The Spirit Of Navigation.[1] Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDCDEE FGFGHAIAJJ KLKLMNMNOO EPEPQRQRSS TUTUVWVWXX XRXRBXBXYY XDXDZRZRA2A2 B2QB2QXXXXNN C2D2C2D2XXXXE2E2 F2XF2XXXXXRR XG2XG2RXRXXX H2DH2DI2XI2XXX XJ2XJ2RK2RK2RR XXXXNL2NL2RR HXIXRK2RK2XX M2XM2XN2O2N2P2RR D2M2D2M2M2YM2YXX XXXXXRXRRR XQ2XER2M2R2M2XX XXXXIXIXM2M2

Stern Father of the storm who dost abideA
Amid the solitude of the vast deepB
For ever listening to the sullen tideA
And whirlwinds that the billowy desert sweepB
Thou at the distant death shriek dost rejoiceC
The rule of the tempestuous main is thineD
Outstretched and lone thou utterest thy voiceC
Like solemn thunders These wild waves are mineD
Mine their dread empire nor shall man profaneE
The eternal secrets of my ancient reignE
-
The voice is vain secure and as in scornF
The gallant vessel scuds before the windG
Her parting sails swell stately to the mornF
She leaves the green earth and its hills behindG
Gallant before the wind she goes her prowH
High bearing and disparting the blue tideA
That foams and flashes in its rage belowI
Meantime the helmsman feels a conscious prideA
And while far onward the long billows swellJ
Looks to the lessening land that seems to say FarewellJ
-
Father of storms then let thy whirlwinds roarK
O'er seas of solitary amplitudeL
Man the poor tenant of thy rocky shoreK
Man thy terrific empire hath subduedL
And though thy waves toss his high foundered barkM
Where no dim watch light gleams still he defiesN
Thy utmost rage and in his buoyant arkM
Speeds on regardless of the darkening skiesN
And o'er the mountain surges as they rollO
Subdues his destined way and speeds from pole to poleO
-
Behold him now far from his native plainE
Where high woods shade some wild Hesperian bayP
Or green isles glitter in the southern mainE
His streaming ensign to the morn displayP
Behold him where the North's pale meteors danceQ
And icy rocks roll glimmering from afarR
Fearless through night and solitude advanceQ
Or where the pining sons of AndamarR
When dark eclipse has wrapt the labouring moonS
Howl to the demon of the dread monsoonS
-
Time was like them poor Nature's shivering childT
Pacing the beach and by the salt spray beatU
He watched the melancholy surge or smiledT
To see it burn and bicker at his feetU
In some rude shaggy spot by fortune placedV
He dreamed not of strange lands and empires spreadW
Beyond the rolling of the watery wasteV
He saw the sun shine on the mountain's headW
But knew not whilst he hailed the orient lightX
What myriads blessed his beam or sickened at the sightX
-
From some dark promontory that o'erbentX
The flashing waves he heard their ceaseless roarR
Or carolled in his light canoe contentX
As bound from creek to creek it grazed the shoreR
Gods of the storm the dreary space might sweepB
And shapes of death and gliding spectres gauntX
Might flit he thought o'er the remoter deepB
And whilst strange voices cried Avaunt avauntX
Uncertain lights seen through the midnight gloomY
Might lure him sadly on to his cold watery tombY
-
No city then amid the calm clear dayX
O'er the blue waters' undulating lineD
With battlements and fans that glittered gayX
And piers and thronging masts was seen to shineD
No cheerful sounds were wafted on the galeZ
Nor hummed the shores with early industryR
But mournful birds in hollow cliffs did wailZ
And there all day the cormorant did cryR
While with sunk eye and matted dripping locksA2
The houseless savage slept beneath the foam beat rocksA2
-
Thus slumbering long upon the dreamy vergeB2
Of instinct see he rouses from his tranceQ
Faint and as glimmering yet the Arts emergeB2
One after one from darkness and advanceQ
Beauteous as o'er the heavens the stars' still wayX
Now see the track of his dominion wideX
Fair smiling as the dayspring cities gayX
Lift their proud heads and o'er the yellow tideX
Whilst sounds of fervent industry ariseN
A thousand pennants float bright streaming in the skiesN
-
Genius of injured Asia once sublimeC2
And glorious now dim seen amid the stormD2
And melancholy clouds of sweeping timeC2
Who yet dost half reveal thine awful formD2
Pointing with saddened aspect and slow handX
To vast emporiums desolate and wasteX
To wrecks of unknown cities sunk in sandX
'Twas at thy voice Arts Order Science TasteX
Upsprung the East adorning like the smileE2
Of Spring upon the banks of thy own swelling NileE2
-
'Twas at thy voice huge Enterprise awokeF2
That long on rocky Aradus reclinedX
Slumbered to the hoarse surge that round her brokeF2
And hollow pipings of the idle windX
She heard thy voice upon the rock she stoodX
Gigantic the rude scene she marked she criedX
Let there be intercourse and the great floodX
Waft the rich plenty to these shores deniedX
And soon thine eye delighted saw aspireR
Crowning the midland main thy own Imperial TyreR
-
Queen of the waters who didst ope the gateX
Of Commerce and display in lands unknownG2
Thy venturous sail ev'n now in ancient stateX
Methinks I see thee on thy rocky throneG2
I see their massy piles thy cothons rearR
And on the deep a solemn shadow castX
I traverse thy once echoing shores and hearR
The sound of mighty generations pastX
I see thy kingly merchants' thronged resortX
And gold and purple gleam o'er all thy spacious portX
-
I mark thy glittering galleys sweep alongH2
The steady rowers to the strokes inclineD
And chaunt in unison their choral songH2
White through their oars the ivory benches shineD
The fine wrought sails which looms of Egypt woveI2
Swell beautiful beneath the bending mastX
Hewn from proud Lebanon's immortal groveI2
The oaks of Bashan brave the roaring blastX
So o'er the western wave thy vessels floatX
For verdant Egypt bound or Calpe's cliffs remoteX
-
Queen of the waters throned upon thy seatX
Amid the sea thy beauty and thy fameJ2
The deep that rolls low murmuring at thy feetX
And all the multitude of isles proclaimJ2
For thee Damascus piles her woolly storeR
To thee their flocks Arabia's princes bringK2
And Sheba heaps her spice and glittering oreR
The ships of Tarshish of thy glory singK2
Queen of the waters who is like to theeR
Replenished in thy might and throned on the seaR
-
The purple streamers fly the trumpets soundX
The adventurous bark glides on in tranquil stateX
The voyagers with leafy garlands crownedX
Draw back their arms together and elateX
Sweep o'er the surge the spray far scattered fliesN
Beneath the stroke of their unwearied oarsL2
To their loud shouts the circling coast repliesN
And now o'er the deep ocean where it roarsL2
They fly till slowly lessening from the shoreR
Beneath the haze they sink sink and are seen no moreR
-
When Night descends and with her silver bowH
The Queen of Heaven comes forth in radiance brightX
Surveying the dim earth and seas belowI
Why from afar resounds the mystic riteX
Hymned round her uncouth altar Virgins thereR
Amid the brazen cymbal's hollow ringK2
And aged priests the solemn feast prepareR
To her their nightly orisons they singK2
That she may look from her high throne and guideX
The wandering bark secure along the trackless tideX
-
Her on his nightly watch the pilot viewsM2
Careful and by her soft and tranquil lightX
Along the uncertain coast his track pursuesM2
And now he sees great Carmel's woody heightX
Where nightly fires to grisly Baal burnN2
Round the rough cape he winds meantime far onO2
Thick eddying scuds the hollow surf upturnN2
He thinks of the sweet light of summer goneP2
He thinks perhaps dashed on the rugged shoreR
He never shall behold his babes' loved mother moreR
-
Slow comes the morn but ah what demon formD2
While pealing thunder the high concave rendsM2
Rises more vast amid the rushing stormD2
With dreadful shade his horrid bulk ascendsM2
Dark to the driving clouds beneath him roarsM2
The deep his troubled brow is wrapped in gloomY
See it moves onwards now more huge it soarsM2
Who shall avert the poor seafarer's doomY
Who now shall save him from the spectre's mightX
That treads the rocking waves in thunder and in nightX
-
Dread phantom art thou he whose fearful swayX
As Egypt's hoary chronicles have toldX
The clouds the whirlwinds and the seas obeyX
Typhon of aspect hideous to beholdX
Oh spare the wretched wanderers who ledX
By flattering hopes have left the peaceful shoreR
Behold they shrink they bend with speechless dreadX
From their faint grasp drops the unheeded oarR
It answers not but mingling seas and skyR
In clouds and wind and thunder rushes byR
-
Hail to thy light lord of the golden dayX
That bursting through the sable clouds againQ2
Dost cheer the seaman's solitary wayX
And with new splendour deck the lucid mainE
And lo the voyage past where many a palmR2
Its green top only seen the prospect boundsM2
Fringing the sunny sea line clear and calmR2
Now hark the slowly swelling human soundsM2
Meantime the bark along the placid bayX
Of Tamiatis keeps her easy winding wayX
-
Here rest we safe from scenes of peril pastX
No danger lurks in this serene retreatX
No more is heard the roaring of the blastX
But pastoral sounds of scattered flocks that bleatX
Or evening herds that o'er the champaign lowI
Here citrons tall and purple dates aroundX
Delicious fragrance and cool shade bestowI
The shores with murmuring industry resoundX
While through the vernal pastures where he straysM2
The Nile as with delight his mazy course delaysM2

William Lisle Bowles



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