Metamorphoses: Book The Eighth Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHIJKKK LMMNNOOMMPPMMMMQQMMR RSTUUMMMMMMVVAAMMWWM MMMMMTTXYOOZZA2A2B2B 2A2A2PPMMC2BMMD2D2MM MMMMMBMA2E2F2F2MMMMG 2G2H2I2A2A2MMPPXYA2A 2AAE2A2BBJ2| NOW shone the morning star in bright array | A |
| To vanquish night and usher in the day | A |
| The wind veers southward and moist clouds arise | B |
| That blot with shades the blue meridian skies | B |
| Cephalus feels with joy the kindly gales | C |
| His new allies unfurl the swelling sails | C |
| Steady their course they cleave the yielding main | D |
| And with a wish th' intended harbour gain | D |
| The Story of Mean while King Minos on the Attick strand | E |
| Nisus and Displays his martial skill and wastes the land | E |
| Scylla His army lies encampt upon the plains | F |
| Before Alcathoe's walls where Nisus reigns | F |
| On whose grey head a lock of purple hue | G |
| The strength and fortune of his kingdom grew | G |
| Six moons were gone and past when still from | H |
| far | I |
| Victoria hover'd o'er the doubtful war | J |
| So long to both inclin'd th' impartial maid | K |
| Between 'em both her equal wings display'd | K |
| High on the walls by Phoebus vocal made | K |
| A turret of the palace rais'd its head | L |
| And where the God his tuneful harp resign'd | M |
| The sound within the stones still lay enshrin'd | M |
| Hither the daughter of the purple king | N |
| Ascended oft to hear its musick ring | N |
| And striking with a pebble wou'd release | O |
| Th' enchanted notes in times of happy peace | O |
| But now from thence the curious maid beheld | M |
| Rough feats of arms and combats of the field | M |
| And since the siege was long had learnt the name | P |
| Of ev'ry chief his character and fame | P |
| Their arms their horse and quiver she descry'd | M |
| Nor cou'd the dress of war the warriour hide | M |
| Europa's son she knew above the rest | M |
| And more than well became a virgin breast | M |
| In vain the crested morion veils his face | Q |
| She thinks it adds a more peculiar grace | Q |
| His ample shield embost with burnish'd gold | M |
| Still makes the bearer lovelier to behold | M |
| When the tough jav'lin with a whirl he sends | R |
| His strength and skill the sighing maid commends | R |
| Or when he strains to draw the circling bow | S |
| And his fine limbs a manly posture show | T |
| Compar'd with Phoebus he performs so well | U |
| Let her be judge and Minos shall excell | U |
| But when the helm put off display'd to sight | M |
| And set his features in an open light | M |
| When vaulting to his seat his steed he prest | M |
| Caparison'd in gold and richly drest | M |
| Himself in scarlet sumptuously array'd | M |
| New passions rise and fire the frantick maid | M |
| O happy spear she cries that feels his touch | V |
| Nay ev'n the reins he holds are blest too much | V |
| Oh were it lawful she cou'd wing her way | A |
| Thro' the stern hostile troops without dismay | A |
| Or throw her body to the distant ground | M |
| And in the Cretans happy camp be found | M |
| Wou'd Minos but desire it she'd expose | W |
| Her native country to her country's foes | W |
| Unbar the gates the town with flames infest | M |
| Or any thing that Minos shou'd request | M |
| And as she sate and pleas'd her longing sight | M |
| Viewing the king's pavilion veil'd with white | M |
| Shou'd joy or grief she said possess my breast | M |
| To see my country by a war opprest | M |
| I'm in suspense For tho' 'tis grief to know | T |
| I love a man that is declar'd my foe | T |
| Yet in my own despite I must approve | X |
| That lucky war which brought the man I love | Y |
| Yet were I tender'd as a pledge of peace | O |
| The cruelties of war might quickly cease | O |
| Oh with what joy I'd wear the chains he gave | Z |
| A patient hostage and a willing slave | Z |
| Thou lovely object if the nymph that bare | A2 |
| Thy charming person were but half so fair | A2 |
| Well might a God her virgin bloom desire | B2 |
| And with a rape indulge his amorous fire | B2 |
| Oh had I wings to glide along the air | A2 |
| To his dear tent I'd fly and settle there | A2 |
| There tell my quality confess my flame | P |
| And grant him any dowry that he'd name | P |
| All all I'd give only my native land | M |
| My dearest country shou'd excepted stand | M |
| For perish love and all expected joys | C2 |
| E're with so base a thought my soul complies | B |
| Yet oft the vanquish'd some advantage find | M |
| When conquer'd by a noble gen'rous mind | M |
| Brave Minos justly has the war begun | D2 |
| Fir'd with resentment for his murder'd son | D2 |
| The righteous Gods a righteous cause regard | M |
| And will with victory his arms reward | M |
| We must be conquer'd and the captive's fate | M |
| Will surely seize us tho' it seize us late | M |
| Why then shou'd love be idle and neglect | M |
| What Mars by arms and perils will effect | M |
| Oh Prince I dye with anxious fear opprest | M |
| Lest some rash hand shou'd wound my charmer's | B |
| breast | M |
| For if they saw no barb'rous mind cou'd dare | A2 |
| Against that lovely form to raise a spear | E2 |
| But I'm resolv'd and fix'd in this decree | F2 |
| My father's country shall my dowry be | F2 |
| Thus I prevent the loss of life and blood | M |
| And in effect the action must be good | M |
| Vain resolution for at ev'ry gate | M |
| The trusty centinels successive wait | M |
| The keys my father keeps ah there's my grief | G2 |
| 'Tis he obstructs all hopes of my relief | G2 |
| Gods that this hated light I'd never seen | H2 |
| Or all my life without a father been | I2 |
| But Gods we all may be for those that dare | A2 |
| Are Gods and Fortune's chiefest favours share | A2 |
| The ruling Pow'rs a lazy pray'r detest | M |
| The bold adventurer succeeds the best | M |
| What other maid inspir'd with such a flame | P |
| But wou'd take courage and abandon shame | P |
| But wou'd tho' ruin shou'd ensue remove | X |
| Whate'er oppos'd and clear the way to love | Y |
| This shall another's feeble passion dare | A2 |
| While I sit tame and languish in despair | A2 |
| No for tho' fire and sword before me lay | A |
| Impatient love thro' both shou'd force its way | A |
| Yet I have no such enemies to fear | E2 |
| My sole obstruction is my father's hair | A2 |
| His purple lock my sanguine hope destroys | B |
| And clouds the prospect of my rising joys | B |
| Whilst thus she spoke amid the thick'ning a | J2 |
Ovid
(1)
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