Of Recreation. From Proverbial Philosophy Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHFIJJKBKKFKLA BCFFFKAMFNOKFFPAKKFQ FJEFRFSFTJAUFJBJKFBF KB LKFKAKBKKKVFKKJJJFFK KF B| To join advantage to amusement to gather profit with pleasure | A |
| Is the wise man's necessary aim when he lieth in the shade of recreation | B |
| For he cannot fling aside his mind nor bar up the floodgates of his wisdom | C |
| Yea though he strain after folly his mental monitor shall check him | D |
| For knowledge and ignorance alike have laws essential to their being | E |
| The sage studieth amusements and the simple laugheth in his studies | F |
| Few but full of understanding are the books of the library of God | G |
| And fitting for all seasons are the gain and the gladness they bestow | H |
| The volume of mystery and Grace for the hour of deep communings | F |
| When the soul considereth intensely the startling marvel of itself | I |
| The book of destiny and Providence for the time of sober study | J |
| When the mind gleaneth wisdom from the olive grove of history | J |
| And the cheerful pages of Nature to gladden the pleasant holiday | K |
| When the task of duty is complete and the heart swelleth high with satisfaction | B |
| The soul may not safely dwell too long with the deep things of futurity | K |
| The mind may not always be bent back like the Parthian straining at the past | K |
| And if thou art wearied with wrestling on the broad arena of science | F |
| Leave awhile thy friendly foe half vanquished in the dust | K |
| Refresh thy jaded limbs return with vigour to the strife | L |
| Thou shalt easier find thyself his master for the vacant interval of leisure | A |
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| That which may profit and amuse is gathered from the volume of creation | B |
| For every chapter therein teemeth with the playfulness of wisdom | C |
| The elements of all things are the same though nature hath mixed them with a difference | F |
| And Learning delighteth to discover the affinity of seeming opposites | F |
| So out of great things and small draweth he the secrets of the universe | F |
| And argueth the cycles of the stars from a pebble flung by a child | K |
| It is pleasant to note all plants from the rush to the spreading cedar | A |
| From the giant king of palms to the lichen that staineth its stem | M |
| To watch the worldngs of instinct that grosser reason of brutes | F |
| The river horse browsing in the jungle the plover screaming on the moor | N |
| The cayman basking on a mud bank and the walrus anchored to an iceberg | O |
| The dog at his master's feet and the milch kine lowing in the meadow | K |
| To trace the consummate skill that hath modelled the anatomy of insects | F |
| Small fowls that sun their wings on the petals of wild flowers | F |
| To learn a use in the beetle and more than a beauty in the butterfly | P |
| To recognize affectious in a moth and look with admiration on a spider | A |
| It is glorious to gaze upon the firmament and see from far the mansions of the blest | K |
| Each distant shining world a kingdom for one of the redeemed | K |
| To read the antique history of earth stamped upon those medals in the rocks | F |
| Which Design hath rescued from decay to tell of the green infancy of time | Q |
| To gather from the unconsidered shingle mottled starlike agates | F |
| Full of unstoried flowers in the bubbling bloom chalcedony | J |
| Or gay and curious shells fretted with microscopic carving | E |
| Corallines and fresh seaweeds spreading forth their delicate branches | F |
| It is an admirable lore to learn the cause in the change | R |
| To study the chemistiy of Nature her grand but simple secrets | F |
| To search out all her wonders to track the resources of her skill | S |
| To note her kind compensations her unobtrusive excellence | F |
| In all it is wise happiness to see the well ordained laws of Jehovah | T |
| The harmony that filleth all his mind the justice that tempereth his bounty | J |
| The wonderful all prevalent analogy that testifieth one Creator | A |
| The broad arrow of the Great King carved on all the stores of his arsenal | U |
| But beware worshipper of God thou forget not him in his dealings | F |
| Though the bright emanations of his power hide him in created glory | J |
| For if on the sea of knowledge thou regardest not the pole star of religion | B |
| Thy bark will miss her port and run upon the sandbar of folly | J |
| And if enamoured of the means thou considerest not the scope to which they tend | K |
| Wherein art thou wiser than the child that is pleased with toys and baubles | F |
| Verily a trifling scholar thou heedest but the letter of instruction | B |
| For as motive is spirit unto action as memoiy endeareth place | F |
| As the sun doth fertilize the earth as affection qnickeneth the heart | K |
| So is the remembrance of God in the varied wonders of creation | B |
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| Man hath found out inventions to cheat him of the weariness of life | L |
| To help him to forget realities and hide the misery of guilt | K |
| For love of praise and hope of gain for passion and delusive happiness | F |
| He joineth the circle of folly and heapeth on the fire of excitement | K |
| Oftentimes sadly out of heart at the tiresome insipidity of pleasure | A |
| Oftentimes labouring in vain convinced of the palpable deceit | K |
| Yet a man speaketh to his brother in the voice of glad congratulation | B |
| And thinketh others happy though he himself be wretched | K |
| And hand joineth hand to help in the toil of amusement | K |
| While the secret aching heart is vacant of all but disappointment | K |
| The cheapest pleasures are the best and nothing is more costly than sin | V |
| Yet we mortgage futurity counting it but little loss | F |
| Neither can a man delight in that which breedeth sorrow | K |
| Yet do we hunt for joy even in the fires that consume it | K |
| Whoso would find gladness may meet her in the hovel of poverty | J |
| Where benevolence hath scattered around the gleanings of the horn of plenty | J |
| Whoso would sun himself in peace may be seen of her in deeds of mercy | J |
| When the pale lean cheek of the destitute is wet with grateful tears | F |
| If the mind is wearied by study or the body worn with sickness | F |
| It is well to lie fallow for a while in the vacancy of sheer amusement | K |
| But when thou prosperest in health and thine intellect can soar untired | K |
| To seek uninstructive pleasure is to slumber on the couch of indolence | F |
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| 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 | B |
Martin Farquhar Tupper
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About Of Recreation. From Proverbial Philosophy
Of Recreation. From Proverbial Philosophy is a poem by Martin Farquhar Tupper. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.