The Wanderer: A Vision: Canto V Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AA BBCCDD EEFFGG AAHHAAIIJJGGKKAALLMM NN OOEEAAGGPQ HHRSAATTAAUUVVDDWWAA XXYY AAFFAAVVZA2 GG AAGGB2B2FFWWKK C2C2AANND2D2 AAAAAAAAE2F2VVG2H2AA WWWWAAI2I2WWGGJ2K2AA AAWWL2L2M2M2AAN2O2AA AAWWAANNLL WWAAWWWWDDA2ZP2P2Q2We left the cave Be Fear said I defy'd | A |
Virtue for thou art Virtue is my guide | A |
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By time worn steps a steep ascent we gain | B |
Whose summit yields a prospect o'er the plain | B |
There bench'd with turf an oak our seat extends | C |
Whose top a verdant branch'd pavilion bends | C |
Vistas with leaves diversify the scene | D |
Some pale some brown and some of lively green | D |
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Now from the full grown day a beamy show'r | E |
Gleams on the lake and gilds each glossy flow'r | E |
Gay insects sparkle in the genial blaze | F |
Various as light and countless as its rays | F |
They dance on every stream and pictur'd play | G |
'Till by the wat'ry racer snatch'd away | G |
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Now from yon range of rocks strong rays rebound | A |
Doubling the day on flow'ry plains around | A |
King cups beneath far striking colours glance | H |
Bright as th' etherial glows the green expanse | H |
Gems of the field the topaz charms the sight | A |
Like these effulging yellow streams of light | A |
From the same rocks fall rills with soften'd force | I |
Meet in yon mead and well a river's source | I |
Thro' her clear channel shine her finny shoals | J |
O'er sands like gold the liquid crystal rolls | J |
Dimm'd in yon coarser moor her charms decay | G |
And shape thro' rustling reeds a ruffled way | G |
Near willows short and bushy shadows throw | K |
Now lost she seems thro' nether tracts to flow | K |
Yet at yon point winds out in silver state | A |
Like Virtue from a labyrinth of fate | A |
In length'ning rows prone from the mountains run | L |
The flocks their fleeces glist'ning in the sun | L |
Her streams they seek and 'twixt her neighb'ring trees | M |
Recline in various attitudes of ease | M |
Where the herds sip the little scaly fry | N |
Swift from the shore in scatt'ring myriads fly | N |
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Each liv'ry'd cloud that round th' horizon glows | O |
Shifts in odd scenes like earth from whence it rose | O |
The bee hums wanton in yon jasmine bow'r | E |
And circling settles and despoils the flow'r | E |
Melodious there the plumy songsters meet | A |
And call charm'd Echo from her arch'd retreat | A |
Neat polish'd mansions rise in prospect gay | G |
Time batter'd tow'rs frown awful in decay | G |
The sun plays glitt'ring on the rocks and spires | P |
And the lawn lightens with reflected fires | Q |
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Here Mirth and Fancy's wanton train advance | H |
And to light measures turn the swimming dance | H |
Sweet slow pac'd Melancholy next appears | R |
Pompous in grief and eloquent of tears | S |
Here Meditation shines in azure drest | A |
All starr'd with gems a sun adorns her crest | A |
Religion to whose lifted raptur'd eyes | T |
Seraphic hosts descend from opening skies | T |
Beauty who sways the heart and charms the sight | A |
Whose tongue is music and whose smile delight | A |
Whose brow is majesty whose bosom peace | U |
Who bad creation be and chaos cease | U |
Whose breath perfumes the spring whose eye divine | V |
Kindled the sun and gave its light to shine | V |
Here in thy likeness fair Ophelia seen | D |
She throws kind lustre o'er th' enliven'd green | D |
Next her Description robed in various hues | W |
Invites attention from the pensive Muse | W |
The Muse she comes refin'd the passions wait | A |
And Precept ever winning wise and great | A |
The Muse a thousand spirits wing the air | X |
Once men who made like her mankind their care | X |
Inamour'd round her press th' inspiring throng | Y |
And swell to ecstacy her solemn song | Y |
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Thus in the dame each nobler grace we find | A |
Fair Wortley's angel accent eyes and mind | A |
Whether her sight the dew bright dawn surveys | F |
The noon's dry heat or evening's temper'd rays | F |
The hours of storm or calm the gleby ground | A |
The coral'd sea gem'd rock or sky profound | A |
A Raphael's fancy animates each line | V |
Each image strikes with energy divine | V |
Bacon and Newton in her thought conspire | Z |
Not sweeter than her voice is Handel's lyre | A2 |
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My hermit thus She beckons us away | G |
Oh let us swift the high behest obey | G |
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Now thro' a lane which mingling tracts have crost | A |
The way unequal and the landscape lost | A |
We rove The warblers lively tunes essay | G |
The lark on wing the linnet on the spray | G |
While music trembles in their songful throats | B2 |
The bullfinch whistles soft his flute like notes | B2 |
The bolder blackbird swells sonorous lays | F |
The varying thrush commands a tuneful maze | F |
Each a wild length of melody pursues | W |
While the soft murm'ring am'rous wood dove cooes | W |
And when in spring these melting mixtures flow | K |
The cuckoo sends her unison of woe | K |
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But as smooth seas are furrow'd by a storm | C2 |
As troubles all our tranquil joys deform | C2 |
So loud through air unwelcome noises sound | A |
And harmony's at once in discord drown'd | A |
From yon dark cypress croaks the raven's cry | N |
As dissonant the daw jay chatt'ring pie | N |
The clam'rous crows abandon'd carnage seek | D2 |
And the harsh owl shrills out a sharp'ning shriek | D2 |
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At the lane's end a high lath'd gate's prefer'd | A |
To bar the trespass of a vagrant herd | A |
Fast by a meagre mendicant we find | A |
Whose russet rags hang flutt'ring in the wind | A |
Years bow his back a staff supports his tread | A |
And soft white hairs shade thin his palsy'd head | A |
Poor wretch Is this for charity his haunt | A |
He meets the frequent slight and ruthless taunt | A |
On slaves of guilt oft smiles the squand'ring peer | E2 |
But passing knows not common bounty here | F2 |
Vain thing in what dost thou superior shine | V |
His our first sire what race more ancient thine | V |
Less backward trac'd he may his lineage draw | G2 |
From men whose influence kept the world in awe | H2 |
Whose worthless sons like thee perchance consum'd | A |
Their ample store their line to want was doom'd | A |
So thine may perish by the course of things | W |
While his from beggars re ascend to kings | W |
Now lazar as thy hardships I peruse | W |
On my own state instructed would I muse | W |
When I view greatness I my lot lament | A |
Compar'd to thee I snatch supreme content | A |
I might have felt did heav'n not gracious deal | I2 |
A fate which I must mourn to see thee feel | I2 |
But soft the cripple our approach descries | W |
And to the gate tho' weak officious hies | W |
I spring preventive and unbar the way | G |
Then turning with a smile of pity say | G |
Here friend this little copper alms receive | J2 |
Instance of will without the pow'r to give | K2 |
Hermit if here with pity we reflect | A |
How must we grieve when learning meets neglect | A |
When god like souls endure a mean restraint | A |
When gen'rous will is curb'd by tyrant want | A |
He truly feels what to distress belongs | W |
Who to his private adds a people's wrongs | W |
Merit's a mark at which disgrace is thrown | L2 |
And ev'ry injur'd virtue is his own | L2 |
Such their own pangs with patience here endure | M2 |
Yet there weep wounds they are denied to cure | M2 |
Thus rich in poverty thus humbly great | A |
And tho' depress'd superior to their fate | A |
Minions in pow'r and misers 'mid their store | N2 |
Are mean in greatness and in plenty poor | O2 |
What's pow'r or wealth Were they not form'd for aid | A |
A spring for virtue and from wrongs a shade | A |
In pow'r we savage tyranny behold | A |
And wily av'rce owns polluted gold | A |
From golden sands her pride could Lybia raise | W |
Could she who spreads no pasture claim our praise | W |
Loath'd were her wealth where rabid monsters breed | A |
Where serpents pamper'd on her venom feed | A |
No sheltry trees invite the Wand'rer's eye | N |
No fruits no grain no gums her tracts supply | N |
On her vast wilds no lovely prospects run | L |
But all lies barren tho' beneath the sun | L |
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My Hermit thus I know thy soul believes | W |
'Tis hard vice triumphs and that virtue grieves | W |
Yet oft affliction purifies the mind | A |
Kind benefits oft flow from means unkind | A |
Were the whole known that we uncouth suppose | W |
Doubtless would beauteous symmetry disclose | W |
The naked cliff that singly rough remains | W |
In prospect dignifies the fertile plains | W |
Lead colour'd clouds in scatt'ring fragments seen | D |
Shew tho' in broken views the blue serene | D |
Severe distresses industry inspire | A2 |
Thus captives oft excelling arts acquire | Z |
And boldly struggle thro' a state of shame | P2 |
To life ease plenty liberty and fame | P2 |
Sword law has of | Q2 |
Richard Savage
(1)
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