The Deserted Village Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFBBGGHHBB IIJJKKLLMMCCNN OODDAAGGPPQQRRSS GGBBTT UUVVWW AAXXTTYYDDVV ZZA2A2MMAA B2B2KKC2XFFD2D2MME2E 2 F2F2CCG2G2H2H2I2I2J2 J2GGE2E2 C2XK2K2L2L2M2M2N2N2B BO2O2NNP2P2NNQ2Q2AA R2R2XXS2S2LLZZQQAAPP T2T2GGU2U2K2K2UU TTRRQQGG BBV2V2W2W2 LLGGUUX2X2PPU2U2Y2Y2 NN GGM2M2MMLLHHIIIIMMZ2 A3FFIIMM IIG2G2IIIILLVVGGB3B3 GGK2K2 RRIIB2B2O2O2S2C3IIII AAIIGGIIIIAAD3D3 GGIIVVIIE3E3IIA2A2F3 F3DDQQRR AAQQO2O2G3G3IIQQIIMM IIIIIIB2B2IIK2K2IIGG AAB2B2D3D3QQIIQ2Q2II ZZKK AAII DDK2K2VVGGP2P2IIH3H3 GGQQDDMM GGIIAAH2H2K2K2MMI3J3 K3K3XXB2S2MM HHD3D3L3L3K2K2II U2U2IIO2O2IIB2B2MMII E3E3IIK2K2M3M3IIK2K2 N3N3AAIIGGG2G2

Sweet Auburn loveliest village of the plain	A
Where health and plenty cheered the labouring swain	A
Where smiling spring its earliest visits paid	B
And parting summer's lingering blooms delayed	B
Dear lovely bowers of innocence and ease	C
Seats of my youth where every sport could please	C
How often have I loitered o'er your green	D
Where humble happiness endeared each scene	D
How often have I paused on every charm	E
The sheltered cot the cultivated farm	E
The never failing brook the busy mill	F
The decent church that topped the neighbouring hill	F
The hawthorn bush with seats beneath the shade	B
For talking age and whispering lovers made	B
How often have I blessed the coming day	G
When toil remitting lent its turn to play	G
And all the village train from labour free	H
Led up their sports beneath the spreading tree	H
While many a pastime circled in the shade	B
The young contending as the old surveyed	B
And many a gambol frolicked o'er the ground	I
And sleights of art and feats of strength went round	I
And still as each repeated pleasure tired	J
Succeeding sports the mirthful band inspired	J
The dancing pair that simply sought renown	K
By holding out to tire each other down	K
The swain mistrustless of his smutted face	L
While secret laughter tittered round the place	L
The bashful virgin's sidelong look of love	M
The matron's glance that would those looks reprove	M
These were thy charms sweet village sports like these	C
With sweet succession taught even toil to please	C
These round thy bowers their cheerful influence shed	N
These were thy charms But all these charms are fled	N
	-
Sweet smiling village loveliest of the lawn	O
Thy sports are fled and all thy charms withdrawn	O
Amidst thy bowers the tyrant's hand is seen	D
And desolation saddens all thy green	D
One only master grasps the whole domain	A
And half a tillage stints thy smiling plain	A
No more thy glassy brook reflects the day	G
But choked with sedges works its weedy way	G
Along thy glades a solitary guest	P
The hollow sounding bittern guards its nest	P
Amidst thy desert walks the lapwing flies	Q
And tires their echoes with unvaried cries	Q
Sunk are thy bowers in shapeless ruin all	R
And the long grass o'ertops the mouldering wall	R
And trembling shrinking from the spoiler's hand	S
Far far away thy children leave the land	S
	-
Ill fares the land to hastening ills a prey	G
Where wealth accumulates and men decay	G
Princes and lords may flourish or may fade	B
A breath can make them as a breath has made	B
But a bold peasantry their country's pride	T
When once destroyed can never be supplied	T
	-
A time there was ere England's griefs began	U
When every rood of ground maintained its man	U
For him light labour spread her wholesome store	V
Just gave what life required but gave no more	V
His best companions innocence and health	W
And his best riches ignorance of wealth	W
	-
But times are altered trade's unfeeling train	A
Usurp the land and dispossess the swain	A
Along the lawn where scattered hamlet's rose	X
Unwieldy wealth and cumbrous pomp repose	X
And every want to opulence allied	T
And every pang that folly pays to pride	T
Those gentle hours that plenty bade to bloom	Y
Those calm desires that asked but little room	Y
Those healthful sports that graced the peaceful scene	D
Lived in each look and brightened all the green	D
These far departing seek a kinder shore	V
And rural mirth and manners are no more	V
	-
Sweet Auburn parent of the blissful hour	Z
Thy glades forlorn confess the tyrant's power	Z
Here as I take my solitary rounds	A2
Amidst thy tangling walks and ruined grounds	A2
And many a year elapsed return to view	M
Where once the cottage stood the hawthorn grew	M
Remembrance wakes with all her busy train	A
Swells at my breast and turns the past to pain	A
	-
In all my wanderings round this world of care	B2
In all my griefs and God has given my share	B2
I still had hopes my latest hours to crown	K
Amidst these humble bowers to lay me down	K
To husband out life's taper at the close	C2
And keep the flame from wasting by repose	X
I still had hopes for pride attends us still	F
Amidst the swains to show my book learned skill	F
Around my fire an evening group to draw	D2
And tell of all I felt and all I saw	D2
And as a hare whom hounds and horns pursue	M
Pants to the place from whence at first she flew	M
I still had hopes my long vexations passed	E2
Here to return and die at home at last	E2
	-
O blest retirement friend to life's decline	F2
Retreats from care that never must be mine	F2
How happy he who crowns in shades like these	C
A youth of labour with an age of ease	C
Who quits a world where strong temptations try	G2
And since 'tis hard to combat learns to fly	G2
For him no wretches born to work and weep	H2
Explore the mine or tempt the dangerous deep	H2
No surly porter stands in guilty state	I2
To spurn imploring famine from the gate	I2
But on he moves to meet his latter end	J2
Angels round befriending Virtue's friend	J2
Bends to the grave with unperceived decay	G
While Resignation gently slopes the way	G
All all his prospects brightening to the last	E2
His Heaven commences ere the world be past	E2
	-
Sweet was the sound when oft at evening's close	C2
Up yonder hill the village murmur rose	X
There as I passed with careless steps and slow	K2
The mingling notes came softened from below	K2
The swain responsive as the milkmaid sung	L2
The sober herd that lowed to meet their young	L2
The noisy geese that gabbled o'er the pool	M2
The playful children just let loose from school	M2
The watchdog's voice that bayed the whisp'ring wind	N2
And the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind	N2
These all in sweet confusion sought the shade	B
And filled each pause the nightingale had made	B
But now the sounds of population fail	O2
No cheerful murmurs fluctuate in the gale	O2
No busy steps the grass grown footway tread	N
For all the bloomy flush of life is fled	N
All but yon widowed solitary thing	P2
That feebly bends beside the plashy spring	P2
She wretched matron forced in age for bread	N
To strip the brook with mantling cresses spread	N
To pick her wintry faggot from the thorn	Q2
To seek her nightly shed and weep till morn	Q2
She only left of all the harmless train	A
The sad historian of the pensive plain	A
	-
Near yonder copse where once the garden smiled	R2
And still where many a garden flower grows wild	R2
There where a few torn shrubs the place disclose	X
The village preacher's modest mansion rose	X
A man he was to all the country dear	S2
And passing rich with forty pounds a year	S2
Remote from towns he ran his godly race	L
Nor e'er had changed nor wished to change his place	L
Unpractised he to fawn or seek for power	Z
By doctrines fashioned to the varying hour	Z
Far other aims his heart had learned to prize	Q
More skilled to raise the wretched than to rise	Q
His house was known to all the vagrant train	A
He chid their wanderings but relieved their pain	A
The long remembered beggar was his guest	P
Whose beard descending swept his aged breast	P
The ruined spendthrift now no longer proud	T2
Claimed kindred there and had his claims allowed	T2
The broken soldier kindly bade to stay	G
Sat by his fire and talked the night away	G
Wept o'er his wounds or tales of sorrow done	U2
Shouldered his crutch and showed how fields were won	U2
Pleased with his guests the good man learned to glow	K2
And quite forgot their vices in their woe	K2
Careless their merits or their faults to scan	U
His pity gave ere charity began	U
	-
Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride	T
And e'en his failings leaned to Virtue's side	T
But in his duty prompt at every call	R
He watched and wept he prayed and felt for all	R
And as a bird each fond endearment tries	Q
To tempt its new fledged offspring to the skies	Q
He tried each art reproved each dull delay	G
Allured to brighter worlds and led the way	G
	-
Beside the bed where parting life was laid	B
And sorrow guilt and pain by turns dismayed	B
The reverend champion stood At his control	V2
Despair and anguish fled the struggling soul	V2
Comfort came down the trembling wretch to raise	W2
And his last faltering accents whispered praise	W2
	-
At church with meek and unaffected grace	L
His looks adorned the venerable place	L
Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway	G
And fools who came to scoff remained to pray	G
The service passed around the pious man	U
With steady zeal each honest rustic ran	U
Even children followed with endearing wile	X2
And plucked his gown to share the good man's smile	X2
His ready smile a parent's warmth expressed	P
Their welfare pleased him and their cares distressed	P
To them his heart his love his griefs were given	U2
But all his serious thoughts had rest in Heaven	U2
As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form	Y2
Swells from the vale and midway leaves the storm	Y2
Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread	N
Eternal sunshine settles on its head	N
	-
Beside yon straggling fence that skirts the way	G
With blossomed furze unprofitably gay	G
There in his noisy mansion skilled to rule	M2
The village master taught his little school	M2
A man severe he was and stern to view	M
I knew him well and every truant knew	M
Well had the boding tremblers learned to trace	L
The day's disasters in his morning face	L
Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee	H
At all his jokes for many a joke had he	H
Full well the busy whisper circling round	I
Conveyed the dismal tidings when he frowned	I
Yet he was kind or if severe in aught	I
The love he bore to learning was in fault	I
The village all declared how much he knew	M
'Twas certain he could write and cipher too	M
Lands he could measure terms and tides presage	Z2
And even the story ran that he could gauge	A3
In arguing too the parson owned his skill	F
For e'en though vanquished he could argue still	F
While words of learned length and thundering sound	I
Amazed the gazing rustics ranged around	I
And still they gazed and still the wonder grew	M
That one small head could carry all he knew	M
	-
But past is all his fame The very spot	I
Where many a time he triumphed is forgot	I
Near yonder thorn that lifts its head on high	G2
Where once the signpost caught the passing eye	G2
Low lies that house where nut brown draughts inspired	I
Where grey beard mirth and smiling toil retired	I
Where village statesmen talked with looks profound	I
And news much older than their ale went round	I
Imagination fondly stoops to trace	L
The parlour splendours of that festive place	L
The white washed wall the nicely sanded floor	V
The varnished clock that clicked behind the door	V
The chest contrived a double debt to pay	G
A bed by night a chest of drawers by day	G
The pictures placed for ornament and use	B3
The twelve good rules the royal game of goose	B3
The hearth except when winter chilled the day	G
With aspen boughs and flowers and fennel gay	G
While broken teacups wisely kept for show	K2
Ranged o'er the chimney glistened in a row	K2
	-
Vain transitory splendours Could not all	R
Reprieve the tottering mansion from its fall	R
Obscure it sinks nor shall it more impart	I
An hour's importance to the poor man's heart	I
Thither no more the peasant shall repair	B2
To sweet oblivion of his daily care	B2
No more the farmer's news the barber's tale	O2
No more the woodman's ballad shall prevail	O2
No more the smith his dusky brow shall clear	S2
Relax his ponderous strength and lean to hear	C3
The host himself no longer shall be found	I
Careful to see the mantling bliss go round	I
Nor the coy maid half willing to be pressed	I
Shall kiss the cup to pass it to the rest	I
	-
Yes let the rich deride the proud disdain	A
These simple blessings of the lowly train	A
To me more dear congenial to my heart	I
One native charm than all the gloss of art	I
Spontaneous joys where Nature has its play	G
The soul adopts and owns their first born sway	G
Lightly they frolic o'er the vacant mind	I
Unenvied unmolested unconfined	I
But the long pomp the midnight masquerade	I
With all the freaks of wanton wealth arrayed	I
In these ere triflers half their wish obtain	A
The toiling pleasure sickens into pain	A
And even while fashion's brightest arts decoy	D3
The heart distrusting asks if this be joy	D3
	-
Ye friends to truth ye statesmen who survey	G
The rich man's joys increase the poor's decay	G
'Tis yours to judge how wide the limits stand	I
Between a splendid and a happy land	I
Proud swells the tide with loads of freighted ore	V
And shouting Folly hails them from her shore	V
Hoards even beyond the miser's wish abound	I
And rich men flock from all the world around	I
Yet count our gains This wealth is but a name	E3
That leaves our useful products still the same	E3
Not so the loss The man of wealth and pride	I
Takes up a space that many poor supplied	I
Space for his lake his park's extended bounds	A2
Space for his horses equipage and hounds	A2
The robe that wraps his limbs in silken sloth	F3
Has robbed the neighbouring fields of half their growth	F3
His seat where solitary sports are seen	D
Indignant spurns the cottage from the green	D
Around the world each needful product flies	Q
For all the luxuries the world supplies	Q
While thus the land adorned for pleasure all	R
In barren splendour feebly waits the fall	R
	-
As some fair female unadorned and plain	A
Secure to please while youth confirms her reign	A
Slights every borrowed charm that dress supplies	Q
Nor shares with art the triumph of her eyes	Q
But when those charms are passed for charms are frail	O2
When time advances and when lovers fail	O2
She then shines forth solicitous to bless	G3
In all the glaring impotence of dress	G3
Thus fares the land by luxury betrayed	I
In nature's simplest charms at first arrayed	I
But verging to decline its splendours rise	Q
Its vistas strike its palaces surprise	Q
While scourged by famine from the smiling land	I
The mournful peasant leads his humble band	I
And while he sinks without one arm to save	M
The country blooms a garden and a grave	M
	-
Where then ah where shall poverty reside	I
To 'scape the pressure of contiguous pride	I
If to some common's fenceless limits strayed	I
He drives his flock to pick the scanty blade	I
Those fenceless fields the sons of wealth divide	I
And even the bare worn common is denied	I
If to the city sped what waits him there	B2
To see profusion that he must not share	B2
To see ten thousand baneful arts combined	I
To pamper luxury and thin mankind	I
To see those joys the sons of pleasure know	K2
Extorted from his fellow creature's woe	K2
Here while the courtier glitters in brocade	I
There the pale artist plies the sickly trade	I
Here while the proud their long drawn pomps display	G
There the black gibbet glooms beside the way	G
The dome where Pleasure holds her midnight reign	A
Here richly decked admits the gorgeous train	A
Tumultuous grandeur crowds the blazing square	B2
The rattling chariots clash the torches glare	B2
Sure scenes like these no troubles e'er annoy	D3
Sure these denote one universal joy	D3
Are these thy serious thoughts Ah turn thine eyes	Q
Where the poor houseless shivering female lies	Q
She once perhaps in a village plenty blessed	I
Has wept at tales of innocence distressed	I
Her modest looks the cottage might adorn	Q2
Sweet as the primrose peeps beneath the thorn	Q2
Now lost to all her friends her virtue fled	I
Near her betrayer's door she lays her head	I
And pinched with cold and shrinking from the shower	Z
With heavy heart deplores that luckless hour	Z
When idly first ambitious of the town	K
She left her wheel and robes of country brown	K
	-
Do thine sweet Auburn thine the loveliest train	A
Do thy fair tribes participate her pain	A
E'en now perhaps by cold and hunger led	I
At proud men's doors they ask a little bread	I
	-
Ah no To distant climes a dreary scene	D
Where half the convex world intrudes between	D
Through torrid tracts with fainting steps they go	K2
Where wild Altama murmurs to their woe	K2
Far different there from all that charmed before	V
The various terrors of that horrid shore	V
Those blazing suns that dart a downward ray	G
And fiercely shed intolerable day	G
Those matted woods where birds forget to sing	P2
But silent bats in drowsy clusters cling	P2
Those poisonous fields with rank luxuriance crowned	I
Where the dark scorpion gathers death around	I
Where at each step the stranger fears to wake	H3
The rattling terrors of the vengeful snake	H3
Where crouching tigers wait their hapless prey	G
And savage men more murderous still than they	G
While oft in whirls the mad tornado flies	Q
Mingling the ravaged landscape with the skies	Q
Far different these from every former scene	D
The cooling brook the grassy vested green	D
The breezy covert of the warbling grove	M
That only sheltered thefts of harmless love	M
	-
Good Heaven what sorrows gloomed that parting day	G
That called them from their native walks away	G
When the poor exiles every pleasure passed	I
Hung round their bowers and fondly looked their last	I
And took a long farewell and wished in vain	A
For seats like these beyond the western main	A
And shuddering still to face the distant deep	H2
Returned and wept and still returned to weep	H2
The good old sire the first prepared to go	K2
To new found worlds and wept for others' woe	K2
But for himself in conscious virtue brave	M
He only wished for worlds beyond the grave	M
His lovely daughter lovelier in her tears	I3
The fond companion of his helpless years	J3
Silent went next neglectful of her charms	K3
And left a lover's for a father's arms	K3
With louder plaints the mother spoke her woes	X
And blessed the cot where every pleasure rose	X
And kissed her thoughtless babes with many a tear	B2
And clasped them close in sorrow doubly dear	S2
Whilst her fond husband strove to lend relief	M
In all the silent manliness of grief	M
	-
O luxury thou cursed by Heaven's decree	H
How ill exchanged are things like these for thee	H
How do thy potions with insidious joy	D3
Diffuse thy pleasures only to destroy	D3
Kingdoms by thee to sickly greatness grown	L3
Boast of a florid vigour not their own	L3
At every draught more large and large they grow	K2
A bloated mass of rank unwieldly woe	K2
Till sapped their strength and every part unsound	I
Down down they sink and spread the ruin round	I
	-
Even now the devastation is begun	U2
And half the business of destruction done	U2
Even now methinks as pondering here I stand	I
I see the rural virtues leave the land	I
Down where yon anchoring vessel spreads the sail	O2
That idly waiting flaps with every gale	O2
Downward they move a melancholy band	I
Pass from the shore and darken all the strand	I
Contented toil and hospitable care	B2
And kind connubial tenderness are there	B2
And piety with wishes placed above	M
And steady loyalty and faithful love	M
And thou sweet Poetry thou loveliest maid	I
Still first to fly where sensual joys invade	I
Unfit in these degenerate times of shame	E3
To catch the heart or strike for honest fame	E3
Dear charming nymph neglected and decried	I
My shame in crowds my solitary pride	I
Thou source of all my bliss and all my woe	K2
That found'st me poor at first and keep'st me so	K2
Thou guide by which the nobler arts excel	M3
Thou nurse of every virtue fare thee well	M3
Farewell and oh where'er thy voice be tried	I
On Torno's cliffs or Pambamarca's side	I
Whether where equinoctial fervours glow	K2
Or winter wraps the polar world in snow	K2
Still let thy voice prevailing over time	N3
Redress the rigours of th' inclement clime	N3
Aid slighted truth with thy persuasive strain	A
Teach erring man to spurn the rage of gain	A
Teach him that states of native strength possessed	I
Though very poor may still be very blessed	I
That trade's proud empire hastes to swift decay	G
As ocean sweeps the laboured mole away	G
While self dependent power can time defy	G2
As rocks resist the billows and the sky	G2

Oliver Goldsmith

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