Metamorphoses: Book The Thirteenth Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBCCDDDDDDDEDFGDDDD HHIJKKCCHHDDDDLLMNOH IPPQQRRDDRRDDGGGGDDD SDDDRARDDTTUUVVWXYZP ZGGDA2DDDDDGGDDB2B2D DCCDDRRDDGC2DDGGD2D2 DDGGA2A2E2F2PPDDPPDD GTHE chiefs were set the soldiers crown'd the | A |
field | B |
To these the master of the seven fold shield | B |
Upstarted fierce and kindled with disdain | C |
Eager to speak unable to contain | C |
His boiling rage he rowl'd his eyes around | D |
The shore and Graecian gallies hall'd a ground | D |
The Then stretching out his hands O Jove he cry'd | D |
Speeches of Must then our cause before the fleet be try'd | D |
Ajax and And dares Ulysses for the prize contend | D |
Ulysses In sight of what he durst not once defend | D |
But basely fled that memorable day | D |
When I from Hector's hands redeem'd the flaming | E |
prey | D |
So much 'tis safer at the noisie bar | F |
With words to flourish than ingage in war | G |
By diff'rent methods we maintain our right | D |
Nor am I made to talk nor he to fight | D |
In bloody fields I labour to be great | D |
His arms are a smooth tongue and soft deceit | D |
Nor need I speak my deeds for those you see | H |
The sun and day are witnesses for me | H |
Let him who fights unseen relate his own | I |
And vouch the silent stars and conscious moon | J |
Great is the prize demanded I confess | K |
But such an abject rival makes it less | K |
That gift those honours he but hop'd to gain | C |
Can leave no room for Ajax to be vain | C |
Losing he wins because his name will be | H |
Ennobled by defeat who durst contend with me | H |
Were my known valour question'd yet my blood | D |
Without that plea wou'd make my title good | D |
My sire was Telamon whose arms employ'd | D |
With Hercules these Trojan walls destroy'd | D |
And who before with Jason sent from Greece | L |
In the first ship brought home the golden fleece | L |
Great Telamon from Aeacus derives | M |
His birth th' inquisitor of guilty lives | N |
In shades below where Sisyphus whose son | O |
This thief is thought rouls up the restless heavy | H |
stone | I |
Just Aeacus the king of Gods above | P |
Begot thus Ajax is the third from Jove | P |
Nor shou'd I seek advantage from my line | Q |
Unless Achilles it was mix'd with thine | Q |
As next of kin Achilles' arms I claim | R |
This fellow wou'd ingraft a foreign name | R |
Upon our stock and the Sisyphian seed | D |
By fraud and theft asserts his father's breed | D |
Then must I lose these arms because I came | R |
To fight uncall'd a voluntary name | R |
Nor shunn'd the cause but offer'd you my aid | D |
While he long lurking was to war betray'd | D |
Forc'd to the field he came but in the reer | G |
And feign'd distraction to conceal his fear | G |
'Till one more cunning caught him in the snare | G |
Ill for himself and dragg'd him into war | G |
Now let a hero's arms a coward vest | D |
And he who shunn'd all honours gain the best | D |
And let me stand excluded from my right | D |
Robb'd of my kinsman's arms who first appear'd in | S |
fight | D |
Better for us at home had he remain'd | D |
Had it been true the madness which he feign'd | D |
Or so believ'd the less had been our shame | R |
The less his counsell'd crime which brands the | A |
Grecian name | R |
Nor Philoctetes had been left inclos'd | D |
In a bare isle to wants and pains expos'd | D |
Where to the rocks with solitary groans | T |
His suff'rings and our baseness he bemoans | T |
And wishes so may Heav'n his wish fulfill | U |
The due reward to him who caus'd his ill | U |
Now he with us to Troy's destruction sworn | V |
Our brother of the war by whom are born | V |
Alcides' arrows pent in narrow bounds | W |
With cold and hunger pinch'd and pain'd with | X |
wounds | Y |
To find him food and cloathing must employ | Z |
Against the birds the shafts due to the fate of | P |
Troy | Z |
Yet still he lives and lives from treason free | G |
Because he left Ulysses' company | G |
Poor Palamede might wish so void of aid | D |
Rather to have been left than so to death | A2 |
betray'd | D |
The coward bore the man immortal spight | D |
Who sham'd him out of madness into fight | D |
Nor daring otherwise to vent his hate | D |
Accus'd him first of treason to the state | D |
And then for proof produc'd the golden store | G |
Himself had hidden in his tent before | G |
Thus of two champions he depriv'd our host | D |
By exile one and one by treason lost | D |
Thus fights Ulysses thus his fame extends | B2 |
A formidable man but to his friends | B2 |
Great for what greatness is in words and sound | D |
Ev'n faithful Nestor less in both is found | D |
But that he might without a rival reign | C |
He left this faithful Nestor on the plain | C |
Forsook his friend ev'n at his utmost need | D |
Who tir'd and tardy with his wounded steed | D |
Cry'd out for aid and call'd him by his name | R |
But cowardice has neither ears nor shame | R |
Thus fled the good old man bereft of aid | D |
And for as much as lay in him betray'd | D |
That this is not a fable forg'd by me | G |
Like one of his an Ulyssean lie | C2 |
I vouch ev'n Diomede who tho' his friend | D |
Cannot that act excuse much less defend | D |
He call'd him back aloud and tax'd his fear | G |
And sure enough he heard but durst not hear | G |
The Gods with equal eyes on mortal look | D2 |
He justly was forsaken who forsook | D2 |
Wanted that succour he refus'd to lend | D |
Found ev'ry fellow such another friend | D |
No wonder if he roar'd that all might hear | G |
His elocution was increas'd by fear | G |
I heard I ran I found him out of breath | A2 |
Pale trembling and half dead with fear of death | A2 |
Though he had judg'd himself by his own laws | E2 |
And stood condemn'd I help'd the common cause | F2 |
With my broad buckler hid him from the foe | P |
Ev'n the shield trembled as he lay below | P |
And from impending Fate the coward freed | D |
Good Heav'n forgive me for so bad a deed | D |
If still he will persist and urge the strife | P |
First let him give me back his forfeit life | P |
Let him return to that opprobrious field | D |
Again creep under my protecting shield | D |
Let him lie wounded let the foe be near | G |
Ovid
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