Pygmalion And The Statue Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFGHIJKLLMM NOPPQQRHMSTTUUKVWXYY ZZHHA2A2B2B2PPBBC2C2 PPD2D2BBE2E2F2G2BTTD DSSXXXXXXXH2H2I2I2YY XXJ2RJ2XXK2K2XXTTL2L 2M2M2PYGMALION loathing their lascivious Life | A |
Abhorred all Womankind but most a Wife | A |
So single chose to live and shunned to wed | B |
Well pleased to want a Consort of his Bed | B |
Yet fearing Idleness the Nurse of Ill | C |
In Sculpture exercised his happy Skill | C |
And carved in Ivory such a Maid so fair | D |
As Nature could not with his Art compare | D |
Were she to work but in her own Defence | E |
Must take her Pattern here and copy hence | E |
Pleased with his Idol he commends admires | F |
Adores and last the Thing adored desires | G |
A very Virgin in her Face was seen | H |
And she had moved a living Maid had been | I |
One would have thought she could have stirred but strove | J |
With Modesty and was ashamed to move | K |
Art hid with Art so well performed the Cheat | L |
It caught the Carver with his own Deceit | L |
He knows 'tis Madness yet he must adore | M |
And still the more he knows it loves the more | M |
The Flesh or what so seems he touches oft | N |
Which feels so smooth that he believes it soft | O |
Fired with his Thought at once he strained the Breast | P |
And on the Lips a burning Kiss impressed | P |
'Tis true the hardened Breast resists the Gripe | Q |
And the cold Lips return a Kiss unripe | Q |
But when retiring back he looked again | R |
To think it Ivory was a thought too mean | H |
So would believe she kissed and courting more | M |
Again embraced her naked Body o'er | S |
And straining hard the Statue was afraid | T |
His Hands had made a Dint and hurt his Maid | T |
Explored her Limb by Limb and feared to find | U |
So rude a Gripe had left a livid Mark behind | U |
With Flatt'ry now he seeks her Mind to move | K |
And now with Gifts the powerful bribe of Love | V |
He furnishes her Closet first and fills | W |
The crowded Shelves with Rarities of Shells | X |
Adds Orient Pearls which from the Conches he drew | Y |
And all the sparkling Stones of various Hue | Y |
And Parrots imitating Human Tongue | Z |
And singing birds in Silver Cages hung | Z |
And ev'ry fragrant Flower and odorous Green | H |
Were sorted well with Lumps of Amber laid between | H |
Rich fashionable Robes her person Deck | A2 |
Pendants her Ears and Pearls adorn her neck | A2 |
Her tapered Fingers too With Rings are graced | B2 |
And an embroidered Zone surrounds her slender Waist | B2 |
Thus like a Queen arrayed so richly dressed | P |
Beauteous she shewed but naked shewed the best | P |
Then from the Floor he raised a Royal Bed | B |
With Cov'rings of Sydonian Purple spread | B |
The Solemn Rites performed he calls her Bride | C2 |
With Blandishments invites her to his Side | C2 |
And as she were with Vital Sense possessed | P |
Her Head did on a plumy Pillow rest | P |
The Feast of Venus came a Solemn Day | D2 |
To which the Cypriots due Devotion pay | D2 |
With gilded Horns the milk white Heifers led | B |
Slaughtered before the sacred Altars bled | B |
Pygmalion offering first approached the Shrine | E2 |
And then with Pray'rs implored the Powers Divine | E2 |
Almighty Gods if all we Mortals want | F2 |
If all we can require be yours to grant | G2 |
Make this fair Statue mine he would have said | B |
But changed his Words for shame and only prayed | T |
Give me the likeness of my Ivory Maid | T |
The Golden Goddess present at the Prayer | D |
Well knew he meant th' inanimated Fair | D |
And gave the Sign of granting his Desire | S |
For thrice in cheerful Flames ascends the Fire | S |
The Youth returning to his Mistress hies | X |
And impudent in Hope with ardent Eyes | X |
And beating Breast by the dear Statue lies | X |
He kisses her white Lips renews the Bliss | X |
And looks and thinks they redden at the Kiss | X |
He thought them warm before Nor longer stays | X |
But next his Hand on her hard Bosom lays | X |
Hard as it was beginning to relent | H2 |
It seemed the Breast beneath his Fingers bent | H2 |
He felt again his Fingers made a Print | I2 |
'Twas Flesh but Flesh so firm it rose against the Dint | I2 |
The pleasing Task he fails not to renew | Y |
Soft and more soft at every Touch it grew | Y |
Like pliant Wax when chafing Hands reduce | X |
The former Mass to Form and frame for Use | X |
He would believe but yet is still in pain | J2 |
And tries his Argument of Sense again | R |
Presses the Pulse and feels the leaping Vein | J2 |
Convinced o'erjoyed his studied Thanks and Praise | X |
To her who made the Miracle he pays | X |
Then Lips to Lips he joined now freed from Fear | K2 |
He found the Savour of the Kiss sincere | K2 |
At this the wakened image oped her Eyes | X |
And viewed at once the Light and Lover with surprise | X |
The Goddess present at the Match she made | T |
So blessed the Bed such Fruitfulness conveyed | T |
That e'er ten Moons had sharpened either Horn | L2 |
To crown their Bliss a lovely Boy was born | L2 |
Paphos his Name who grown to manhood walled | M2 |
The City Paphos from the Founder called | M2 |
Ovid
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