The Spirit Of Discovery By Sea - Book The Fourth Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHIJKLJMNOPQRS TUVWGXJYZA2B2ZC2D2E2 OF2G2EHH2I2J2K2L2YM2 N2SO2P2Q2R2S2T2U2MV2 EW2X2Y2Z2A3B3J2CC3D3 AE3TNF3G3H3H3A2JI3J3 K3L3M3S2E3N3O3F3H3CL 3P3Q3M3N3R3S3O2T3U3Z 2V3W3C2C3A2EX3Y3O2G2 Z3SJ3A4K2B4GV2C4D4C3 OJ3MW3TOE4F4G4TTF2E2 TH4QTF2F2TQF2TF2F2H3 F2TTTF2Z2TTTTV2F2TF2 I4TQ3F2F2C4J4F2K4O2T M3F2JF2F2F2F2J4

Stand on the gleaming Pharos and aloudA
Shout Commerce to the kingdoms of the earthB
Shout for thy golden portals are set wideC
And all thy streamers o'er the surge aloftD
In pomp triumphant wave The weary wayE
That pale Nearchus passed from creek to creekF
Advancing slow no longer bounds the trackG
Of the adventurous mariner who steersH
Steady with eye intent upon the starsI
To Elam's echoing port Meantime more highJ
Aspiring o'er the Western main her towersK
Th' imperial city lifts the central martL
Of nations and beneath the calm clear skyJ
At distance from the palmy marge displaysM
Her clustering columns whitening to the mornN
Damascus' fleece Golconda's gems are thereO
Murmurs the haven with one ceaseless humP
The hurrying camel's bell the driver's songQ
Along the sands resound Tyre art thou fall'nR
A prouder city crowns the inland seaS
Raised by his hand who smote thee as if thusT
His mighty mind were swayed to recompenseU
The evil of his march through cities stormedV
And regions wet with blood and still had flowedW
The tide of commerce through the destined trackG
Traced by his mind sagacious who surveyedX
The world he conquered with a sage's eyeJ
As with a soldier's spirit but a sceneY
More awful opens ancient world adieuZ
Adieu cloud piercing pillars erst its boundsA2
And thou whose aged head once seemed to propB2
The heavens huge Atlas sinking fast adieuZ
What though the seas with wilder fury raveC2
Through their deserted realm though the dread CapeD2
Sole frowning o'er the war of waves belowE2
That bar the seaman's search horrid in airO
Appear with giant amplitude his headF2
Shrouded in clouds the tempest at his feetG2
And standing thus terrific seem to sayE
Incensed Approach who dare What though the fearsH
Of superstition people the vexed spaceH2
With spirits unblessed that lamentations makeI2
To the sad surge beyond yet EnterpriseJ2
Not now a darkling Cyclop on the sandsK2
Striding but led by Science and advancedL2
To a more awful height on the wide sceneY
Looks down commandingM2
Does a shuddering thoughtN2
Of danger start as the tumultuous seaS
Tosses below Calm Science with a smileO2
Displays the wondrous index that still pointsP2
With nice vibration tremulous to the PoleQ2
And such she whispers is the just man's hopeR2
In this tempestuous scene of human thingsS2
Even as the constant needle to the NorthT2
Still points so Piety and meek eyed FaithU2
Direct though trembling oft their constant gazeM
Heavenward as to their lasting home nor fearV2
The night fast closing on their earthly wayE
And guided by this index thou shall passW2
The world of seas secure Far from all landX2
Where not a sea bird wanders where nor starY2
Nor moon appears nor the bright noonday sunZ2
Safe in the wildering storm as when the breezeA3
Of summer gently blows through day through nightB3
Where sink the well known stars and others riseJ2
Slow from the South the victor bark shall rideC
Henry thy ardent mind first pierced the gloomC3
Of dark disastrous ignorance that satD3
Upon the Southern wave like the deep cloudA
That lowered upon the woody skirts and veiledE3
From mortal search with umbrage ominousT
Madeira's unknown isle But look the mornN
Is kindled on the shadowy offing streaksF3
Of clear cold light on Sagres' battlementsG3
Are cast where Henry watches listening stillH3
To the unwearied surge and turning stillH3
His anxious eyes to the horizon's boundsA2
A sail appears it swells it shines more highJ
Seen through the dusk it looms and now the hullI3
Is black upon the surge whilst she rolls onJ3
Aloft the weather beaten ship and nowK3
Streams by the watch towerL3
Zarco from the deepM3
What tidingsS2
The loud storm of night prevailedE3
And swept our vessel from Bojador's rocksN3
Far out to sea a sylvan isle receivedO3
Our sails so willed the ALMIGHTY He who speaksF3
And all the waves are stillH3
Hail HENRY criedC
The omen we have burst the sole barrierL3
Prosper our wishes Father of the worldP3
We speed to AsiaQ3
Soon upon the deepM3
The brave ship speeds again Bojador's rocksN3
Arise at distance frowning o'er the surfR3
That boils for many a league without Its courseS3
The ship holds on till lo the beauteous isleO2
That shielded late the sufferers from the stormT3
Springs o'er the wave again Here they refreshU3
Their wasted strength and lift their vows to HeavenZ2
But Heaven denies their further search for ahV3
What fearful apparition palled in cloudsW3
For ever sits upon the Western waveC2
Like night and in its strange portentous gloomC3
Wrapping the lonely waters seems the boundsA2
Of Nature Still it sits day after dayE
The same mysterious vision Holy saintsX3
Is it the dread abyss where all things ceaseY3
Or haply hid from mortal search thine isleO2
Cipango and that unapproached seatG2
Of peace where rest the Christians whom the hateZ3
Of Moorish pride pursued Whate'er it beS
Zarco thy holy courage bids thee onJ3
To burst the gloom though dragons guard the shoreA4
Or beings more than mortal pace the sandsK2
The favouring gales invite the bowsprit bearsB4
Right onward to the fearful shade more blackG
The cloudy spectre towers already fearV2
Shrinks at the view aghast and breathless HarkC4
'Twas more than the deep murmur of the surgeD4
That struck the ear whilst through the lurid gloomC3
Gigantic phantoms seem to lift in airO
Their misty arms yet yet bear boldly onJ3
The mist dissolves seen through the parting hazeM
Romantic rocks like the depictured cloudsW3
Shine out beneath a blooming wildernessT
Of varied wood is spread that scents the airO
Where fruits of 'golden rind ' thick interspersedE4
And pendent through the mantling umbrage gleamF4
Inviting Cypress here and stateliest pineG4
Spire o'er the nether shades as emulousT
Of sole distinction where all nature smilesT
Some trees in sunny glades alone their headF2
And graceful stem uplifting mark belowE2
The turf with shadow whilst in rich festoonsT
The flowery lianes braid their boughs meantimeH4
Choirs of innumerous birds of liveliest songQ
And brightest plumage flitting through the shadesT
With nimble glance are seen they unalarmedF2
Now near in airy circles sing then speedF2
Their random flight back to their sheltering bowersT
Whose silence broken only by their songQ
From the foundation of this busy worldF2
Perhaps had never echoed to the voiceT
Or heard the steps of Man What rapture firedF2
The strangers' bosoms as from glade to gladeF2
They passed admiring all and gazing stillH3
With new delight 'Tis solitude aroundF2
Deep solitude that on the gloom of woodsT
Primaeval fearful hangs a green recessT
Now opens in the wilderness gay flowersT
Of unknown name purple the yielding swardF2
The ring dove murmurs o'er their head like oneZ2
Attesting tenderest joy but mark the treesT
Where slanting through the gloom the sunshine restsT
Beneath a moss grown monument appearsT
O'er which the green banana gently wavesT
Its long leaf and an aged cypress nearV2
Leans as if listening to the streamlet's soundF2
That gushes from the adverse bank but pauseT
Approach with reverence Maker of the worldF2
There is a Christian's cross and on the stoneI4
A name yet legible amid its mossT
AnnaQ3
In that remote sequestered spotF2
Shut as it seemed from all the world and lostF2
In boundless seas to trace a name to markC4
The emblems of their holy faith from allJ4
Drew tears while every voice faintly pronouncedF2
Anna But thou loved harp whose strings have rungK4
To louder tones oh let my hand awhileO2
The wires more softly touch whilst I rehearseT
Her name and fate who in this desert deepM3
Far from the world from friends and kindred foundF2
Her long and last abode there where no eyeJ
Might shed a tear on her remains no heartF2
Sigh in remembrance of her fateF2
She leftF2
The Severn's side and fled with him she lovedF2
O'er the wide main for he had tolJ4

William Lisle Bowles



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