Niobe In Distress For Her Children Slain By Apollo, From Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book Vi. And Fr Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABCDEFFGGFFHHCCIICC JJKKLLMMNNOPPPQQRSTT UUMMPPMMVWXXYYZZA2B2 FFNC2XXPPPPWWTTPPPPD 2E2PPFFMMF2G2PPH2H2Y YCCVWWWI2I2WWPPPPWWM MWWPPI2I2FFPPJ2XWWWW PPPPPPPPPPCCWWPPPPPP K2K2PPPPWWL2XPPM2M2T TWWPPCCPPN2N2HHGGPPG GWWCCGGFFPPO2O2XXMMW WGGWWI2I2FFPPPPCCPPX XPWPCCP2O2WW

Apollo's wrath to man the dreadful springA
Of ills innum'rous tuneful goddess singA
Thou who did'st first th' ideal pencil giveB
And taught'st the painter in his works to liveC
Inspire with glowing energy of thoughtD
What Wilson painted and what Ovid wroteE
Muse lend thy aid nor let me sue in vainF
Tho' last and meanest of the rhyming trainF
O guide my pen in lofty strains to showG
The Phrygian queen all beautiful in woeG
'Twas where Maeonia spreads her wide domainF
Niobe dwelt and held her potent reignF
See in her hand the regal sceptre shineH
The wealthy heir of Tantalus divineH
He most distinguish'd by Dodonean JoveC
To approach the tables of the gods aboveC
Her grandsire Atlas who with mighty painsI
Th' ethereal axis on his neck sustainsI
Her other grandsire on the throne on highC
Rolls the loud pealing thunder thro' the skyC
Her spouse Amphion who from Jove too springsJ
Divinely taught to sweep the sounding stringsJ
Seven sprightly sons the royal bed adornK
Seven daughters beauteous as the op'ning mornK
As when Aurora fills the ravish'd sightL
And decks the orient realms with rosy lightL
From their bright eyes the living splendors playM
Nor can beholders bear the flashing rayM
Wherever Niobe thou turn'st thine eyesN
New beauties kindle and new joys ariseN
But thou had'st far the happier mother prov'dO
If this fair offspring had been less belov'dP
What if their charms exceed Aurora's teintP
No words could tell them and no pencil paintP
Thy love too vehement hastens to destroyQ
Each blooming maid and each celestial boyQ
Now Manto comes endu'd with mighty skillR
The past to explore the future to revealS
Thro' Thebes' wide streets Tiresia's daughter cameT
Divine Latona's mandate to proclaimT
The Theban maids to hear the orders ranU
When thus Maeonia's prophetess beganU
Go Thebans great Latona's will obeyM
And pious tribute at her altars payM
With rights divine the goddess be implor'dP
Nor be her sacred offspring unador'dP
Thus Manto spoke The Theban maids obeyM
And pious tribute to the goddess payM
The rich perfumes ascend in waving spiresV
And altars blaze with consecrated firesW
The fair assembly moves with graceful airX
And leaves of laurel bind the flowing hairX
Niobe comes with all her royal raceY
With charms unnumber'd and superior graceY
Her Phrygian garments of delightful hueZ
Inwove with gold refulgent to the viewZ
Beyond description beautiful she movesA2
Like heav'nly Venus 'midst her smiles and lovesB2
She views around the supplicating trainF
And shakes her graceful head with stern disdainF
Proudly she turns around her lofty eyesN
And thus reviles celestial deitiesC2
What madness drives the Theban ladies fairX
To give their incense to surrounding airX
Say why this new sprung deity preferr'dP
Why vainly fancy your petitions heardP
Or say why Caeus offspring is obey'dP
While to my goddesship no tribute's paidP
For me no altars blaze with living firesW
No bullock bleeds no frankincense transpiresW
Tho' Cadmus' palace not unknown to fameT
And Phrygian nations all revere my nameT
Where'er I turn my eyes vast wealth I findP
Lo here an empress with a goddess join'dP
What shall a Titaness be deify'dP
To whom the spacious earth a couch deny'dP
Nor heav'n nor earth nor sea receiv'd your queenD2
Till pitying Delos took the wand'rer inE2
Round me what a large progeny is spreadP
No frowns of fortune has my soul to dreadP
What if indignant she decrease my trainF
More than Latona's number will remainF
Then hence ye Theban dames hence haste awayM
Nor longer off'rings to Latona payM
Regard the orders of Amphion's spouseF2
And take the leaves of laurel from your browsG2
Niobe spoke The Theban maids obey'dP
Their brows unbound and left the rights unpaidP
The angry goddess heard then silence brokeH2
On Cynthus' summit and indignant spokeH2
Phoebus behold thy mother in disgraceY
Who to no goddess yields the prior placeY
Except to Juno's self who reigns aboveC
The spouse and sister of the thund'ring JoveC
Niobe sprung from Tantalus inspiresV
Each Theban bosom with rebellious firesW
No reason her imperious temper quellsW
But all her father in her tongue rebelsW
Wrap her own sons for her blaspheming breathI2
Apollo wrap them in the shades of deathI2
Latona ceas'd and ardent thus repliesW
The God whose glory decks th' expanded skiesW
Cease thy complaints mine be the task assign'dP
To punish pride and scourge the rebel mindP
This Phoebe join'd They wing their instant flightP
Thebes trembled as th' immortal pow'rs alightP
With clouds incompass'd glorious Phoebus standsW
The feather'd vengeance quiv'ring in his handsW
Near Cadmus' walls a plain extended layM
Where Thebes' young princes pass'd in sport the dayM
There the bold coursers bounded o'er the plainsW
While their great masters held the golden reinsW
Ismenus first the racing pastime ledP
And rul'd the fury of his flying steedP
Ah me he sudden cries with shrieking breathI2
While in his breast he feels the shaft of deathI2
He drops the bridle on his courser's maneF
Before his eyes in shadows swims the plainF
He the first born of great Amphion's bedP
Was struck the first first mingled with the deadP
Then didst thou Sipylus the language hearJ2
Of fate portentous whistling in the airX
As when th' impending storm the sailor seesW
He spreads his canvas to the fav'ring breezeW
So to thine horse thou gav'st the golden reinsW
Gav'st him to rush impetuous o'er the plainsW
But ah a fatal shaft from Phoebus' handP
Smites thro' thy neck and sinks thee on the sandP
Two other brothers were at wrestling foundP
And in their pastime claspt each other roundP
A shaft that instant from Apollo's handP
Transfixt them both and stretcht them on the sandP
Together they their cruel fate bemoan'dP
Together languish'd and together groan'dP
Together too th' unbodied spirits fledP
And sought the gloomy mansions of the deadP
Alphenor saw and trembling at the viewC
Beat his torn breast that chang'd its snowy hueC
He flies to raise them in a kind embraceW
A brother's fondness triumphs in his faceW
Alphenor fails in this fraternal deedP
A dart dispatch'd him so the fates decreedP
Soon as the arrow left the deadly woundP
His issuing entrails smoak'd upon the groundP
What woes on blooming Damasichon waitP
His sighs portend his near impending fateP
Just where the well made leg begins to beK2
And the soft sinews form the supple kneeK2
The youth sore wounded by the Delian godP
Attempts t' extract the crime avenging rodP
But whilst he strives the will of fate t' avertP
Divine Apollo sends a second dartP
Swift thro' his throat the feather'd mischief fliesW
Bereft of sense he drops his head and diesW
Young Ilioneus the last directs his pray'rL2
And cries My life ye gods celestial spareX
Apollo heard and pity touch'd his heartP
But ah too late for he had sent the dartP
Thou too O Ilioneus art doom'd to fallM2
The fates refuse that arrow to recalM2
On the swift wings of ever flying FameT
To Cadmus' palace soon the tidings cameT
Niobe heard and with indignant eyesW
She thus express'd her anger and surpriseW
Why is such privilege to them allow'dP
Why thus insulted by the Delian godP
Dwells there such mischief in the pow'rs aboveC
Why sleeps the vengeance of immortal JoveC
For now Amphion too with grief oppress'dP
Had plung'd the deadly dagger in his breastP
Niobe now less haughty than beforeN2
With lofty head directs her steps no moreN2
She who late told her pedigree divineH
And drove the Thebans from Latona's shrineH
How strangely chang'd yet beautiful in woeG
She weeps nor weeps unpity'd by the foeG
On each pale corse the wretched mother spreadP
Lay overwhelm'd with grief and kiss'd her deadP
Then rais'd her arms and thus in accents slowG
Be sated cruel Goddess with my woeG
If I've offended let these streaming eyesW
And let this sev'nfold funeral sufficeW
Ah take this wretched life you deign'd to saveC
With them I too am carried to the graveC
Rejoice triumphant my victorious foeG
But show the cause from whence your triumphs flowG
Tho' I unhappy mourn these children slainF
Yet greater numbers to my lot remainF
She ceas'd the bow string twang'd with awful soundP
Which struck with terror all th' assembly roundP
Except the queen who stood unmov'd aloneO2
By her distresses more presumptuous grownO2
Near the pale corses stood their sisters fairX
In sable vestures and dishevell'd hairX
One while she draws the fatal shaft awayM
Faints falls and sickens at the light of dayM
To sooth her mother lo another fliesW
And blames the fury of inclement skiesW
And while her words a filial pity showG
Struck dumb indignant seeks the shades belowG
Now from the fatal place another fliesW
Falls in her flight and languishes and diesW
Another on her sister drops in deathI2
A fifth in trembling terrors yields her breathI2
While the sixth seeks some gloomy cave in vainF
Struck with the rest and mingled with the slainF
One only daughter lives and she the leastP
The queen close clasp'd the daughter to her breastP
Ye heav'nly pow'rs ah spare me one she cry'dP
Ah spare me one the vocal hills reply'dP
In vain she begs the Fates her suit denyC
In her embrace she sees her daughter dieC
The queen of all her family bereftP
Without or husband son or daughter leftP
Grew stupid at the shock The passing airX
Made no impression on her stiff'ning hairX
The blood forsook her face amidst the floodP
Pour'd from her cheeks quite fix'd her eye ballsW
stoodP
Her tongue her palate both obdurate grewC
Her curdled veins no longer motion knewC
The use of neck and arms and feet was goneP2
And ev'n her bowels hard'ned into stoneO2
A marble statue now the queen appearsW
But from the marble steal the silent tearsW

Phillis Wheatley



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