An Ode - Inscribed To The Memory Of The Hon. Colonel George Villiers Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Say dearest Villiers poor departed friend	A
Since fleeting life thus suddenly must end	A
Say what did all thy busy hopes avail	B
That anxious thou from pole to pole didst sail	B
Ere on thy chin the springing beard began	C
To spread a doubtful down and promise man	C
What profited thy thoughts and toils and cares	D
In vigour more confirmed and riper years	E
To wake ere morning dawn to loud alarms	F
And march till close of night in heavy arms	F
To scorn the summer's suns and winter's snows	G
And search through every clime thy country's foes	G
That thou might'st Fortune to thy side engage	H
That gentle Peace might quell Bellona's rage	H
And Anna's bounty crown her soldier's hoary age	H
	-
In vain we think that free will'd man has power	I
To hasten or protract th' appointed hour	I
Our term of life depends not on our deed	J
Before our birth our funeral was decreed	J
Nor awed by foresight nor misled by chance	K
Imperious Death directs his ebon lance	K
Peoples great Henry's tombs and leads up Holben's dance	K
	-
Alike must every state and every age	H
Sustain the universal tyrant's rage	H
For neither William's power nor Mary's charms	F
Could or repel or pacify his arms	F
Young Churchill fell as life began to bloom	L
And Bradford's trembling age expects the tomb	L
Wisdom and Eloquence in vain would plead	J
One moment's respite for the learned head	M
Judges of writings and of men have died	N
Maecenas Sackville Socrates and Hyde	N
And in their various turns the sons must tread	M
Those gloomy journeys which their sires have led	M
	-
The ancient sage who did so long maintain	O
That bodies die but souls return again	P
With all the births and deaths he had in store	Q
Went out Pythagoras and came no more	Q
And modern Asgyll whose capricious thought	R
Is yet with stores of wilder notions fraught	R
Too soon convinced shall yield that fleeting breath	S
Which play'd so idly with the darts of Death	S
	-
Some from the stranded vessel force their way	T
Fearful of fate they meet it in the sea	U
Some who escape the fury of the wave	V
Sicken on earth and sink into a grave	V
In journeys or at home in war or peace	W
By hardships many many fall by ease	X
Each changing season does its poison bring	Y
Rheums chill the winter agues blast the spring	Y
Wet dry cold hot at the appointed hour	I
All act subservient to the tyrant's power	I
And when obedient Nature knows his will	Z
A fly a grape stone or a hair can kill	Z
	-
For restless Proserpine for ever treads	A2
In paths unseen o'er our devoted heads	A2
And on the spacious land and liquid main	O
Spreads slow disease or darts afflictive pain	O
Variety of deaths confirms her endless reign	O
	-
On cursed Piava's banks the goddess stood	B2
Show'd her dire warrant to the rising flood	C2
When he I long must love and long must mourn	D2
With fatal speed was urging his return	E2
In his dear country to disperse his care	F2
And arm himself by rest for future war	Q
To chide his anxious friends' officious fears	E
And promise to their joys his elder years	E
	-
Oh destined head and oh severe decree	U
Nor native country thou nor friend shalt see	U
Nor war hast thou to wage nor year to come	G2
Impending death is thine and instant doom	L
Hark the imperious goddess is obey'd	H2
Winds murmur snows descend and waters spread	M
Oh Kinsman Friend Oh vain are all the cries	I2
Of human voice strong Destiny replies	I2
Weep you on earth for he shall sleep below	J2
Thence none return and thither all must go	J2
	-
Whoe'er thou art whom choice or business leads	K2
To this sad river or the neighbouring meads	K2
If thou may'st happen on the dreary shores	L2
To find the object which this verse deplores	L2
Cleanse the pale corpse with a religious hand	M2
From the polluting weed and common sand	M2
Lay the dead hero graceful in a grave	V
The only honour he can now receive	N2
And fragrant mould upon his body throw	J2
And plant the warrior laurel o'er his brow	O2
Light lie the earth and flourish green the bough	O2
	-
So may just Heaven secure thy future life	P2
From foreign dangers and domestic strife	P2
And when th' infernal Judge's dismal power	I
From the dark urn shall throw thy destin'd hour	I
When yielding to the sentence breathless thou	O2
And pale shalt lie as what thou buriest now	O2
May some kind friend the piteous object see	U
And equal rites perform to that which once was thee	U

Matthew Prior

An Ode - Inscribed To The Memory Of The Hon. Colonel George Villiers Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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