Alciphron: A Fragment. Letter Ii Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A B CCDDEEFFDDGGHHIIJJAA KK LLMMNNNOOPPGGQQRRJJS STTUU VVFFWWXYZZA2A2B2B2C2 C2D2D2UUE2E2F2F2RRG2 G2 LLH2H2I2I2J2J2A2A2K2 K2L2L2L2M2M2N2N2O2O2 P2P2Q2Q2C2C2R2K2UUC2 C2S2S2T2T2U2U2G2G2 V2V2W2W2WWJJX2X2H2H2 H2H2 H2H2A2A2UY2Z2Z2A3A3B 3B3C3C3MMH2H2UUH2H2D 3D3E3E3LLF3F3G3G3H3H 3A2A2V2V2I3I3 E3E3UCH2H2H2H2H2H2J3 D3D3E3E3HK3H2H2A2A2H 2H2C2C2E3E3L3L3GGB3B 3FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME | A |
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Memphis | B |
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'Tis true alas the mysteries and the lore | C |
I came to study on this wondrous shore | C |
Are all forgotten in the new delights | D |
The strange wild joys that fill my days and nights | D |
Instead of dark dull oracles that speak | E |
From subterranean temples those I seek | E |
Come from the breathing shrines where Beauty lives | F |
And Love her priest the soft responses gives | F |
Instead of honoring Isis in those rites | D |
At Coptos held I hail her when she lights | D |
Her first young crescent on the holy stream | G |
When wandering youths and maidens watch her beam | G |
And number o'er the nights she hath to run | H |
Ere she again embrace her bridegroom sun | H |
While o'er some mystic leaf that dimly lends | I |
A clew into past times the student bends | I |
And by its glimmering guidance learns to tread | J |
Back thro' the shadowy knowledge of the dead | J |
The only skill alas I yet can claim | A |
Lies in deciphering some new loved one's name | A |
Some gentle missive hinting time and place | K |
In language soft as Memphian reed can trace | K |
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And where oh where's the heart that could withstand | L |
The unnumbered witcheries of this sun born land | L |
Where first young Pleasure's banner was unfurled | M |
And Love hath temples ancient as the world | M |
Where mystery like the veil by Beauty worn | N |
Hides but to win and shades but to adorn | N |
Where that luxurious melancholy born | N |
Of passion and of genius sheds a gloom | O |
Making joy holy where the bower and tomb | O |
Stand side by side and Pleasure learns from Death | P |
The instant value of each moment's breath | P |
Couldst thou but see how like a poet's dream | G |
This lovely land now looks the glorious stream | G |
That late between its banks was seen to glide | Q |
'Mong shrines and marble cities on each side | Q |
Glittering like jewels strung along a chain | R |
Hath now sent forth its waters and o'er plain | R |
And valley like a giant from his bed | J |
Rising with outstretched limbs hath grandly spread | J |
While far as sight can reach beneath as clear | S |
And blue a heaven as ever blest our sphere | S |
Gardens and pillared streets and porphyry domes | T |
And high built temples fit to be the homes | T |
Of mighty Gods and pyramids whose hour | U |
Outlasts all time above the waters tower | U |
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Then too the scenes of pomp and joy that make | V |
One theatre of this vast peopled lake | V |
Where all that Love Religion Commerce gives | F |
Of life and motion ever moves and lives | F |
Here up the steps of temples from the wave | W |
Ascending in procession slow and grave | W |
Priests in white garments go with sacred wands | X |
And silver cymbals gleaming in their hands | Y |
While there rich barks fresh from those sunny tracts | Z |
Far off beyond the sounding cataracts | Z |
Glide with their precious lading to the sea | A2 |
Plumes of bright birds rhinoceros ivory | A2 |
Gems from the Isle of Meroe and those grains | B2 |
Of gold washed down by Abyssinian rains | B2 |
Here where the waters wind into a bay | C2 |
Shadowy and cool some pilgrims on their way | C2 |
To Sa s or Bubastus among beds | D2 |
Of lotus flowers that close above their heads | D2 |
Push their light barks and there as in a bower | U |
Sing talk or sleep away the sultry hour | U |
Oft dipping in the Nile when faint with heat | E2 |
That leaf from which its waters drink most sweet | E2 |
While haply not far off beneath a bank | F2 |
Of blossoming acacias many a prank | F2 |
Is played in the cool current by a train | R |
Of laughing nymphs lovely as she whose chain | R |
Around two conquerors of the world was cast | G2 |
But for a third too feeble broke at last | G2 |
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For oh believe not them who dare to brand | L |
As poor in charms the women of this land | L |
Tho' darkened by that sun whose spirit flows | H2 |
Thro' every vein and tinges as it goes | H2 |
'Tis but the embrowning of the fruit that tells | I2 |
How rich within the soul of ripeness dwells | I2 |
The hue their own dark sanctuaries wear | J2 |
Announcing heaven in half caught glimpses there | J2 |
And never yet did tell tale looks set free | A2 |
The secret of young hearts more tenderly | A2 |
Such eyes long shadowy with that languid fall | K2 |
Of the fringed lids which may be seen in all | K2 |
Who live beneath the sun's too ardent rays | L2 |
Lending such looks as on their marriage days | L2 |
Young maids cast down before a bridegroom's gaze | L2 |
Then for their grace mark but the nymph like shapes | M2 |
Of the young village girls when carrying grapes | M2 |
From green Anthylla or light urns of flowers | N2 |
Not our own Sculpture in her happiest hours | N2 |
E'er imaged forth even at the touch of him | O2 |
Whose touch was life more luxury of limb | O2 |
Then canst thou wonder if mid scenes like these | P2 |
I should forget all graver mysteries | P2 |
All lore but Love's all secrets but that best | Q2 |
In heaven or earth the art of being blest | Q2 |
Yet are there times tho' brief I own their stay | C2 |
Like summer clouds that shine themselves away | C2 |
Moments of gloom when even these pleasures pall | R2 |
Upon my saddening heart and I recall | K2 |
That garden dream that promise of a power | U |
Oh were there such to lengthen out life's hour | U |
On on as thro' a vista far away | C2 |
Opening before us into endless day | C2 |
And chiefly o'er my spirit did this thought | S2 |
Come on that evening bright as ever brought | S2 |
Light's golden farewell to the world when first | T2 |
The eternal pyramids of Memphis burst | T2 |
Awfully on my sight standing sublime | U2 |
Twixt earth and heaven the watch towers of Time | U2 |
From whose lone summit when his reign hath past | G2 |
From earth for ever he will look his last | G2 |
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There hung a calm and solemn sunshine round | V2 |
Those mighty monuments a hushing sound | V2 |
In the still air that circled them which stole | W2 |
Like music of past times into my soul | W2 |
I thought what myriads of the wise and brave | W |
And beautiful had sunk into the grave | W |
Since earth first saw these wonders and I said | J |
Are things eternal only for the Dead | J |
Hath Man no loftier hope than this which dooms | X2 |
His only lasting trophies to be tombs | X2 |
But 'tis not so earth heaven all nature shows | H2 |
He may become immortal may unclose | H2 |
The wings within him wrapt and proudly rise | H2 |
Redeemed from earth a creature of the skies | H2 |
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And who can say among the written spells | H2 |
From Hermes' hand that in these shrines and cells | H2 |
Have from the Flood lay hid there may not be | A2 |
Some secret clew to immortality | A2 |
Some amulet whose spell can keep life's fire | U |
Awake within us never to expire | Y2 |
'Tis known that on the Emerald Table hid | Z2 |
For ages in yon loftiest pyramid | Z2 |
The Thrice Great did himself engrave of old | A3 |
The chymic mystery that gives endless gold | A3 |
And why may not this mightier secret dwell | B3 |
Within the same dark chambers who can tell | B3 |
But that those kings who by the written skill | C3 |
Of the Emerald Table called forth gold at will | C3 |
And quarries upon quarries heapt and hurled | M |
To build them domes that might outstand the world | M |
Who knows but that the heavenlier art which shares | H2 |
The life of Gods with man was also theirs | H2 |
That they themselves triumphant o'er the power | U |
Of fate and death are living at this hour | U |
And these the giant homes they still possess | H2 |
Not tombs but everlasting palaces | H2 |
Within whose depths hid from the world above | D3 |
Even now they wander with the few they love | D3 |
Thro' subterranean gardens by a light | E3 |
Unknown on earth which hath nor dawn nor night | E3 |
Else why those deathless structures why the grand | L |
And hidden halls that undermine this land | L |
Why else hath none of earth e'er dared to go | F3 |
Thro' the dark windings of that realm below | F3 |
Nor aught from heaven itself except the God | G3 |
Of Silence thro' those endless labyrinths trod | G3 |
Thus did I dream wild wandering dreams I own | H3 |
But such as haunt me ever if alone | H3 |
Or in that pause 'twixt joy and joy I be | A2 |
Like a ship husht between two waves at sea | A2 |
Then do these spirit whisperings like the sound | V2 |
Of the Dark Future come appalling round | V2 |
Nor can I break the trance that holds me then | I3 |
Till high o'er Pleasure's surge I mount again | I3 |
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Even now for new adventure new delight | E3 |
My heart is on the wing this very night | E3 |
The Temple on that island halfway o'er | U |
From Memphis' gardens to the eastern shore | C |
Sends up its annual rite to her whose beams | H2 |
Bring the sweet time of night flowers and dreams | H2 |
The nymph who dips her urn in silent lakes | H2 |
And turns to silvery dew each drop it takes | H2 |
Oh not our Dian of the North who chains | H2 |
In vestal ice the current of young veins | H2 |
But she who haunts the gay Bubastian grove | J3 |
And owns she sees from her bright heaven above | D3 |
Nothing on earth to match that heaven but Love | D3 |
Think then what bliss will be abroad to night | E3 |
Besides those sparkling nymphs who meet the sight | E3 |
Day after day familiar as the sun | H |
Coy buds of beauty yet unbreathed upon | K3 |
And all the hidden loveliness that lies | H2 |
Shut up as are the beams of sleeping eyes | H2 |
Within these twilight shrines tonight shall be | A2 |
Let loose like birds for this festivity | A2 |
And mark 'tis nigh already the sun bids | H2 |
His evening farewell to the Pyramids | H2 |
As he hath done age after age till they | C2 |
Alone on earth seem ancient as his ray | C2 |
While their great shadows stretching from the light | E3 |
Look like the first colossal steps of Night | E3 |
Stretching across the valley to invade | L3 |
The distant hills of porphyry with their shade | L3 |
Around as signals of the setting beam | G |
Gay gilded flags on every housetop gleam | G |
While hark from all the temples a rich swell | B3 |
Of music to the Moon farewell farewell | B3 |
Thomas Moore
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