In Imitation Op Spenser's Style and Stanza
'VidemusNugari solitos.'--PERSIUS.
Whilom by silver Thames's gentle stream,In London town there dwelt a subtile wight;A wight of mickle wealth, and mickle fame,Book-learn'd and quaint; a Virtuoso hight.Uncommon things, and rare, were his delight;From musings deep his brain ne'er gotten ease,Nor ceasen he from study, day or night;Until (advancing onward by degrees)He knew whatever breeds on earth, or air, or seas.
He many a creature did anatomise,Almost unpeopling water, air, and land;Beasts, fishes, birds, snails, caterpillars, flies,Were laid full low by his relentless hand,That oft with gory crimson was distain'd:He many a dog destroy'd, and many a cat;Of fleas his bed, of frogs the marshes drain'd,Could tellen if a mite were lean or fat,And read a lecture o'er the entrails of a gnat.
He knew the various modes of ancient times,Their arts and fashions of each different guise,Their weddings, funerals, punishments for crimes,Their strength, their learning eke, and rarities;Of old habiliments, each sort and size,Male, female, high and low, to him were known;Each gladiator-dress, and stage disguise;With learned, clerkly phrase he could have shownHow the Greek tunic differ'd from the Roman gown.
A curious medalist, I wot, he was,And boasted many a course of ancient coin;Well as his wife's he knewen every face,From Julius Caesar down to Constantine:For some rare sculptor he would oft ypine(As green-sick damosels for husbands do);And when obtained, with enraptured eyne,He'd run it o'er and o'er with greedy view,And look, and look again, as he would look it through.
His rich museum, of dimensions fair,With goods that spoke the owner's mind was fraught:Things ancient, curious, value-worth, and rare,From sea and land, from Greece and Rome were brought,Which he with mighty sums of gold had bought:On these all tides with joyous eyes he pored;And, sooth to say, himself he greater thought,When he beheld his cabinets thus stored,Than if he'd been of Albion's wealthy cities lord.
Here in a corner stood a rich scrutoire,With many a curiosity replete;In seemly order furnish'd every drawer,Products of art or nature as was meet;Air-pumps and prisms were placed beneath his feet,A Memphian mummy-king hung o'er his head;Here phials with live insects small and great,There stood a tripod of the Pythian maid;Above, a crocodile diffused a grateful shade.
Fast by the window did a table stand,Where modern and antique rarities,From Egypt, Greece, and Rome, from sea and land,Were thick-besprent, of every sort and size:Here a Bahaman-spider's carcass lies,There a dire serpent's golden skin doth shine;Here Indian feathers, fruits, and glittering flies;There gums and amber found beneath the line,The beak of Ibis here, and there an Antonine.
Close at his back, or whispering in his ear,There stood a sprite ycleped Phantasy;Which, wheresoe'er he went, was always near:Her look was wild, and roving was her eye;Her hair was clad with flowers of every dye;Her glistering robes were of more various hueThan the fair bow that paints the cloudy sky,Or all the spangled drops of morning dew;Their colour changing still at every different view.
Yet in this shape all tides she did not stay,Various as the chameleon that she bore;Now a grand monarch with a crown of hay,Now mendicant in silks and golden ore:A statesman, now equipp'd to chase the boar,Or cowled monk, lean, feeble, and unfed;A clown-like lord, or swain of courtly lore;Now scribbling dunce, in sacred laurel clad,Or papal father now, in homely weeds array'd.
The wight whose brain this phantom's power doth fill,On whom she doth with constant care attend,Will for a dreadful giant take a mill,Or a grand palace in a hog-sty find:(From her dire influence me may heaven defend!)All things with vitiated sight he spies;Neglects his family, forgets his friend,Seeks painted trifles and fantastic toys,And eagerly pursues imaginary joys.
Words in this poem 34
- whilom adv.
- Formerly; once; of old; erewhile; at times. [AS. hwilum, properly, at times, dative pl. of hwil; akin to G. weiland formerly, OHG. hwilm, See While, n.]
- wight n.
- A whit; a bit; a jot. [OE. wight, wiht, a wight, a whit, AS. wiht, wuht, a creature, a thing; skin to D. wicht a child, OS. & OHG. wiht a creature, thing, G. wicht a creature, Icel. v]
- mickle a.
- Much; great. [Old Eng. & Scot.] [OE. mikel, muchel, mochel, mukel, AS. micel, mycel; akin to OS. mikil, OHG. mihil, mihhil, Icel. mikill, mykill, Goth. mikils, L. magnus, Gr. mahat. sq. root103]
- wealth n.
- Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]
- quaint a.
- Prudent; wise; hence, crafty; artful; wily. [OE. queint, queynte, coint, prudent, wise, cunning, pretty, odd, OF. cointe cultivated, amiable, agreeable, neat, fr. L. cognitus known, p. p. of cognoscere to ]
- hight v. t.
- To be called or named. [OE. heiten, highten, haten, hoten; also hight, hatte, hette, is called, was called, AS. hatan to call, name, be called, to command, promise; also hatte is calle]
- anatomise v. t.
- To dissect; to cut in pieces, as an animal vegetable body, for the purpose of displaying or examining the structure and use of the several parts. [Cf. F. anatomiser.]
- relentless a.
- Unmoved by appeals for sympathy or forgiveness; insensible to the distresses of others; destitute of tenderness; unrelenting; unyielding; unpitying; as, a prey to relentless despotism.
- gory a.
- Covered with gore or clotted blood. [From Gore.]
- tellen n.
- Any species of Tellina.
- clerkly adv.
- In a scholarly manner.
- curious a.
- Difficult to please or satisfy; solicitous to be correct; careful; scrupulous; nice; exact. [OF. curios, curius, F. curieux, L. curiosus careful, inquisitive, fr. cura care. See Cure.]
- medalist n.
- A person that is skilled or curious in medals; a collector of medals. [Cf. F. médailliste, It. medaglista.]
- sculptor n.
- One who sculptures; one whose occupation is to carve statues, or works of sculpture. [L. sculptor, fr. sculpere, sculptum, to carve; cf. scalpere to cut, carve, scratch, and Gr. sculpteur.]
- eyne n.
- Plural of eye; obsolete, or used only in poetry.
- spoke n.
- The radius or ray of a wheel; one of the small bars which are inserted in the hub, or nave, and which serve to support the rim or felly. [OE. spoke, spake, AS, spaca; akin to D. speek, LG. speke, OHG. speihha, G. speiche. sq. root170. Cf. Spike a nail.]
- fraught n.
- A freight; a cargo. [OE.fraight, fraght; akin to Dan. fragt, Sw. frakt, D. vracht, G. fracht, cf. OHG. fr merit, reward; perh. from corresponding to E. for + The root of E. own. Cf.]
- sooth a.
- True; faithful; trustworthy. [OE. soth, AS. s, for san; akin to OS. s, OHG. sand, Icel. sannr, Sw. sann, Dan. sand, Skr. sat, sant, real, genuine, present, being; properly p. pr. from a root]
- scrutoire n.
- A escritoire; a writing desk. [OF. escritoire. See Escritoire.]
- curiosity n.
- The state or quality or being curious; nicety; accuracy; exactness; elaboration. [OE. curiouste, curiosite, OF. curioseté, curiosité, F. curiosit, fr. L. curiositas, fr. curiosus. See Currious, and cf. Curio.]
- replete a.
- Filled again; completely filled; full; charged; abounding. [L. repletus, p. p. of replere to fill again, fill up; pref. re- re- + plere to fill, akin to plenus full: cf. F. replet corpulent. See Plenty, Replenish.]
- memphian a.
- Of or pertaining to the ancient city of Memphis in Egypt; hence, Egyptian; as, Memphian darkness.
- tripod n.
- Any utensil or vessel, as a stool, table, altar, caldron, etc., supported on three feet. [L. tripus, -odis, Gr. Tri-) + Foot, and cf. Tripos, Trivet.]
- carcass n.
- A dead body, whether of man or beast; a corpse; now commonly the dead body of a beast. [F. carcasse, fr. It. carcassa, fr. L. caro flesh + capsa chest, box, case. Cf. Carnal, Case a sheath.]
- dire a.
- Ill-boding; portentous; as, dire omens. [L. dirus; of uncertain origin.]
- sprite n.
- A spirit; a soul; a shade; also, an apparition. See Spright. [OE. sprit, F. esprit, fr. L. spiritus. See Spirit, and cf. Sprightly.]
- ycleped p. p.
- Called; named; -- obsolete, except in archaic or humorous writings. [Spelt also yclept.] [AS. geclipod, p. p. of clipian, cleopian, cliopian, to call. See Clepe, and also the Note under Y-.]
- went n.
- Course; way; path; journey; direction.
- clad v.
- To clothe. Holland.
- cowled a.
- Wearing a cowl; hooded; as, a cowled monk.
- courtly a.
- Relating or belonging to a court. [From Court.]
- scribbling n.
- The act or process of carding coarsely. Scribbing machine, the machine used for the first carding of wool or other fiber; -- called also scribbler. [See 1st Scribble.]
- homely a.
- Belonging to, or having the characteristics of, home; domestic; familiar; intimate. [From Home, n.]
- dreadful a.
- Full of dread or terror; fearful.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
In Imitation Op Spenser's Style and Stanza is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poetical Works of Mark Akenside, Project Gutenberg ebook #9814; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Mark Akenside, In Imitation Op Spenser's Style and Stanza, in The Poetical Works of Mark Akenside (1744), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #9814, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/akenside-poems/in-imitation-op-spenser-s-style-and-stanza.html, id L09548.
Form and metre
In Imitation Op Spenser's Style and Stanza is 92 lines in 11 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 88%). 95% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.1 syllables. 4 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending.
See other poems in iambic pentameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 2 -A-AABABB stream · wightA · fame · hightA · delightA · easeB · nightA · degreesB · seasB
- 3 ABABBCBCC anatomiseA · landB · fliesA · handB · distain'dB · catC · drain'dB · fatC · gnatC
- 4 ABABBCBC- timesA · guiseB · crimesA · raritiesB · sizeB · knownC · disguiseB · shownC · gown
- 5 ---AAB-BB was · coin · face · constantineA · ypineA · doB · eyne · viewB · throughB
- 6 ABABBCBCC fairA · fraughtB · rareA · broughtB · boughtB · poredC · thoughtB · storedC · lordC
- 7 -A-AA--BB scrutoire · repleteA · drawer · meetA · feetA · head · great · maidB · shadeB
- 8 ABABBCBC- standA · raritiesB · landA · sizeB · liesB · shineC · fliesB · lineC · antonine
- 9 A-ABBCBCC earA · phantasy · nearA · eyeB · dyeB · hueC · skyB · dewC · viewC
- 10 ABABB-B-- stayA · boreB · hayA · oreB · boarB · unfed · loreB · clad · array'd
- 11 ABA-B-BCC fillA · attendB · millA · find · defendB · spies · friendB · toysC · joysC
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| 'Videmus | 3 | ··· |
| Nugari solitos.'--PERSIUS. | 8 | ········ |
| Whilom by silver Thames's gentle stream, | 10 | /˘·/˘/˘/˘· |
| In London town there dwelt a subtile wight; | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| A wight of mickle wealth, and mickle fame, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Book-learn'd and quaint; a Virtuoso hight. | 10 | ·····˘˘/˘· |
| Uncommon things, and rare, were his delight; | 10 | ˘/˘·····˘/ |
| From musings deep his brain ne'er gotten ease, | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| Nor ceasen he from study, day or night; | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Until (advancing onward by degrees) | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘·˘/ |
| He knew whatever breeds on earth, or air, or seas. | 12 | ···/˘······· |
| He many a creature did anatomise, | 10 | ·/·/˘····· |
| Almost unpeopling water, air, and land; | 10 | /····/˘··· |
| Beasts, fishes, birds, snails, caterpillars, flies, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘·˘· |
| Were laid full low by his relentless hand, | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| That oft with gory crimson was distain'd: | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| He many a dog destroy'd, and many a cat; | 10 | ·/··˘/·/·· |
| Of fleas his bed, of frogs the marshes drain'd, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Could tellen if a mite were lean or fat, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| And read a lecture o'er the entrails of a gnat. | 12 | ···/˘··/˘··· |
| He knew the various modes of ancient times, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Their arts and fashions of each different guise, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Their weddings, funerals, punishments for crimes, | 10 | ·/˘/˘/˘˘·· |
| Their strength, their learning eke, and rarities; | 10 | ···/˘··/˘˘ |
| Of old habiliments, each sort and size, | 10 | ·········· |
| Male, female, high and low, to him were known; | 10 | ·/········ |
| Each gladiator-dress, and stage disguise; | 10 | ·/˘·˘···˘/ |
| With learned, clerkly phrase he could have shown | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| How the Greek tunic differ'd from the Roman gown. | 12 | ···/˘/˘··/˘· |
| A curious medalist, I wot, he was, | 10 | ·/˘/˘˘···· |
| And boasted many a course of ancient coin; | 10 | ·/˘/···/˘· |
| Well as his wife's he knewen every face, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| From Julius Caesar down to Constantine: | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| For some rare sculptor he would oft ypine | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| (As green-sick damosels for husbands do); | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| And when obtained, with enraptured eyne, | 10 | ··˘/˘·˘/˘· |
| He'd run it o'er and o'er with greedy view, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| And look, and look again, as he would look it through. | 12 | ····˘/······ |
| His rich museum, of dimensions fair, | 10 | ··˘/˘·˘/˘· |
| With goods that spoke the owner's mind was fraught: | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Things ancient, curious, value-worth, and rare, | 10 | ·/˘/˘/˘··· |
| From sea and land, from Greece and Rome were brought, | 10 | ·········· |
| Which he with mighty sums of gold had bought: | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| On these all tides with joyous eyes he pored; | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| And, sooth to say, himself he greater thought, | 10 | ····˘/·/˘· |
| When he beheld his cabinets thus stored, | 10 | ··˘/·/˘˘·· |
| Than if he'd been of Albion's wealthy cities lord. | 12 | ·····/˘/˘/˘· |
| Here in a corner stood a rich scrutoire, | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| With many a curiosity replete; | 10 | ·/··˘/˘˘˘/ |
| In seemly order furnish'd every drawer, | 10 | ·/˘/˘/˘/˘· |
| Products of art or nature as was meet; | 10 | /˘···/˘··· |
| Air-pumps and prisms were placed beneath his feet, | 11 | ···/˘······ |
| A Memphian mummy-king hung o'er his head; | 11 | ·/˘˘/˘····· |
| Here phials with live insects small and great, | 9 | ····/···· |
| There stood a tripod of the Pythian maid; | 11 | ···/···/˘˘· |
| Above, a crocodile diffused a grateful shade. | 12 | ···/˘·˘/·/˘· |
| Fast by the window did a table stand, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Where modern and antique rarities, | 9 | ·/˘·˘//˘˘ |
| From Egypt, Greece, and Rome, from sea and land, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Were thick-besprent, of every sort and size: | 10 | ··˘/·/˘··· |
| Here a Bahaman-spider's carcass lies, | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| There a dire serpent's golden skin doth shine; | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| Here Indian feathers, fruits, and glittering flies; | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| There gums and amber found beneath the line, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| The beak of Ibis here, and there an Antonine. | 12 | ···/˘······· |
| Close at his back, or whispering in his ear, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| There stood a sprite ycleped Phantasy; | 10 | ····˘/˘/˘˘ |
| Which, wheresoe'er he went, was always near: | 10 | ·······/·· |
| Her look was wild, and roving was her eye; | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Her hair was clad with flowers of every dye; | 10 | ·····/·/˘· |
| Her glistering robes were of more various hue | 11 | ········/˘· |
| Than the fair bow that paints the cloudy sky, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Or all the spangled drops of morning dew; | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Their colour changing still at every different view. | 12 | ·/˘/˘··/˘/˘· |
| Yet in this shape all tides she did not stay, | 10 | ·········· |
| Various as the chameleon that she bore; | 10 | /˘··˘/˘··· |
| Now a grand monarch with a crown of hay, | 10 | ···/······ |
| Now mendicant in silks and golden ore: | 10 | ·/˘˘···/˘· |
| A statesman, now equipp'd to chase the boar, | 10 | ·/˘·˘/···· |
| Or cowled monk, lean, feeble, and unfed; | 10 | ··˘··/˘··˘ |
| A clown-like lord, or swain of courtly lore; | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Now scribbling dunce, in sacred laurel clad, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘/˘· |
| Or papal father now, in homely weeds array'd. | 12 | ·/˘/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| The wight whose brain this phantom's power doth fill, | 10 | ·····/˘/·· |
| On whom she doth with constant care attend, | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| Will for a dreadful giant take a mill, | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| Or a grand palace in a hog-sty find: | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| (From her dire influence me may heaven defend!) | 10 | ···/˘··/˘/ |
| All things with vitiated sight he spies; | 9 | ········· |
| Neglects his family, forgets his friend, | 10 | ˘/·/˘˘˘/·· |
| Seeks painted trifles and fantastic toys, | 10 | ·/˘/˘·˘/˘· |
| And eagerly pursues imaginary joys. | 11 | ·/˘˘/˘/˘·˘· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.