Metamorphoses: Book The Seventh Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGAHHIJK LMMMNNHHAAAAAAHHJJIA ADDOOPPQQDDRRIIOOAAH HAAAAHHSKMMAAAAAAAAA TTAAHHAAAAADDHHTTAAK KUUFFFFHHHAAAAAAHHAH HHFFGVMMAA| THE Argonauts now stemm'd the foaming tide | A |
| And to Arcadia's shore their course apply'd | A |
| Where sightless Phineus spent his age in grief | B |
| But Boreas' sons engage in his relief | B |
| And those unwelcome guests the odious race | C |
| Of Harpyes from the monarch's table chase | C |
| With Jason then they greater toils sustain | D |
| And Phasis' slimy banks at last they gain | D |
| Here boldly they demand the golden prize | E |
| Of Scythia's king who sternly thus replies | E |
| That mighty labours they must first o'ercome | F |
| Or sail their Argo thence unfreighted home | F |
| The Story of Meanwhile Medea seiz'd with fierce desire | G |
| Medea and By reason strives to quench the raging fire | G |
| Jason But strives in vain Some God she said | A |
| withstands | H |
| And reason's baffl'd council countermands | H |
| What unseen Pow'r does this disorder move | I |
| 'Tis love at least 'tis like what men call love | J |
| Else wherefore shou'd the king's commands appear | K |
| To me too hard But so indeed they are | L |
| Why shou'd I for a stranger fear lest he | M |
| Shou'd perish whom I did but lately see | M |
| His death or safety what are they to me | M |
| Wretch from thy virgin breast this flame expel | N |
| And soon Oh cou'd I all wou'd then be well | N |
| But love resistless love my soul invades | H |
| Discretion this affection that perswades | H |
| I see the right and I approve it too | A |
| Condemn the wrong and yet the wrong pursue | A |
| Why royal maid shou'dst thou desire to wed | A |
| A wanderer and court a foreign bed | A |
| Thy native land tho' barb'rous can present | A |
| A bridegroom worth a royal bride's content | A |
| And whether this advent'rer lives or dies | H |
| In Fate and Fortune's fickle pleasure lies | H |
| Yet may be live for to the Pow'rs above | J |
| A virgin led by no impulse of love | J |
| So just a suit may for the guiltless move | I |
| Whom wou'd not Jason's valour youth and blood | A |
| Invite or cou'd these merits be withstood | A |
| At least his charming person must encline | D |
| The hardest heart I'm sure 'tis so with mine | D |
| Yet if I help him not the flaming breath | O |
| Of bulls and earth born foes must be his death | O |
| Or should he through these dangers force his way | P |
| At last he must be made the dragon's prey | P |
| If no remorse for such distress I feel | Q |
| I am a tigress and my breast is steel | Q |
| Why do I scruple then to see him slain | D |
| And with the tragick scene my eyes prophane | D |
| My magick's art employ not to asswage | R |
| The Salvages but to enflame their rage | R |
| His earth born foes to fiercer fury move | I |
| And accessary to his murder prove | I |
| The Gods forbid But pray'rs are idle breath | O |
| When action only can prevent his death | O |
| Shall I betray my father and the state | A |
| To intercept a rambling hero's fate | A |
| Who may sail off next hour and sav'd from harms | H |
| By my assistance bless another's arms | H |
| Whilst I not only of my hopes bereft | A |
| But to unpity'd punishment am left | A |
| If he is false let the ingrateful bleed | A |
| But no such symptom in his looks I read | A |
| Nature wou'd ne'er have lavish'd so much grace | H |
| Upon his person if his soul were base | H |
| Besides he first shall plight his faith and swear | S |
| By all the Gods what therefore can'st thou fear | K |
| Medea haste from danger set him free | M |
| Jason shall thy eternal debtor be | M |
| And thou his queen with sov'raign state | A |
| enstall'd | A |
| By Graecian dames the Kind Preserver call'd | A |
| Hence idle dreams by love sick fancy bred | A |
| Wilt thou Medea by vain wishes led | A |
| To sister brother father bid adieu | A |
| Forsake thy country's Gods and country too | A |
| My father's harsh my brother but a child | A |
| My sister rivals me my country's wild | A |
| And for its Gods the greatest of 'em all | T |
| Inspires my breast and I obey his call | T |
| That great endearments I forsake is true | A |
| But greater far the hopes that I pursue | A |
| The pride of having sav'd the youths of Greece | H |
| Each life more precious than our golden fleece | H |
| A nobler soil by me shall be possest | A |
| I shall see towns with arts and manners blest | A |
| And what I prize above the world beside | A |
| Enjoy my Jason and when once his bride | A |
| Be more than mortal and to Gods ally'd | A |
| They talk of hazards I must first sustain | D |
| Of floating islands justling in the main | D |
| Our tender barque expos'd to dreadful shocks | H |
| Of fierce Charybdis' gulf and Scylla's rocks | H |
| Where breaking waves in whirling eddies rowl | T |
| And rav'nous dogs that in deep caverns howl | T |
| Amidst these terrors while I lye possest | A |
| Of him I love and lean on Jason's breast | A |
| In tempests unconcern'd I will appear | K |
| Or only for my husband's safety fear | K |
| Didst thou say husband canst thou so deceive | U |
| Thy self fond maid and thy own cheat believe | U |
| In vain thou striv'st to varnish o'er thy shame | F |
| And grace thy guilt with wedlock's sacred name | F |
| Pull off the coz'ning masque and oh in time | F |
| Discover and avoid the fatal crime | F |
| She ceas'd the Graces now with kind surprize | H |
| And virtue's lovely train before her eyes | H |
| Present themselves and vanquish'd Cupid flies | H |
| She then retires to Hecate's shrine that stood | A |
| Far in the covert of a shady wood | A |
| She finds the fury of her flames asswag'd | A |
| But seeing Jason there again they rag'd | A |
| Blushes and paleness did by turns invade | A |
| Her tender cheeks and secret grief betray'd | A |
| As fire that sleeping under ashes lyes | H |
| Fresh blown and rous'd does up in blazes rise | H |
| So flam'd the virgin's breast | A |
| New kindled by her lover's sparkling eyes | H |
| For chance that day had with uncommon grace | H |
| Adorn'd the lovely youth and through his face | H |
| Display'd an air so pleasing as might charm | F |
| A Goddess and a Vestal's bosom warm | F |
| Her ravish'd eyes survey him o'er and o'er | G |
| As some gay wonder never seen before | V |
| Transported to the skies she seems to be | M |
| And thinks she gazes on a deity | M |
| But when he spoke and prest her trembling hand | A |
| And did with tender words her aid | A |
Ovid
(1)
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About Metamorphoses: Book The Seventh
Metamorphoses: Book The Seventh is a poem by Ovid. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
