Hope, An Allegorical Sketch Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDCDEE FGFGHIIIJJ KLKMNONOPQ IIIIJIJIII RSRSOTOTUU JOJOSISIVV WXWXIYIYZZ A2IA2IIIIIII A2B2A2B2JC2JC2WW D2IE2IF2G2F2G2H2H2 IJIJII2II2KK IIIIZIZIE2D2 J2K2L2ZH2IH2III IIIIJNINII NJNJIIIIII M2IM2IIN2IN2II IIIIN2IN2IFF IO2N

I am the comforter of them that mournA
My scenes well shadowed and my carol sweetB
Cheer the poor passengers of life's rude bourneA
Till they are sheltered in that last retreatB
Where human toils and troubles are forgotC
These sounds I heard amid this mortal roadD
When I had reached with pain one pleasant spotC
So that for joy some tears in silence flowedD
I raised mine eyes sickness had long depressedE
And felt thy warmth O sun come cheering to my breastE
-
The storm of night had ceased upon the plainF
When thoughtful in the forest walk I strayedG
To the long hollow murmur of the mainF
Listening and to the many leaves that madeG
A drowsy cadence as the high trees wavedH
When straight a beauteous scene burst on my sightI
Smooth were the waters that the lowland lavedI
And lo a form as of some fairy spriteI
Who held in her right hand a budding sprayJ
And like a sea maid sung her sweetly warbled layJ
-
Soothing as steals the summer wave she sungK
The grisly phantoms of the night are goneL
To hear in shades forlorn the death bell rungK
But thou whom sickness hast left weak and wanM
Turn from their spectre terrors the green seaN
That whispers at my feet the matin galeO
That crisps its shining marge shall solace theeN
And thou my long forgotten voice shalt hailO
For I am Hope whom weary hearts confessP
The soothest sprite that sings on life's long wildernessQ
-
As slowly ceased her tender voice I stoodI
Delighted the hard way so lately passedI
Seemed smooth the ocean's bright extended floodI
Before me stretched the clouds that overcastI
Heaven's melancholy vault hurried awayJ
Driven seaward and the azure hills appearedI
The sunbeams shone upon their summits grayJ
Strange saddening sounds no more by fits were heardI
But birds in new leaves shrouded sung aloftI
And o'er the level seas Spring's healing airs blew softI
-
As when a traveller who many daysR
Hath journeyed 'mid Arabian deserts stillS
A dreary solitude far on surveysR
And met nor flitting bird nor gushing rillS
But near some marble ruin gleaming paleO
Sighs mindful of the haunts of cheerful manT
And thinks he hears in every sickly galeO
The bells of some approaching caravanT
At length emerging o'er the dim tract seesU
Damascus' golden fanes and minarets and treesU
-
So beat my bosom when my winding wayJ
Led through the thickets to a sheltered valeO
Where the fair syren sat a smooth clear bayJ
Skirted with woods appeared where many a sailO
Went shining o'er the watery surface stillS
Lessening at last in the gray ocean floodI
And yonder half way up the fronting hillS
Peeping from forth the trees a cottage stoodI
Above whose peaceful umbrage trailing highV
A little smoke went up and stained the cloudless skyV
-
I turned and lo a mountain seemed to riseW
Upon whose top a spiry citadelX
Lifted its dim seen turrets to the skiesW
Where some high lord of the domain might dwellX
And onward where the eye scarce stretched its sightI
Hills over hills in long succession roseY
Touched with a softer and yet softer lightI
And all was blended as in deep reposeY
The woods the sea the hills that shone so fairZ
Till woods and sea and hills seemed fading into airZ
-
At once methought I saw a various throngA2
To this enchanting spot their footsteps bendI
All drawn sweet Hope by thy inspiring songA2
Which melodies scarce mortal seem to blendI
First buxom Youth with cheeks of glowing redI
Came lightly tripping o'er the morning dewI
He wore a harebell garland on his headI
And stretched his hands at the bright bursting viewI
A mountain fawn went bounding by his sideI
Around whose slender neck a silver bell was tiedI
-
Then said I Mistress of the magic songA2
Oh pity 'twere that hearts that know no guileB2
Should ever feel the pangs of truth or wrongA2
She heeded not but sang with lovelier smileB2
Enjoy O youth the season of thy MayJ
Hark how the throstles in the hawthorn singC2
The hoary Time that resteth night nor dayJ
O'er the earth's shade may speed with noiseless wingC2
But heed not thou snatch the brief joys that riseW
And sport beneath the light of these unclouded skiesW
-
His fine eye flashing an unwonted fireD2
Then Fancy o'er the glade delighted wentI
He struck at times a small and silver lyreE2
Or gazed upon the rolling elementI
Sometimes he took his mirror which did showF2
The various landscape lovelier than the lifeG2
Beaming more bright the vivid tints did glowF2
And so well mingled was the colours' strifeG2
That the fond heart the beauteous shades once seenH2
Would sigh for such retreats for vales and woods so greenH2
-
Gay was his aspect and his airy vestI
As loose it flowed such colours did displayJ
As paint the clouds reposing in the westI
Or the moist rainbow's radiant arch inlayJ
And now he tripped like fairy of the woodI
And seemed with dancing spirits to rejoiceI2
And now he hung his head in pensive moodI
Meantime O Hope he listened to thy voiceI2
And whilst of joy and youth it cheerly sungK
He touched his answering harp and o'er the valley sprungK
-
Pleasure a frolic nymph to the glad soundI
Came dancing as all tears she might forgetI
And now she gazed with a sweet archness roundI
And wantonly displayed a silken netI
She won her way with fascinating airZ
Her eyes illumined with a tender lightI
Her smile's strange blandishment her shaded hairZ
That lengthening hung her teeth as ivory whiteI
That peeped from her moist lip seemed to inspireE2
Tumultuous wishes warm and dreams of fond desireD2
-
What softer passions did thy bosom moveJ2
When those melodious measures met thine earK2
Child of Sincerity and virtuous LoveL2
Thine eyes did shine beneath a blissful tearZ
That still were turned towards the tranquil sceneH2
Where the thin smoke rose from the embowered cotI
And thou didst think that there with smile sereneH2
In quiet shades and every pang forgotI
Thou mightest sink on pure Affection's breastI
And listen to the winds that whispered thee to restI
-
I thought O Love how seldom art thou foundI
Without annoyance in this earthly stateI
For haply thou dost feed some rankling woundI
Or on thy youth pale poverty doth waitI
Till years on heavy wing have rolled awayJ
Or where thou most didst hope firm faith to seeN
Thou meetest fickleness estranged and coldI
Or if some true and tender heart there beN
On which through every change thy soul might trustI
Death comes with his fell dart and smites it to the dustI
-
But lusty Enterprise with looks of gleeN
Approached the drooping youth as he would sayJ
Come to the high woods and the hills with meN
And cast thy sullen myrtle wreath awayJ
Upon a neighing courser he did sitI
That stretched its arched neck in conscious prideI
And champed as with disdain a golden bitI
But Hope her animating voice appliedI
And Enterprise with speed impetuous passedI
Whilst the long vale returned his wreathed bugle's blastI
-
Suddenly lifting high his ponderous spearM2
A mailed man came forth with scornful prideI
I saw him towering in his proud careerM2
Along the valley with a giant strideI
Upon his helm in letters of bright goldI
That to the sun's meridian splendour shoneN2
Ambition's name far off I might beholdI
Meantime from earth there came a hollow moanN2
But Fame who followed her loud trumpet blewI
And to the murmuring beach with eyes a flame he flewI
-
And now already had he gained the strandI
Where a tall vessel rode with sail unfurledI
And soon he thought to reach the farther landI
Which to his eager eye seemed like a worldI
That he by strength might win and make his ownN2
And in that citadel which shone so brightI
Seat him a purple sovereign on his throneN2
So he went tilting o'er the waters whiteI
And whilst he oft looked back with stern disdainF
In louder tone methought was heard the inspiring strainF
-
By the shade of cities oldI
By many a river stained with goreO2
BN

William Lisle Bowles



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