Second Epistle To Robert Graham, Esq., Of Fintry Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCBB DDBBEEFFGGHHII BBJJKKLLFFBBBB MMII NNOPQQBBRRRBBSK BBIITTUVWXYYPPII DDEE OOBBIIZPA2A2B2C2C2

LATE crippl'd of an arm and now a legA
About to beg a pass for leave to begA
Dull listless teas'd dejected and deprestB
Nature is adverse to a cripple's restB
Will generous Graham list to his Poet's wailC
It soothes poor Misery hearkening to her taleC
And hear him curse the light he first survey'dB
And doubly curse the luckless rhyming tradeB
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Thou Nature partial Nature I arraignD
Of thy caprice maternal I complainD
The lion and the bull thy care have foundB
One shakes the forests and one spurns the groundB
Thou giv'st the ass his hide the snail his shellE
Th' envenom'd wasp victorious guards his cellE
Thy minions kings defend control devourF
In all th' omnipotence of rule and powerF
Foxes and statesmen subtile wiles ensureG
The cit and polecat stink and are secureG
Toads with their poison doctors with their drugH
The priest and hedgehog in their robes are snugH
Ev'n silly woman has her warlike artsI
Her tongue and eyes her dreaded spear and dartsI
-
-
But Oh thou bitter step mother and hardB
To thy poor fenceless naked child the BardB
A thing unteachable in world's skillJ
And half an idiot too more helpless stillJ
No heels to bear him from the op'ning dunK
No claws to dig his hated sight to shunK
No horns but those by luckless Hymen wornL
And those alas not Amalthea's hornL
No nerves olfact'ry Mammon's trusty curF
Clad in rich Dulness' comfortable furF
In naked feeling and in aching prideB
He bears th' unbroken blast from ev'ry sideB
Vampyre booksellers drain him to the heartB
And scorpion critics cureless venom dartB
-
-
Critics appall'd I venture on the nameM
Those cut throat bandits in the paths of fameM
Bloody dissectors worse than ten MonroesI
He hacks to teach they mangle to exposeI
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His heart by causeless wanton malice wrungN
By blockheads' daring into madness stungN
His well won bays than life itself more dearO
By miscreants torn who ne'er one sprig must wearP
Foil'd bleeding tortur'd in th' unequal strifeQ
The hapless Poet flounders on thro' lifeQ
Till fled each hope that once his bosom fir'dB
And fled each muse that glorious once inspir'dB
Low sunk in squalid unprotected ageR
Dead even resentment for his injur'd pageR
He heeds or feels no more the ruthless critic's rageR
So by some hedge the gen'rous steed deceas'dB
For half starv'd snarling curs a dainty feastB
By toil and famine wore to skin and boneS
Lies senseless of each tugging bitch's sonK
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O Dulness portion of the truly blestB
Calm shelter'd haven of eternal restB
Thy sons ne'er madden in the fierce extremesI
Of Fortune's polar frost or torrid beamsI
If mantling high she fills the golden cupT
With sober selfish ease they sip it upT
Conscious the bounteous meed they well deserveU
They only wonder some folks do not starveV
The grave sage hern thus easy picks his frogW
And thinks the mallard a sad worthless dogX
When disappointments snaps the clue of hopeY
And thro' disastrous night they darkling gropeY
With deaf endurance sluggishly they bearP
And just conclude that fools are fortune's careP
So heavy passive to the tempest's shocksI
Strong on the sign post stands the stupid oxI
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Not so the idle Muses' mad cap trainD
Not such the workings of their moon struck brainD
In equanimity they never dwellE
By turns in soaring heav'n or vaulted hellE
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I dread thee Fate relentless and severeO
With all a poet's husband's father's fearO
Already one strong hold of hope is lostB
Glencairn the truly noble lies in dustB
Fled like the sun eclips'd as noon appearsI
And left us darkling in a world of tearsI
O hear my ardent grateful selfish pray'rZ
Fintry my other stay long bless and spareP
Thro' a long life his hopes and wishes crownA2
And bright in cloudless skies his sun go downA2
May bliss domestic smooth his private pathB2
Give energy to life and soothe his latest breathC2
With many a filial tear circling the bed of deathC2

Robert Burns



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