Colemira. A Culinary Eclogue Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A A BCBD EEFB EEGG HHII GGJJ FBKK LLKK BFAA AAAA KKM NNO EEKK EEAA KKPP BFBJ AAEE KKKK CDA AAHQ KKKNec tantum Veneris quantum studiosa culinae | A |
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Imitation | A |
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Insensible of soft desire | B |
Behold Colemira prove | C |
More partial to the kitchen fire | B |
Than to the fire of Love | D |
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Night's sable clouds had half the globe o'erspread | E |
And silence reign'd and folks were gone to bed | E |
When love which gentle sleep can ne'er inspire | F |
Had seated Damon by the kitchen fire | B |
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Pensive he lay extended on the ground | E |
The little Lares kept their vigils round | E |
The fawning cats compassionate his case | G |
And purr around and gently lick his face | G |
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To all his plaints the sleeping curs reply | H |
And with hoarse snorings imitate a sigh | H |
Such gloomy scenes with lovers' minds agree | I |
And solitude to them is best society | I |
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'Could I ' he cried 'express how bright a grace | G |
Adorns thy morning hands and well wash'd face | G |
Thou wouldst Colemira grant what I implore | J |
And yield me love or wash thy face no more | J |
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'Ah who can see and seeing not admire | F |
Whene'er she sets the pot upon the fire | B |
Her hands outshine the fire and redder things | K |
Her eyes are blacker than the pot she brings | K |
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'But sure no chamber damsel can compare | L |
When in meridian lustre shines my fair | L |
When warm'd with dinner's toil in pearly rills | K |
Adown her goodly cheeks the sweat distils | K |
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'Oh how I long how ardently desire | B |
To view those rosy fingers strike the lyre | F |
For late when bees to change their climes began | A |
How did I see them thrum the frying pan | A |
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'With her I should not envy George his queen | A |
Though she in royal grandeur deck'd be seen | A |
Whilst rags just sever'd from my fair one's gown | A |
In russet pomp and greasy pride hang down | A |
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'Ah how it does my drooping heart rejoice | K |
When in the hall I hear thy mellow voice | K |
How would that voice exceed the village bell | M |
Wouldst thou but sing 'I like thee passing well ' | - |
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'When from the hearth she bade the pointers go | N |
How soft how easy did her accents flow | N |
'Get out ' she cried 'when strangers come to sup | O |
One ne'er can raise those snoring devils up ' | - |
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'Then full of wrath she kick'd each lazy brute | E |
Alas I envied even that salute | E |
'Twas sure misplaced Shock said or seem'd to say | K |
He had as lief I had the kick as they | K |
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'If she the mystic bellows take in hand | E |
Who like the fair can that machine command | E |
O mayst thou ne'er by olus be seen | A |
For he would sure demand thee for his queen | A |
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'But should the flame this rougher aid refuse | K |
And only gentler medicines be of use | K |
With full blown cheeks she ends the doubtful strife | P |
Foments the infant flame and puffs it into life | P |
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'Such arts as these exalt the drooping fire | B |
But in my breast a fiercer flame inspire | F |
I burn I burn O give thy puffing o'er | B |
And swell thy cheeks and pout thy lips no more | J |
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With all her haughty looks the time I've seen | A |
When this proud damsel has more humble been | A |
When with nice airs she hoist the pancake round | E |
And dropt it hapless fair upon the ground | E |
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'Look with what charming grace what winning tricks | K |
The artful charmer rubs the candlesticks | K |
So bright she makes the candlesticks she handles | K |
Oft have I said there were no need of candles | K |
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But thou my fair who never wouldst approve | C |
Or hear the tender story of my love | D |
Or mind how burns my raging breast a button | A |
Perhaps art dreaming of a breast of mutton ' | - |
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Thus said and wept the sad desponding swain | A |
Revealing to the sable walls his pain | A |
But nymphs are free with those they should deny | H |
To those they love more exquisitely coy | Q |
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Now chirping crickets raise their tinkling voice | K |
The lambent flames in languid streams arise | K |
And smoke in azure folds evaporates and dies | K |
William Shenstone
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