Pain is useful unto man for it teacheth him to guard his lifeL2
And the fetid vapours of the fen warn him to fly from dangerT
And the meditative mind looking on winneth good food for its hungerT
Seeing the wholesome root bring forth a poisonous berryQ
For otherwhile falleth it out that truth driven to extremitiesQ
Yieldeth bitter folly as the spoilt fruit of wisdomC2
O blinded is thine eye if it see not just aptitude in all thingsQ
O frozen is thy heart if it glow not with gratitude for all thingsQ
In the perfect circle of creation not an atom could be sparedM2
From earth's magnetic zone to the bindweed round a hawthornN2
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The sage and the beetle at his feet hath each a ministration to perfonnN2
The briar and the palm have the wages of life rendering secret serviceQ
Neither is it thus alone with the definite existences of matterT
But motion and sound circumstance and quality yea all things have their officeQ
The zephyr playing with an aspen leaf the earthquake that rendeth a continentO2
The moon beam silvering a ruined arch the desert wave dashing up a pyramidP2
The thunder of jarring icebergs the stops of a shepherd's pipeQ2
The howl of the tiger in the glen and the wood dove calling to her mateR2
The vulture's cruel rage the grace of the stately swanN2
The fierceness looking from the lynx's eye and the dull stupor of the slothS2
To these and to all is there added each its use though man considereth it lightlyQ
For Power hath ordained nothing which Economy saw not needfulJ
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All things being are in concord with the ubiqmty of GodH
Neither is there one thing overmuch nor freed from honourable servitudeT2
Were there not a need be of wisdom nothing would be as it isQ
For essence without necessity argueth a moral weaknessQ
We look through a glass darkly we catch but glimpses of truthX
But doubtless the sailing of a cloud hath Providence to its pilotU2
Doubtless the root of an oak is gnarled for a special purposeQ
The foreknown station of a rush is as fixed as the station of a kingI2
And chaff from the hand of the winnower steered as the stars in their coursesQ
Man liveth only in himself but the Lord liveth in all thingsQ
And his pervading unity quickeneth the whole creationN2
Man doeth one thing at once nor can he think two thoughts togetherT
But God compasseth all things mantling the globe like airV2
And we render homage to his wisdom seeing use in all his creaturesQ
For perchance the universe would die were not all things as they areW2
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Transcribed from Proverbial Philosophy by Mick Puttock August Spelling punctuation and grammer left mostly unchanged from the th editionN2

Martin Farquhar Tupper



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