Table Talk Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEFGGHHIJKLMM NNGGOOPPQQRSTTUUVVSS WWXXYYZZA2A2B2B2C2D2 E2E2XXXXFFXXXXC2C2F2 F2G2G2XXNNH2I2J2MBBK 2K2L2L2XXM2M2XXN2N2O 2O2QQXXP2P2Q2R2S2S2T 2T2NNXXU2U2Q2V2S2S2Z ZD2C2W2W2XXX2X2Y2Y2Z 2Z2XXA3A3C2D2O2O2XXL KUUB3C3XXCCD3D3E3E3N 2N2XXXXXX2X2Q2Q2XXXX F3G3CCXXH3H3QQE3E3XY

A You told me I remember glory builtA
On selfish principles is shame and guiltA
The deeds that men admire as half divineB
Stark naught because corrupt in their designB
Strange doctrine this that without scruple tearsC
The laurel that the very lightning sparesC
Brings down the warrior s trophy to the dustD
And eats into his bloody sword like rustD
B I grant that men continuing what they areE
Fierce avaricious proud there must be warF
And never meant the rule should be appliedG
To him that fights with justice on his sideG
Let laurels drench d in pure Parnassian dewsH
Reward his memory dear to every museH
Who with a courage of unshaken rootI
In honour s field advancing his firm footJ
Plants it upon the line that Justice drawsK
And will prevail or perish in her causeL
Tis to the virtues of such men man owesM
His portion in the good that Heaven bestowsM
And when recording History displaysN
Feats of renown though wrought in ancient daysN
Tells of a few stout hearts that fought and diedG
Where duty placed them at their country s sideG
The man that is not moved with what he readsO
That takes not fire at their heroic deedsO
Unworthy of the blessings of the braveP
Is base in kind and born to be a slaveP
But let eternal infamy pursueQ
The wretch to nought but his ambition trueQ
Who for the sake of filling with one blastR
The post horns of all Europe lays her wasteS
Think yourself station d on a towering rockT
To see a people scatter d like a flockT
Some royal mastiff panting at their heelsU
With all the savage thirst a tiger feelsU
Then view him self proclaim d in a gazetteV
Chief monster that has plagued the nations yetV
The globe and sceptre in such hands misplacedS
Those ensigns of dominion how disgracedS
The glass that bids man mark the fleeting hourW
And Death s own scythe would better speak his powerW
Then grace the bony phantom in their steadX
With the king s shoulder knot and gay cockadeX
Clothe the twin brethren in each other s dressY
The same their occupation and successY
A Tis your belief the world was made for manZ
Kings do but reason on the self same planZ
Maintaining yours you cannot theirs condemnA2
Who think or seem to think man made for themA2
B Seldom alas the power of logic reignsB2
With much sufficiency in royal brainsB2
Such reasoning falls like an inverted coneC2
Wanting its proper base to stand uponD2
Man made for kings those optics are but dimE2
That tell you so say rather they for himE2
That were indeed a king ennobling thoughtX
Could they or would they reason as they oughtX
The diadem with mighty projects linedX
To catch renown by ruining mankindX
Is worth with all its gold and glittering storeF
Just what the toy will sell for and no moreF
Oh bright occasions of dispensing goodX
How seldom used how little understoodX
To pour in Virtue s lap her just rewardX
Keep Vice restrain d behind a double guardX
To quell the faction that affronts the throneC2
By silent magnanimity aloneC2
To nurse with tender care the thriving artsF2
Watch every beam Philosophy impartsF2
To give religion her unbridled scopeG2
Nor judge by statute a believer s hopeG2
With close fidelity and love unfeign dX
To keep the matrimonial bond unstain dX
Covetous only of a virtuous praiseN
His life a lesson to the land he swaysN
To touch the sword with conscientious aweH2
Nor draw it but when duty bids him drawI2
To sheath it in the peace restoring closeJ2
With joy beyond what victory bestowsM
Blest country where these kingly glories shineB
Blest England if this happiness be thineB
A Guard what you say the patriotic tribeK2
Will sneer and charge you with a bribe B A bribeK2
The worth of his three kingdoms I defyL2
To lure me to the baseness of a lieL2
And of all lies be that one poet s boastX
The lie that flatters I abhor the mostX
Those arts be theirs who hate his gentle reignM2
But he that loves him has no need to feignM2
A Your smooth eulogium to one crown address dX
Seems to imply a censure on the restX
B Quevedo as he tells his sober taleN2
Ask d when in hell to see the royal jailN2
Approved their method in all other thingsO2
But where good sir do you confine your kingsO2
There said his guide the group is in full viewQ
Indeed replied the don there are but fewQ
His black interpreter the charge disdain dX
Few fellow there are all that ever reign dX
Wit undistinguishing is apt to strikeP2
The guilty and not guilty both alikeP2
I grant the sarcasm is too severeQ2
And we can readily refute it hereR2
While Alfred s name the father of his ageS2
And the Sixth Edward s grace the historic pageS2
A Kings then at last have but the lot of allT2
By their own conduct they must stand or fallT2
B True While they live the courtly laureate paysN
His quitrent ode his peppercorn of praiseN
And many a dunce whose fingers itch to writeX
Adds as he can his tributary miteX
A subject s faults a subject may proclaimU2
A monarch s errors are forbidden gameU2
Thus free from censure overawed by fearQ2
And praised for virtues that they scorn to wearV2
The fleeting forms of majesty engageS2
Respect while stalking o er life s narrow stageS2
Then leave their crimes for history to scanZ
And ask with busy scorn Was this the manZ
I pity kings whom worship waits uponD2
Obsequious from the cradle to the throneC2
Before whose infant eyes the flatterer bowsW2
And binds a wreath about their baby browsW2
Whom education stiffens into stateX
And death awakens from that dream too lateX
Oh if servility with supple kneesX2
Whose trade it is to smile to crouch to pleaseX2
If smooth dissimulation skill d to graceY2
A devil s purpose with an angel s faceY2
If smiling peeresses and simpering peersZ2
Encompassing his throne a few short yearsZ2
If the gilt carriage and the pamper d steedX
That wants no driving and disdains the leadX
If guards mechanically form d in ranksA3
Playing at beat of drum their martial pranksA3
Shouldering and standing as if stuck to stoneC2
While condescending majesty looks onD2
If monarchy consist in such base thingsO2
Sighing I say again I pity kingsO2
To be suspected thwarted and withstoodX
E en when he labours for his country s goodX
To see a band call d patriot for no causeL
But that they catch at popular applauseK
Careless of all the anxiety he feelsU
Hook disappointment on the public wheelsU
With all their flippant fluency of tongueB3
Most confident when palpably most wrongC3
If this be kingly then farewell for meX
All kingship and may I be poor and freeX
To be the Table Talk of clubs up stairsC
To which the unwash d artificer repairsC
To indulge his genius after long fatigueD3
By diving into cabinet intrigueD3
For what kings deem a toil as well they mayE3
To him is relaxation and mere playE3
To win no praise when well wrought plans prevailN2
But to be rudely censured when they failN2
To doubt the love his favourites may pretendX
And in reality to find no friendX
If he indulge a cultivated tasteX
His galleries with the works of art well gracedX
To hear it call d extravagance and wasteX
If these attendants and if such as theseX2
Must follow royalty then welcome easeX2
However humble and confined the sphereQ2
Happy the state that has not these to fearQ2
A Thus men whose thoughts contemplative have dweltX
On situations that they never feltX
Start up sagacious cover d with the dustX
Of dreaming study and pedantic rustX
And prate and preach about what others proveF3
As if the world and they were hand and gloveG3
Leave kingly backs to cope with kingly caresC
They have their weight to carry subjects theirsC
Poets of all men ever least regretX
Increasing taxes and the nation s debtX
Could you contrive the payment and rehearseH3
The mighty plan oracular in verseH3
No bard howe er majestic old or newQ
Should claim my fix d attention more than youQ
B Not Brindley nor Bridgewater would essayE3
To turn the course of Helicon that wayE3
Nor would the Nine consent the sacred tideX
SY

William Cowper



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