Tirocinium; Or, A Review Of Schools Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJKK KKLLIIMMNNEEOOPPMMQQ RRQQQQQQKKSSKKQQKKTT RUVVQQKKWPQQKKQQXXKK YYRRKKZZKKRRKKKKKKRR A2A2KKB2B2QQKKQQKKRR QQC2C2HHD2D2KKSSVVE2 E2KKF2F2G2G2KKZZYYKK HHH2H2FFKKRRQQSSKKI2 J2QQLLQQK2K2L2L2YYKK

It is not from his form in which we traceA
Strength join'd with beauty dignity with graceA
That man the master of this globe derivesB
His right of empire over all that livesC
That form indeed the associate of a mindD
Vast in its powers ethereal in its kindD
That form the labour of Almighty skillE
Framed for the service of a freeborn willE
Asserts precedence and bespeaks controlF
But borrows all its grandeur from the soulF
Hers is the state the splendour and the throneG
An intellectual kingdom all her ownG
For her the memory fills her ample pageH
With truths pour d down from every distant ageH
For her amasses an unbounded storeI
The wisdom of great nations now no moreI
Though laden not encumber d with her spoilJ
Laborious yet unconscious of her toilJ
When copiously supplied then most enlargedK
Still to be fed and not to be surchargedK
For her the Fancy roving unconfinedK
The present muse of every pensive mindK
Works magic wonders adds a brighter hueL
To Nature s scenes than Nature ever knewL
At her command winds rise and waters roarI
Again she lays them slumbering on the shoreI
With flower and fruit the wilderness suppliesM
Or bids the rocks in ruder pomp ariseM
For her the Judgment umpire in the strifeN
That Grace and Nature have to wage through lifeN
Quick sighted arbiter of good and illE
Appointed sage preceptor to the WillE
Condemns approves and with a faithful voiceO
Guides the decision of a doubtful choiceO
Why did the fiat of a God give birthP
To yon fair Sun and his attendant EarthP
And when descending he resigns the skiesM
Why takes the gentler Moon her turn to riseM
Whom Ocean feels through all his countless wavesQ
And owns her power on every shore he lavesQ
Why do the seasons still enrich the yearR
Fruitful and young as in their first careerR
Spring hangs her infant blossoms on the treesQ
Rock d in the cradle of the western breezeQ
Summer in haste the thriving charge receivesQ
Beneath the shade of her expanded leavesQ
Till Autumn s fiercer heats and plenteous dewsQ
Dye them at last in all their glowing huesQ
Twere wild profusion all and bootless wasteK
Power misemploy d munificence misplacedK
Had not its Author dignified the planS
And crown d it with the majesty of manS
Thus form d thus placed intelligent and taughtK
Look where he will the wonders God has wroughtK
The wildest scorner of his Maker s lawsQ
Finds in a sober moment time to pauseQ
To press the important question on his heartK
Why form d at all and wherefore as thou artK
If man be what he seems this hour a slaveT
The next mere dust and ashes in the graveT
Endued with reason only to descryR
His crimes and follies with an aching eyeU
With passions just that he may prove with painV
The force he spends against their fury vainV
And if soon after having burnt by turnsQ
With every lust with which frail Nature burnsQ
His being end where death dissolves the bondK
The tomb take all and all be blank beyondK
Then he of all that Nature has brought forthW
Stands self impeach d the creature of least worthP
And useless while he lives and when he diesQ
Brings into doubt the wisdom of the skiesQ
Truths that the learn d pursue with eager thoughtK
Are not important always as dear boughtK
Proving at last though told in pompous strainsQ
A childish waste of philosophic painsQ
But truths on which depends our main concernX
That tis our shame and misery not to learnX
Shine by the side of every path we treadK
With such a lustre he that runs may readK
Tis true that if to trifle life awayY
Down to the sunset of their latest dayY
Then perish on futurity s wide shoreR
Like fleeting exhalations found no moreR
Were all that Heaven required of human kindK
And all the plan their destiny design dK
What none could reverence all might justly blameZ
And man would breathe but for his Maker s shameZ
But reason heard and nature well perusedK
At once the dreaming mind is disabusedK
If all we find possessing earth sea airR
Reflect His attributes who placed them thereR
Fulfil the purpose and appear design dK
Proofs of the wisdom of the all seeing mindK
Tis plain the creature whom he chose to investK
With kingship and dominion o er the restK
Received his nobler nature and was madeK
Fit for the power in which he stands array dK
That first or last hereafter if not hereR
He too might make his author s wisdom clearR
Praise him on earth or obstinately dumbA2
Suffer his justice in a world to comeA2
This once believed twere logic misappliedK
To prove a consequence by none deniedK
That we are bound to cast the minds of youthB2
Betimes into the mould of heavenly truthB2
That taught of God they may indeed be wiseQ
Nor ignorantly wandering miss the skiesQ
In early days the conscience has in mostK
A quickness which in later life is lostK
Preserved from guilt by salutary fearsQ
Or guilty soon relenting into tearsQ
Too careless often as our years proceedK
What friends we sort with or what books we readK
Our parents yet exert a prudent careR
To feed our infant minds with proper fareR
And wisely store the nursery by degreesQ
With wholesome learning yet acquired with easeQ
Neatly secured from being soil d or tornC2
Beneath a pane of thin translucent hornC2
A book to please us at a tender ageH
Tis call d a book though but a single pageH
Presents the prayer the Saviour deign d to teachD2
Which children use and parsons when they preachD2
Lisping our syllables we scramble nextK
Through moral narrative or sacred textK
And learn with wonder how this world beganS
Who made who marr d and who has ransom d manS
Points which unless the Scripture made them plainV
The wisest heads might agitate in vainV
O thou whom borne on fancy s eager wingE2
Back to the season of life s happy springE2
I pleased remember and while memory yetK
Holds fast her office here can ne er forgetK
Ingenious dreamer in whose well told taleF2
Sweet fiction and sweet truth alike prevailF2
Whose humorous vein strong sense and simple styleG2
May teach the gayest make the gravest smileG2
Witty and well employ d and like thy LordK
Speaking in parables his slighted wordK
I name thee not lest so despised a nameZ
Should move a sneer at thy deserved fameZ
Yet e en in transitory life s late dayY
That mingles all my brown with sober greyY
Revere the man whose Pilgrim marks the roadK
And guides the Progress of the soul to GodK
Twere well with most if books that could engageH
Their childhood pleased them at a riper ageH
The man approving what had charm d the boyH2
Would die at last in comfort peace and joyH2
And not with curses on his heart who stoleF
The gem of truth from his unguarded soulF
The stamp of artless piety impress dK
By kind tuition on his yielding breastK
The youth now bearded and yet pert and rawR
Regards with scorn though once received with aweR
And warp d into the labyrinth of liesQ
That babblers call d philosophers deviseQ
Blasphemes his creed as founded on a planS
Replete with dreams unworthy of a manS
Touch but his nature in its ailing partK
Assert the native evil of his heartK
His pride resents the charge although the proofI2
Rise in his forehead and seem rank enoughJ2
Point to the cure describe a Saviour s crossQ
As God s expedient to retrieve his lossQ
The young apostate sickens at the viewL
And hates it with the malice of a JewL
How weak the barrier of mere nature provesQ
Opposed against the pleasures nature lovesQ
While self betray d and wilfully undoneK2
She longs to yield no sooner woo d than wonK2
Try now the merits of this blest exchangeL2
Of modest truth for wit s eccentric rangeL2
Time was he closed as he began the dayY
With decent duty not ashamed to prayY
The practice was a bond upon his heartK
A pledge he gave for a consistent partK
No-

William Cowper



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