The Aeneid Of Virgil: Book 2 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDEFGHHIIJJGKLL MMNNOOPPQQRRSSQQLOOT TLLUUVVKKNNWWXXYZXXU UXXA2A2B2B2C2C2LVVB2 B2D2D2QQCCIILLC2C2LL XXE2E2XXIIF2G2H2H2LE 2H2H2XXCCGGKI2I2H2H2 XXH2H2I2I2BBXXKKKJ2W K2K2ZZL2L2M2M2IIXXXX XLJ2GKUYXXLLN2N2CCL2 L2O2P2Q2AAHHBBM2ALL were attentive to the godlike man | A |
When from his lofty couch he thus began | A |
Great queen what you command me to relate | B |
Renews the sad remembrance of our fate | B |
An empire from its old foundations rent | C |
And ev ry woe the Trojans underwent | C |
A peopled city made a desart place | D |
All that I saw and part of which I was | E |
Not ev n the hardest of our foes could hear | F |
Nor stern Ulysses tell without a tear | G |
And now the latter watch of wasting night | H |
And setting stars to kindly rest invite | H |
But since you take such int rest in our woe | I |
And Troy s disastrous end desire to know | I |
I will restrain my tears and briefly tell | J |
What in our last and fatal night befell | J |
By destiny compell d and in despair | G |
The Greeks grew weary of the tedious war | K |
And by Minerva s aid a fabric rear d | L |
Which like a steed of monstrous height appear d | L |
The sides were plank d with pine they feign d it made | M |
For their return and this the vow they paid | M |
Thus they pretend but in the hollow side | N |
Selected numbers of their soldiers hide | N |
With inward arms the dire machine they load | O |
And iron bowels stuff the dark abode | O |
In sight of Troy lies Tenedos an isle | P |
While Fortune did on Priam s empire smile | P |
Renown d for wealth but since a faithless bay | Q |
Where ships expos d to wind and weather lay | Q |
There was their fleet conceal d We thought for Greece | R |
Their sails were hoisted and our fears release | R |
The Trojans coop d within their walls so long | S |
Unbar their gates and issue in a throng | S |
Like swarming bees and with delight survey | Q |
The camp deserted where the Grecians lay | Q |
The quarters of the sev ral chiefs they show d | L |
Here Ph nix here Achilles made abode | O |
Here join d the battles there the navy rode | O |
Part on the pile their wond ring eyes employ | T |
The pile by Pallas rais d to ruin Troy | T |
Thymoetes first t is doubtful whether hir d | L |
Or so the Trojan destiny requir d | L |
Mov d that the ramparts might be broken down | U |
To lodge the monster fabric in the town | U |
But Capys and the rest of sounder mind | V |
The fatal present to the flames designed | V |
Or to the wat ry deep at least to bore | K |
The hollow sides and hidden frauds explore | K |
The giddy vulgar as their fancies guide | N |
With noise say nothing and in parts divide | N |
Laocoon follow d by a num rous crowd | W |
Ran from the fort and cried from far aloud | W |
O wretched countrymen what fury reigns | X |
What more than madness has possess d your brains | X |
Think you the Grecians from your coasts are gone | Y |
And are Ulysses arts no better known | Z |
This hollow fabric either must inclose | X |
Within its blind recess our secret foes | X |
Or t is an engine rais d above the town | U |
T o erlook the walls and then to batter down | U |
Somewhat is sure design d by fraud or force | X |
Trust not their presents nor admit the horse | X |
Thus having said against the steed he threw | A2 |
His forceful spear which hissing as it flew | A2 |
Pierc d thro the yielding planks of jointed wood | B2 |
And trembling in the hollow belly stood | B2 |
The sides transpierc d return a rattling sound | C2 |
And groans of Greeks inclos d come issuing thro the wound | C2 |
And had not Heav n the fall of Troy design d | L |
Or had not men been fated to be blind | V |
Enough was said and done t inspire a better mind | V |
Then had our lances pierc d the treach rous wood | B2 |
And Ilian tow rs and Priam s empire stood | B2 |
Meantime with shouts the Trojan shepherds bring | D2 |
A captive Greek in bands before the king | D2 |
Taken to take who made himself their prey | Q |
T impose on their belief and Troy betray | Q |
Fix d on his aim and obstinately bent | C |
To die undaunted or to circumvent | C |
About the captive tides of Trojans flow | I |
All press to see and some insult the foe | I |
Now hear how well the Greeks their wiles disguis d | L |
Behold a nation in a man compris d | L |
Trembling the miscreant stood unarm d and bound | C2 |
He star d and roll d his haggard eyes around | C2 |
Then said Alas what earth remains what sea | L |
Is open to receive unhappy me | L |
What fate a wretched fugitive attends | X |
Scorn d by my foes abandon d by my friends | X |
He said and sigh d and cast a rueful eye | E2 |
Our pity kindles and our passions die | E2 |
We cheer the youth to make his own defense | X |
And freely tell us what he was and whence | X |
What news he could impart we long to know | I |
And what to credit from a captive foe | I |
His fear at length dismiss d he said Whate er | F2 |
My fate ordains my words shall be sincere | G2 |
I neither can nor dare my birth disclaim | H2 |
Greece is my country Sinon is my name | H2 |
Tho plung d by Fortune s pow r in misery | L |
T is not in Fortune s pow r to make me lie | E2 |
If any chance has hither brought the name | H2 |
Of Palamedes not unknown to fame | H2 |
Who suffer d from the malice of the times | X |
Accus d and sentenc d for pretended crimes | X |
Because these fatal wars he would prevent | C |
Whose death the wretched Greeks too late lament | C |
Me then a boy my father poor and bare | G |
Of other means committed to his care | G |
His kinsman and companion in the war | K |
While Fortune favor d while his arms support | I2 |
The cause and rul d the counsels of the court | I2 |
I made some figure there nor was my name | H2 |
Obscure nor I without my share of fame | H2 |
But when Ulysses with fallacious arts | X |
Had made impression in the people s hearts | X |
And forg d a treason in my patron s name | H2 |
I speak of things too far divulg d by fame | H2 |
My kinsman fell Then I without support | I2 |
In private mourn d his loss and left the court | I2 |
Mad as I was I could not bear his fate | B |
With silent grief but loudly blam d the state | B |
And curs d the direful author of my woes | X |
T was told again and hence my ruin rose | X |
I threaten d if indulgent Heav n once more | K |
Would land me safely on my native shore | K |
His death with double vengeance to restore | K |
This mov d the murderer s hate and soon ensued | J2 |
Th effects of malice from a man so proud | W |
Ambiguous rumors thro the camp he spread | K2 |
And sought by treason my devoted head | K2 |
New crimes invented left unturn d no stone | Z |
To make my guilt appear and hide his own | Z |
Till Calchas was by force and threat ning wrought | L2 |
But why why dwell I on that anxious thought | L2 |
If on my nation just revenge you seek | M2 |
And t is t appear a foe t appear a Greek | M2 |
Already you my name and country know | I |
Assuage your thirst of blood and strike the blow | I |
My death will both the kingly brothers please | X |
And set insatiate Ithacus at ease | X |
This fair unfinish d tale these broken starts | X |
Rais d expectations in our longing hearts | X |
Unknowing as we were in Grecian arts | X |
His former trembling once again renew d | L |
With acted fear the villain thus pursued | J2 |
Long had the Grecians tir d with fruitless care | G |
And wearied with an unsuccessful war | K |
Resolv d to raise the siege and leave the town | U |
And had the gods permitted they had gone | Y |
But oft the wintry seas and southern winds | X |
Withstood their passage home and chang d their minds | X |
Portents and prodigies their souls amaz d | L |
But most when this stupendous pile was rais d | L |
Then flaming meteors hung in air were seen | N2 |
And thunders rattled thro a sky serene | N2 |
Dismay d and fearful of some dire event | C |
Eurypylus t enquire their fate was sent | C |
He from the gods this dreadful answer brought | L2 |
O Grecians when the Trojan shores you sought | L2 |
Your passage with a virgin s blood was bought | O2 |
So must your safe return be bought again | P2 |
And Grecian blood once more atone the main | Q2 |
The spreading rumor round the people ran | A |
All fear d and each believ d himself the man | A |
Ulysses took th advantage of their fright | H |
Call d Calchas and produc d in open sight | H |
Then bade him name the wretch ordain d by fate | B |
The public victim to redeem the state | B |
Already some presag | M2 |
Publius Vergilius Maro
(1)
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