Jonah Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCC DDEEFFGG FFHHIJFFKKLLMNOOJJ PPCCQQRS FFTTFFCCUVQQOONN WXYYZZCCA2B2 MMC2C2II D2D2QQE2E2PPA2A2 F2F2DDOO FFIIG2G2 FFOOJJDDH2H2FFJJI2J2 MMFF K2L2M2E2OOIJN2YDDHHJ JI2I2IIO2O2JJJJP2P2J JJJDDJJQQJJPPQ2Q2R2R 2K2K2JJDDS2UT2T2 JJJJ J

Thus sung the king some angel reach a boughA
From Eden's tree to crown the wisest browA
And now thou fairest garden ever madeB
Broad banks of spices blossom'd walks of shadeB
O Lebanon where much I love to dwellC
Since I must leave thee Lebanon farewelC
-
Swift from my soul the fair Idea fliesD
A wilder sight the changing scene suppliesD
Wide seas come rolling to my future pageE
And storms stand ready when I call to rageE
Then go where Joppa crowns the winding shoreF
The prophet Jonah just arrives beforeF
He sees a ship unmooring soft the galesG
He pays and enters and the vessel sailsG
-
Ah wou'dst thou fly thy God rash man forbearF
What land so distant but thy God is thereF
Weak reason cease thy voice They run the deepH
And the tir'd prophet lays his limbs to sleepH
Here God speaks louder sends a storm to seaI
The clouds remove to give the vengeance wayJ
Strong blasts come whistling by degrees they roarF
And shove big surges tumbling on to shoreF
The vessel bounds then rolls and ev'ry blastK
Works hard to tear her by the groaning mastK
The sailors doubling all their shouts and caresL
Furl the white canvas and cast forth the waresL
Each seek the God their native regions ownM
In vain they seek them for those Gods were noneN
Yet Jonah slept the while who solely knewO
In all that number where to find the trueO
To whom the pilot sleeper rise and prayJ
Our Gods are deaf may thine do more than theyJ
-
But thus the rest perhaps we waft a foeP
To heav'n itself and that's our cause of woeP
Let's seek by lots if heav'n be pleas'd to tellC
And what they sought by lots on Jonah fellC
Then whence he came and who and what and whyQ
Thus rag'd the tempest all confus'dly cryQ
Each press'd in haste to get his question heardR
When Jonah stops them with a grave regardS
-
An Hebrew man you see who God revereF
He made this world and makes this world his careF
His the whirl'd sky these waves that lift their headT
And his yon land on which you long to treadT
He charg'd me late to Nineveh repairF
And to their face denounce his sentence thereF
Go said the vision prophet preach to allC
Yet forty days and Nineveh shall fallC
But well I knew him gracious to forgiveU
And much my zeal abhor'd the bad shou'd liveV
And if they turn they live then what were IQ
But some false prophet when they fail to dieQ
Or what I fanci'd had the Gentiles tooO
With Hebrew prophets and their God to doO
Drawn by the wilful thoughts my soil I runN
I fled his presence and the work's undoneN
-
The storm increases as the prophet speaksW
O'er the toss'd ship a foaming billow breaksX
She rises pendant on the lifted wavesY
And thence descries a thousand watry gravesY
Then downward rushing watry mountains hideZ
Her hulk beneath in deaths on ev'ry sideZ
O cry the sailors all thy fact was illC
Yet if a prophet speak thy master's willC
What part is ours with thee can ought remainA2
To bring the blessings of a calm againB2
-
Then Jonah mine's the death will best atoneM
And God is pleas'd that I pronounce my ownM
Arise and cast me forth the wind will ceaseC2
The sea subsiding wear the looks of peaceC2
And you securely steer For well I seeI
Myself the criminal the storm for meI
-
Yet pity moves for one that owns a blameD2
And awe resulting from a prophet's nameD2
Love pleads he kindly meant for them to dieQ
Fear pleads against him lest they pow'r defyQ
If then to aid the flight abets the sinE2
They think to land him where they took him inE2
Perhaps to quit the cause might end the woeP
And God appeasing let the vessel goP
For this they fix their oars and strike the mainA2
But God withstands them and they strike in vainA2
-
The storm increases more with want of lightF2
Low black'ning clouds involve the ship in nightF2
Thick batt'ring rains fly thro' the driving skiesD
Loud thunder bellows darted light'ning fliesD
A dreadful picture night born horrour drewO
And his or theirs or both their fates they viewO
-
Then thus to God they cry Almighty pow'rF
Whom we ne'er knew 'till this despairing hourF
From this devoted blood thy servants freeI
To us he's innocent if so to theeI
In all the past we see thy wond'rous handG2
And that he perish think it thy commandG2
-
This pray'r perform'd they cast the prophet o'erF
A surge receives him and he mounts no moreF
Then stills the thunder cease the flames of blueO
The rains abated and the winds withdrewO
The clouds ride off and as they march awayJ
Thro' ev'ry breaking shoots a chearful dayJ
The sea which rag'd so loud accepts the prizeD
A while it rolls then all the tempest diesD
By gradual sinking flat the surface growsH2
And safe the vessel with the sailors goesH2
The Lion thus that bounds the fences o'erF
And makes the Mountain Ecchoes learn to roarF
If on the lawn a branching deer he rendJ
Then falls his hunger all his roarings endJ
Murm'ring a while to rest his limbs he laysI2
And the freed lawn enjoys its herd at easeJ2
-
Bless'd with the sudden calm the sailors ownM
That wretched Jonah worship'd right aloneM
Then make their vows the victim sheep prepareF
Bemoan the prophet and the God revereF
-
Now tho' you fear to loose the pow'r to breathK2
Now tho' you tremble Fancy dive beneathL2
What world of wonders in the deep are seenM2
But this the greatest Jonah lives withinE2
The man who fondly fled the Maker's viewO
Strange as the crime has found a dungeon tooO
God sent a monster of the frothing seaI
Fit by the bulk to gorge the living preyJ
And lodge him still alive this hulk receivesN2
The falling prophet as he dash'd the wavesY
There newly wak'd from fanci'd death he liesD
And oft again in apprehension diesD
While three long days and nights depriv'd of sleepH
He turn'd and toss'd him up and down the deepH
He thinks the judgment of the strangest kindJ
And much he wonders what the Lord design'dJ
Yet since he lives the gift of life he weighsI2
That's time for pray'r and thus a ground for praiseI2
From the dark entrails of the whale to theeI
This new contrivance of a hell to meI
To thee my God I cry'd my full distressO2
Pierc'd thy kind ear and brought my soul redressO2
Cast to the deep I fell by thy commandJ
Cast in the midst beyond the reach of landJ
Then to the midst brought down the seas abideJ
Beneath my feet the seas on ev'ry sideJ
In storms the billow and in calms the waveP2
Are moving cov'rings to my wand'ring graveP2
Forc'd by despair I cry'd how to my costJ
I fled thy presence Oh for ever lostJ
But hope revives my soul and makes me sayJ
Yet tow'rds thy temple shall I turn and prayJ
Or if I know not here where Salem liesD
Thy temple's heav'n and faith has inward eyesD
Alas the waters which my whale surroundJ
Have thro' my sorr'wing soul a passage foundJ
And now the dungeon moves new depths I tryQ
New thoughts of danger all his paths supplyQ
The last of Deeps affords the last of dreadJ
And wraps its funeral weeds around my headJ
Now o'er the sand his rollings seem to goP
Where the big mountains root their base belowP
And now to rocks and clefts their course they takeQ2
Earth's endless bars too strong for me to breakQ2
Yet from th' Abyss my God thy grace divineR2
Hath call'd him upward and my life is mineR2
Still as I toss'd I scarce retain'd my breathK2
My soul was sick within and faint to deathK2
'Twas then I thought of thee for pity pray'dJ
And to thy temple flew the pray'rs I madeJ
The men whom lying vanity insnaresD
Forsake thy mercy that which might be theirsD
But I will pay my God my King receiveS2
The solemn vows my full affection giveU
When in thy temple for a psalm I singT2
Salvation only from my God my kingT2
-
Thus ends the prophet first from Canaan sentJ
To let the Gentiles know they must repentJ
God hears and speaks the Whale at God's commandJ
Heaves to the light and casts him forth to landJ
-
With long fatigue with unexpectedJ

Thomas Parnell



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