The Progress Of Taste, Or The Fate Of Delicacy Poem Rhyme Scheme

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William Shenstone

The Progress Of Taste, Or The Fate Of Delicacy Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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Part first	A
	-
Perhaps some cloud eclipsed the day	B
When thus I tuned my pensive lay	B
The ship is launch'd we catch the gale	C
On life's extended ocean sail	C
For happiness our course we bend	D
Our ardent cry our general end	D
Yet ah the scenes which tempt our care	E
Are like the forms dispersed in air	E
Still dancing near disorder'd eyes	F
And weakest his who best descries '	-
Yet let me not my birthright barter	G
For wishing is the poet's charter	G
All bards have leave to wish what's wanted	H
Though few e'er found their wishes granted	H
Extensive field where poets pride them	I
In singing all that is denied them	I
For humble ease ye Powers I pray	B
That plain warm suit for every day	B
And pleasure and brocade bestow	J
To flaunt it once a month or so	J
The first for constant wear we want	K
The first ye Powers for ever grant	L
But constant wear the last bespatters	J
And turns the tissue into tatters	J
Where'er my vagrant course I bend	D
Let me secure one faithful friend	D
Let me in public scenes request	M
A friend of wit and taste well drest	M
And if I must not hope such favour	B
A friend of wit and taste however	B
Alas that Wisdom ever shuns	J
To congregate her scatter'd Sons	J
Whose nervous forces well combined	M
Would win the field and sway mankind	M
The fool will squeeze from morn to night	M
To fix his follies full in sight	M
The note he strikes the plume he shows	J
Attract whole flights of fops and beaus	J
And kindred fools who ne'er had known him	N
Flock at the sight caress and own him	N
But ill starr'd Sense not gay nor loud	M
Steals soft on tiptoe through the crowd	M
Conveys his meagre form between	O
And slides like pervious air unseen	O
Contracts his known tenuity	M
As though 'twere even a crime to be	P
Nor even permits his eyes to stray	B
And win acquaintance in their way	B
In company so mean his air	B
You scarce are conscious he is there	B
Till from some nook like sharpen'd steel	Q
Occurs his face's thin profile	R
Still seeming from the gazer's eye	S
Like Venus newly bathed to fly	S
Yet while reluctant he displays	J
His real gems before the blaze	J
The fool hath in its centre placed	M
His tawdry stock of painted paste	M
Disused to speak he tries his skill	T
Speaks coldly and succeeds but ill	T
His pensive manner dulness deem'd	M
His modesty reserve esteem'd	M
His wit unknown his learning vain	U
He wins not one of all the train	U
And those who mutually known	V
In friendship's fairest list had shone	V
Less prone than pebbles to unite	M
Retire to shades from public sight	M
Grow savage quit their social nature	B
And starve to study mutual satire	B
But friends and favourites to chagrin them	I
Find counties countries seas between them	I
Meet once a year then part and then	W
Retiring wish to meet again	W
Sick of the thought let me provide	M
Some human form to grace my side	M
At hand where'er I shape my course	J
An useful pliant stalking horse	J
No gesture free from some grimace	J
No seam without its share of lace	J
But mark'd with gold or silver either	B
Hint where his coat was pieced together	B
His legs be lengthen'd I advise	J
And stockings roll'd abridge his thighs	J
What though Vandyke had other rules	J
What had Vandyke to do with fools	J
Be nothing wanting but his mind	M
Before a solitaire behind	M
A twisted ribband like the track	X
Which Nature gives an ass's back	X
Silent as midnight pity 'twere	B
His wisdom's slender wealth to share	B
And whilst in flocks our fancies stray	B
To wish the poor man's lamb away	B
This form attracting every eye	S
I stroll all unregarded by	S
This wards the jokes of every kind	M
As an umbrella sun or wind	M
Or like a sponge absorbs the sallies	J
And pestilential fumes of malice	J
Or like a splendid shield is fit	M
To screen the Templar's random wit	M
Or what some gentler cit lets fall	Y
As woolpacks quash the leaden ball	Y
Allusions these of weaker force	J
And apter still the stalking horse	J
O let me wander all unseen	O
Beneath the sanction of his mien	O
As lilies soft as roses fair	B
Empty as airpumps drain'd of air	B
With steady eye and pace remark	Z
The speckled flock that haunts the Park	Z
Level my pen with wondrous heed	M
At follies flocking there to feed	M
And as my satire burns amain	O
See feather'd foppery strew the plain	O
But when I seek my rural grove	A2
And share the peaceful haunts I love	B2
Let none of this unhallow'd train	O
My sweet sequester'd paths profane	O
Oft may some polish'd virtuous friend	M
To these soft winding vales descend	M
And love with me inglorious things	J
And scorn with me the pomp of kings	J
And check me when my bosom burns	J
For statues paintings coins and urns	J
For I in Damon's prayer could join	O
And Damon's wish might now be mine	O
But all dispersed the wish the prayer	B
Are driven to mix with common air	B
	-
	-
Part second	M
	-
How happy once was Damon's lot	M
While yet romantic schemes were not	M
Ere yet he sent his weakly eyes	J
To plan frail castles in the skies	J
Forsaking pleasures cheap and common	O
To court a blaze still flitting from one	O
Ah happy Damon thrice and more	B
Had Taste ne'er touch'd thy tranquil shore	B
Oh days when to a girdle tied	M
The couples jingled at his side	M
And Damon swore he would not barter	B
The sportsman's girdle for a garter	B
Whoever came to kill an hour	B
Found easy Damon in their power	B
Pure social Nature all his guide	M
'Damon had not a grain of pride '	-
He wish'd not to elude the snares	J
Which Knavery plans and Craft prepares	J
But rather wealth to crown their wiles	J
And win their universal smiles	J
For who are cheerful who at ease	J
But they who cheat us as they please	J
He wink'd at many a gross design	O
The new fallen calf might countermine	O
Thus every fool allow'd his merit	M
'Yes Damon had a generous spirit '	-
A coxcomb's jest however vile	R
Was sure at least of Damon's smile	R
That coxcomb ne'er denied him sense	J
For why it proved his own pretence	J
All own'd were modesty away	B
Damon could shine as much as they	B
When wine and folly came in season	O
Damon ne'er strove to save his reason	O
Obnoxious to the mad uproar	B
A spy upon a hostile shore	B
'Twas this his company endear'd	M
Mirth never came till he appear'd	M
His lodgings every drawer could show them	I
The slave was kick'd who did not know them	I
Thus Damon studious of his ease	J
And pleasing all whom mirth could please	J
Defied the world like idle Colley	P
To show a softer word than folly	P
Since Wisdom's gorgon shield was known	O
To stare the gazer into stone	O
He chose to trust in Folly's charm	C2
To keep his breast alive and warm	D2
At length grave Learning's sober train	O
Remark'd the trifler with disdain	O
The sons of Taste contemn'd his ways	J
And rank'd him with the brutes that graze	J
While they to nobler heights aspired	M
And grew beloved esteem'd admired	M
Hence with our youth not void of spirit	M
His old companions lost their merit	M
And every kind well natured sot	M
Seem'd a dull play without a plot	M
Where every yawning guest agrees	J
The willing creature strives to please	J
But temper never could amuse	J
It barely led us to excuse	J
'Twas true conversing they averr'd	M
All they had seen or felt or heard	M
Talents of weight for wights like these	J
The law might choose for witnesses	J
But sure th' attesting dry narration	O
Ill suits a judge of conversation	O
What were their freedoms mere excuses	J
To vent ill manners blows and bruises	J
Yet freedom gallant freedom hailing	E2
At form at form incessant railing	E2
Would they examine each offence	J
Its latent cause its known pretence	J
Punctilio ne'er was known to breed them	I
So sure as fond prolific freedom	F2
Their courage but a loaded gun	O
Machine the wise would wish to shun	O
Its guard unsafe its lock an ill one	O
Where accident might fire and kill one	O
In short disgusted out of measure	B
Through much contempt and slender pleasure	B
His sense of dignity returns	J
With native pride his bosom burns	J
He seeks respect but how to gain it	M
Wit social mirth could ne'er obtain it	M
And laughter where it reigns uncheck'd	M
Discards and dissipates respect	M
The man who gravely bows enjoys it	M
But shaking hands at once destroys it	M
Precarious plant whi	B