Prefatory. To Proverbial Philosophy Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEDCBFGHICJKLMNOP DJBOB DQGRSTDUVBCWDA C| Thoughts that have tarried in my mind and peopled its inner chambers | A |
| The sober children of reason or desultory train of fancy | B |
| Clear running wine of conviction with the scum and the lees of speculation | C |
| Corn from the sheaves of science with stubble from mine own garner | D |
| Searchings after Truth that have tracked her secret lodes | E |
| And come up again to the surface world with a know ledge grounded deeper | D |
| Arguments of high scope that have soared to the key stone of heaven | C |
| And thence have swooped to their certain mark as the falcon to its quarry | B |
| The fruits I have gathered of prudence the ripened harvest of my musings | F |
| These commend I unto thee docile scholar of Wisdom | G |
| These I give to thy gentle heart thou lover of the right | H |
| What though a guilty man renew that hallowed theme | I |
| Aud strike with feebler hand the harp of Sirach's son | C |
| What though a youthful tongue take up that ancient parable | J |
| And utter faintly forth dark sayings as of old | K |
| Sweet is the virgin honey though the wild bee have stored it in a reed | L |
| And bright the jewelled band that circleth an Ethiop's arm | M |
| Pure are the grains of gold in the turbid stream of Ganges | N |
| And fair the living flowers that spring from the dull cold sod | O |
| Wherefore thou gentle student bend thine ear to my speech | P |
| For I also am as thou art om hearts can commune together | D |
| To meanest matters will I stoop for mean is the lot of mortal | J |
| I will rise to noblest themes for the soul hath an heritage of glory | B |
| The passions of puny man the majestic characters of God | O |
| The feverish shadows of time and the mighty substance of eternity | B |
| - | |
| Commend thy mind unto candour and grudge not as though thou hadst a teacher | D |
| Nor scorn angelic Truth for the sake of her evil herald | Q |
| Heed not him but hear his words and care not whence they come | G |
| The viewless winds might whisper them the billows roar them forth | R |
| The mean unconscious sedge sigh them in the ear of evening | S |
| Or the mind of pride conceive and the mouth of folly speak them | T |
| Lo now I stand not forth laying hold on spear and buckler | D |
| I come a man of peace to comfort not to combat | U |
| With soft persuasive speech to charm thy patient ear | V |
| Giving the hand of fellowship acknowledging the heart of sympathy | B |
| Let us walk together as friends in the shaded paths of meditation | C |
| Nor Judgment set his seal until he hath poised his balance | W |
| That the chastenings of mild reproof may meet unwitting error | D |
| And Charity not be a stranger at the board that is spread for brothers | A |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| Transcribed from Proverbial Philosophy by Mick Puttock Spelling punctuation and grammer left mostly unchanged from the th edition | C |
Martin Farquhar Tupper
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
<< The Train Of Religion. From Proverbial Philosophy Poem
The Words Of Wisdom. From Proverbial Philosophy Poem>>
About Prefatory. To Proverbial Philosophy
Prefatory. To Proverbial Philosophy is a poem by Martin Farquhar Tupper. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.