Laurel · Thomas Campbell · The Pleasures of Hope, and Other Poems

Lines on the Camp Hill, Near Hastings

Thomas Campbell (1777–1844) · 1824

iambic pentameter · ABAB · 28 lines · from The Pleasures of Hope, and Other Poems

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In the deep blue of eve,Ere the twinkling of stars had begun,Or the lark took his leaveOf the skies and the sweet setting sun,

I climbed to yon heights,Where the Norman encamped him of old,With his bowmen and knights,And his banner all burnished with gold.

At the Conqueror’s sideThere his minstrelsy sat harp in hand,In pavilion wide;And they chaunted the deeds of Roland.

Still the ramparted groundWith a vision my fancy inspires,And I hear the trump sound,As it marshalled our Chivalry’s sires.

On each turf of that meadStood the captors of England’s domains,That ennobled her breedAnd high-mettled the blood of her veins.

Over hauberk and helmAs the sun’s setting splendour was thrown,Thence they looked o’er a realm—And to-morrow beheld it their own.

What is called the East Hill at Hastings is crowned with the worksof an ancient camp; and it is more than probable it was the spot whichWilliam I. occupied between his landing, and the battle which gave himEngland’s crown. It is a strong position: the works are easily traced.

Words in this poem

twinkling n.
The act of one who, or of that which, twinkles; a quick movement of the eye; a wink; a twinkle. Holland.
minstrelsy n.
The arts and occupation of minstrels; the singing and playing of a minstrel.
pavilion n.
A temporary movable habitation; a large tent; a marquee; esp., a tent raised on posts. [F. pavillon, fr. L. pavilio a butterfly, also, a tent, because spread out like a butterfly's wings.]
splendour n.
Great brightness; brilliant luster; brilliancy; as, the splendor ot the sun. B. Jonson. [L. fr. splendere to shine: cf. F. splendeur.]
hastings n.
Early fruit or vegetables; especially, early pease. Mortimer. [From Haste, v.]
probable a.
Capable of being proved. [L. probabilis, fr. probare to try, approve, prove: cf. F. probable. See Prove, and cf. Provable.]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

Lines on the Camp Hill, Near Hastings is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poetical Works of Thomas Campbell, Project Gutenberg ebook #59788; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: Thomas Campbell, Lines on the Camp Hill, Near Hastings, in The Pleasures of Hope, and Other Poems (1824), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #59788, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/campbell-poems/lines-on-the-camp-hill-near-hastings.html, id L24461.

Form and metre

Lines on the Camp Hill, Near Hastings is 28 lines in 7 stanzas of 4 lines each. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, complete in 6 of its 7 stanzas. This poem did not settle on a metre of its own; the book it comes from is in iambic pentameter.

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.

  1. 1 ABAB eveA · begunB · leaveA · sunB
  2. 2 ABAB heightsA · oldB · knightsA · goldB
  3. 3 ABAB sideA · handB · wideA · rolandB
  4. 4 ABAB groundA · inspiresB · soundA · siresB
  5. 5 ABAB meadA · domainsB · breedA · veinsB
  6. 6 ABAB helmA · thrownB · realmA · ownB
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.

LineSyl.Stress
In the deep blue of eve,6······
Ere the twinkling of stars had begun,10··/˘˘···/˘
Or the lark took his leave6······
Of the skies and the sweet setting sun,9······/˘·
I climbed to yon heights,5·····
Where the Norman encamped him of old,9··/˘˘/···
With his bowmen and knights,6··/˘··
And his banner all burnished with gold.9··/˘·/˘··
At the Conqueror’s side6··/˘˘·
There his minstrelsy sat harp in hand,9··/˘˘····
In pavilion wide;5·˘/˘·
And they chaunted the deeds of Roland.9·······/˘
Still the ramparted ground6······
With a vision my fancy inspires,9··/˘·/˘˘/
And I hear the trump sound,6······
As it marshalled our Chivalry’s sires.10··/˘/˘/˘˘·
On each turf of that mead6······
Stood the captors of England’s domains,9··/˘·/˘˘/
That ennobled her breed6·˘/˘··
And high-mettled the blood of her veins.9··/˘·····
Over hauberk and helm6··/˘··
As the sun’s setting splendour was thrown,9···/˘/˘··
Thence they looked o’er a realm—6······
And to-morrow beheld it their own.9··/˘˘/···
What is called the East Hill at Hastings is crowned with the works14·······/˘·····
of an ancient camp; and it is more than probable it was the spot which17··/˘······/˘·····
William I. occupied between his landing, and the battle which gave him18/˘·/˘····/˘··/˘···
England’s crown. It is a strong position: the works are easily traced.16/˘·····˘/˘···/˘·

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