May-day With The Muses. - The Invitation Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Robert Bloomfield

May-day With The Muses. - The Invitation Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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O for the strength to paint my joy once more	A
That joy I feel when Winter's reign is o'er	B
When the dark despot lifts his hoary brow	C
And seeks his polar realm's eternal snow	D
Though black November's fogs oppress my brain	E
Shake every nerve and struggling fancy chain	E
Though time creeps o'er me with his palsied hand	F
And frost like bids the stream of passion stand	F
And through his dry teeth sends a shivering blast	G
And points to more than fifty winters past	G
Why should I droop with heartless aimless eye	H
Friends start around and all my phantoms fly	H
And Hope upsoaring with expanded wing	I
Unfolds a scroll inscribed Remember Spring	I
Stay sweet enchantress charmer of my days	J
And glance thy rainbow colours o'er my lays	J
Be to poor Giles what thou hast ever been	K
His heart's warm solace and his sovereign queen	L
Dance with his rustics when the laugh runs high	H
Live in the lover's heart the maiden's eye	H
Still be propitious when his feet shall stray	M
Beneath the bursting hawthorn buds of May	M
Warm every thought and brighten every hour	B
And let him feel thy presence and thy power	B
	-
SIR AMBROSE HIGHAM in his eightieth year	N
With memory unimpair'd and conscience clear	N
His English heart untrammell'd and full blown	O
His senatorial honours and renown	P
Now basking in his plenitude of fame	Q
Resolved in concert with his noble dame	Q
To drive to town no more no more by night	R
To meet in crowded courts a blaze of light	R
In streets a roaring mob with flags unfurl'd	S
And all the senseless discord of the world	S
But calmly wait the hour of his decay	M
The broad bright sunset of his glorious day	M
And where he first drew breath at last to fall	T
Beneath the towering shades of Oakly Hall A	U
	-
Footnote A The seat of Sir Ambrose is situated in the author's imagination only the reader must build Oakly Hall where he pleases	V
	-
Quick spread the news through hamlet field and farm	W
The labourer wiped his brow and staid his arm	W
'Twas news to him of more importance far	X
Than change of empires or the yells of war	A
It breathed a hope which nothing could destroy	Y
Poor widows rose and clapp'd their hands for joy	Y
Glad voices rang at every cottage door	A
Good old Sir Ambrose goes to town no more	A
Well might the village bells the triumph sound	Z
Well might the voice of gladness ring around	Z
Where sickness raged or want allied to shame	Q
Sure as the sun his well timed succour came	Q
Food for the starving child and warmth and wine	A2
For age that totter'd in its last decline	A2
From him they shared the embers' social glow	D
He fed the flame that glanced along the snow	D
When winter drove his storms across the sky	H
And pierced the bones of shrinking poverty	B2
	-
Sir Ambrose loved the Muses and would pay	M
Due honours even to the ploughman's lay	M
Would cheer the feebler bard and with the strong	C2
Soar to the noblest energies of song	C2
Catch the rib shaking laugh or from his eye	H
Dash silently the tear of sympathy	B2
Happy old man with feelings such as these	D2
The seasons all can charm and trifles please	D2
And hence a sudden thought a new born whim	E2
Would shake his cup of pleasure to the brim	E2
Turn scoffs and doubts and obstacles aside	F2
And instant action follow like a tide	F2
	-
Time past he had on his paternal ground	Z
With pride the latent sparks of genius found	Z
In many a local ballad many a tale	G2
As wild and brief as cowslips in the dale	G2
Though unrecorded as the gleams of light	R
That vanish in the quietness of night	R
Why not he cried as from his couch he rose	H2
To cheer my age and sweeten my repose	H2
Why not be just and generous in time	I2
And bid my tenants pay their rents in rhyme	I2
For one half year they shall A feast shall bring	I
A crowd of merry faces in the spring	I
Here pens boy pens I'll weigh the case no more	A
But write the summons go go shut the door	A
	-
'All ye on Oakly manor dwelling	I
'Farming labouring buying selling	I
'Neighbours banish gloomy looks	J2
'My grey old steward shuts his books	J2
'Let not a thought of winter's rent	K2
'Destroy one evening's merriment	K2
'I ask not gold but tribute found	K2
'Abundant on Parnassian ground	K2
'Choose ye who boast the gift your themes	L2
'Of joy or pathos tales or dreams	L2
'Choose each a theme but harkye bring	I
'No stupid ghost no vulgar thing	I
'Fairies indeed may wind their way	M
'And sparkle through the brightest lay	M
'I love their pranks their favourite green	L
'And could the little sprites be seen	L
'Were I a king I'd sport with them	M2
'And dance beneath my diadem	M2
'But surely fancy need not brood	K2
'O'er midnight darkness crimes and blood	K2
'In magic cave or monk's retreat	K2
'Whilst the bright world is at her feet	K2
'Whilst to her boundless range is given	N2
'By night by day the lights of heaven	N2
'And all they shine upon whilst Love	O2
'Still reigns the monarch of the grove	P2
'And real life before her lies	Q2
'In all its thousand thousand dies	Q2
'Then bring me nature bring me sense	R2
'And joy shall be your recompense	R2
'On Old May day I hope to see	B2
'All happy leave the rest to me	B2
'A general feast shall cheer us all	T
'Upon the lawn that fronts the hall	T
'With tents for shelter laurel boughs	S2
'And wreaths of every flower that blows	H2
'The months are wending fast away	M
'Farewell remember Old May day '	-
	-
Surprise and mirth and gratitude and jeers	T2
The clown's broad wonder th' enthusiast's tears	U2
Fresh gleams of comfort on the brow of care	V2
The sectary's cold shrug the miser's stare	V2
Were all excited for the tidings flew	W2
As quick as scandal the whole country through	W2
Rent paid by rhymes at Oakly may be great	K2
But rhymes for taxes would appal the state	K2
Exclaim'd th' exciseman and then tithes alas	X2
Why there again 'twill never come to pass	X2
Thus all still ventured as the whim inclined	K2
Remarks as various as the varying mind	K2
For here Sir Ambrose sent a challenge forth	Y2
That claim'd a tribute due to sterling worth	Z2
And all whatever might their host regale	W2
Agreed to share the feast and drink his ale	W2
	-
Now shot through many a heart a secret fire	B
A new born spirit an intense desire	B
For once to catch a spark of local fame	Q
And bear a poet's honourable name	Q
Already some aloft began to soar	A
And some to think who never thought before	A
But O what numbers all their strength applied	K2
Then threw despairingly the task aside	K2
With feign'd contempt and vow'd they'd never tried	K2
Did dairy wife neglect to turn her cheese	D2
Or idling miller lose the favouring breeze	D2
Did the young ploughman o'er the furrows stand	K2
Or stalking sower swing an empty hand	K2
One common sentence on their heads would fall	W2
'Twas Oakly banquet had bewitch'd them all	W2
Loud roar'd the winds of March with whirling snow	D
One brightening hour an April breeze would blow	D
Now hail now hoar frost bent the flow'ret's head	K2
Now struggling beams their languid influence shed	K2
That scarce a cowering bird yet dared to sing	I
'Midst the wild changes of our island spring	I
Yet shall the Italian goatherd boasting cry	H
Poor Albion when hadst thou so clear a sky	H
And deem that nature smiles for him alone	O
Her renovated beauties all his own	O
No let our April showers by night descend	K2
Noon's genial warmth with twilight stillness blend	K2
The broad Atlantic pour her pregnant breath	A3
And rouse the vegetable world from death	A3
Our island spring is rapture's self to me	B2
All I have seen and all I wish to see	B2
	-
Thus came the jovial day no streaks of red	K2
O'er the broad portal of the morn were spread	K2
But one high sailing mist of dazzling white	K2
A screen of gossamer a magic light	K2
Doom'd instantly by simplest shepherd's ken	B3
To reign awhile and be exhaled at ten	B3
O'er leaves o'er blossoms by his power restored	K2
Forth came the conquering sun and look'd abroad	K2
Millions of dew drops fell yet millions hung	C3
Like words of transport trembling on the tongue	C3
Too strong for utt'rance Thus the infant boy	Y
With rosebud cheeks and features tuned to joy	Y
Weeps while he struggles with restraint or pain	E
But change the scene and make him laugh again	B3
His heart rekindles and his cheek appears	D3
A thousand times more lovely through his tears	U2
	-
From the first glimpse of day a busy scene	L
Was that high swelling lawn that destined green	L
Which shadowless expanded far and wide	K2
The mansion's ornament the hamlet's pride	K2
To cheer to order to direct contrive	E3
Even old Sir Ambrose had been up at five	E3
There his whole household labour'd in his view	W2
But light is labour where the task is new	W2
Some wheel'd the turf to build a grassy throne	O
Round a huge thorn that spread his boughs alone	O
Rough rined and bold as master of the place	F3
Five generations of the Higham race	F3
Had pluck'd his flowers and still he held his sway	M
Waved his white head and felt the breath of May	M
Some from the green house ranged exotics round	K2
To back in open day on English ground	K2
And 'midst them in a line of splendour drew	W2
Long wreaths and garlands gather'd in the dew	W2
Some spread the snowy canvas propp'd on high	H
O'er shelter'd tables with their whole supply	H
Some swung the biting scythe with merry face	F3
And cropp'd the daisies for a dancing space	F3
Some roll'd the mouldy barrel in his might	K2
From prison'd darkness into cheerful light	K2
And fenced him round with cans and others bore	A
The creaking hamper with its costly store	A
Well cork'd well flavour'd and well tax'd that came	Q
From Lusitanian mountains dear to fame	Q
Whence GAMA steer'd and led the conquering way	M
To eastern triumphs and the realms of day	M
A thousand minor tasks fill'd every hour	B
'Till the sun gain'd the zenith of his power	B
When every path was throng'd with old and young	C3
And many a sky lark in his strength upsprung	C3
To bid them welcome Not a face was there	V2
But for May day at least had banish'd care	V2
No cringing looks no pauper tales to tell	W2
No timid glance they knew their host too well	W2
Freedom was there and joy in every eye	H
Such scenes were England's boast in days gone by	H
	-
Beneath the thorn was good Sir Ambrose found	K2
His guests an ample crescent form'd around	K2
Nature's own carpet spread the space between	L
Where blithe domestics plied in gold and green	L
The venerable chaplain waved his wand	K2
And silence follow'd as he stretch'd his hand	K2
And with a trembling voice and heart sincere	N
Implored a blessing on th' abundant cheer	N
Down sat the mingling throng and shared a feast	K2
With hearty welcomes given by love increased	K2
A patriarch family a close link'd band	K2
True to their rural chieftain heart and hand	K2
The deep carouse can never boast the bliss	G3
The animation of a scene like this	G3
	-
At length the damask cloths were whisk'd away	M
Like fluttering sails upon a summer's day	M
The hey day of enjoyment found repose	H2
The worthy baronet majestic rose	H2
They view'd him while his ale was filling round	K2
The monarch of his own paternal ground	K2
His cup was full and where the blossoms bow'd	K2
Over his head Sir Ambrose spoke aloud	K2
Nor stopp'd a dainty form or phrase to cull	W2
His heart elated like his cup was full	W2
Full be your hopes and rich the crops that fall	W2
Health to my neighbours happiness to all	W2
Dull must that clown be dull as winter's sleet	K2
Who would not instantly be on his feet	K2
An echoing health to mingling shouts gave place	F3
Sir Ambrose Higham and his noble race	F3
	-
Avaunt Formality thou bloodless dame	Q
With dripping besom quenching nature's flame	Q
Thou cankerworm who liv'st but to destroy	Y
And eat the very heart of social joy	Y
Thou freezing mist round intellectual mirth	Z2
Thou spell bound vagabond of spurious birth	Z2
Away away and let the sun shine clear	N
And all the kindnesses of life appear	N
	-
With mild complacency and smiling brow	C
The host look'd round and bade the goblets flow	D
Yet curiously anxious to behold	K2
Who first would pay in rhymes instead of gold	K2
Each eye inquiring through the ring was glanced	K2
To see who dared the task who first advanced	K2
That instant started Philip from the throng	C3
Philip a farmer's son well known for song	C3
And as the mingling whispers round him ran	H3
He humbly bow'd and timidly began	H3