Upon the King's Coronation
Sound forth, coelestiall organs, let heauen's quireRavish the dancing orbes, make them mount higherWith nimble capers, & force Atlas treadVpon his tiptoes, e're his siluer headShall kisse his golden curthen. Thou glad Isle,That swim'st as deepe in joy, as seas, now smile;Lett not thy weighty glories, this full tideOf blisse, debase thee; but with a just prideSwell: swell to such an height, that thou maist vyeWith heauen itselfe for stately majesty.Doe not deceiue mee, eyes: doe I not seeIn this blest earth heauen's bright epitome,Circled with pure refined glory? heereI view a rising sunne in this our sphere,Whose blazing beames, maugre the blackest night,And mists of greife, dare force a joyfull light.The gold, in wch he flames, does well praesageA precious season, & a golden age.Doe I not see joy keepe his revels now,And sitt triumphing in each cheerfull brow?Vnmixt felicity with siluer wingsBroodeth this sacred place: hither Peace bringsThe choicest of her oliue-crownes, & praiesTo haue them guilded with his courteous raies.Doe I not see a Cynthia, who mayAbash the purest beauties of the day?To whom heauen's lampes often in silent nightSteale from their stations to repaire their light.Doe I not see a constellation,Each little beame of wch would make a sunne?I meane those three great starres, who well may scornAcquaintance with the vsher of the morne.To gaze vpon such starres each humble eyeWould be ambitious of astronomieWho would not be a phoenix, & aspireTo sacrifice himselfe in such sweet fire?Shine forth, ye flaming sparkes of Deity,Yee perfect emblemes of divinity.Fixt in your spheres of glory, shed from thence,The treasures of our liues, your influence,For if you sett, who may not justly feare,The world will be one ocean, one great teare.
Strange metamorphosis! It was but nowThe sullen heauen had vail'd its mournfull browWith a black maske: the clouds with child by GreifeTraueld th' Olympian plaines to find releife.But at the last (having not soe much powerAs to refraine) brought forth a costly showerOf pearly drops, & sent her numerous birth(As tokens of her greife) vnto the Earth.Alas, the Earth, quick drunke with teares, had reel'dFrom of her center, had not Ioue vpheldThe staggering lumpe: each eye spent all its store,As if heereafter they would weepe noe more:Streight from this sea of teares there does appeareFull glory naming in her owne free sphere.Amazed Sol throwes of his mournfull weeds,Speedily harnessing his fiery steeds,Vp to Olympus' stately topp he hies,From whence his glorious rivall hee espies.Then wondring starts, & had the curteous nightWithheld her vaile, h' had forfeited his sight.The joy full sphaeres with a delicious soundAfright th' amazed aire, and dance a roundTo their owne musick, nor (untill they seeThis glorious Phoebus sett) will quiet bee.Each aery Siren now hath gott her song,To whom the merry lambes doe tripp alongThe laughing meades, as joy full to beholdTheir winter coates couer'd with naming gold.Such was the brightnesse of this Northerne starre,It made the virgin phoenix come from farreTo be repair'd: hither she did resort,Thinking her father had remou'd his Court.The lustre of his face did shine soe bright,That Rome's bold egles now were blinded quite;The radiant darts shott from his sparkling eyes,Made euery mortall gladly sacrificeA heart burning in loue; all did adoreThis rising sunne; their faces nothing wore,But smiles, and ruddy joyes, and at this dayAll melancholy clouds vanisht away.
Words in this poem 27
- quire v. i.
- To sing in concert.
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- isle v. t.
- To cause to become an island, or like an island; to surround or encompass; to island.
- lett v. t.
- To retard; to hinder; to impede; to oppose. [OE.letten, AS. lettan to delay, to hinder, fr. læt slow; akin to D. letten to hinder, G. verletzen to hurt, Icel. letja to hold back, Goth. latjan. See Late.]
- circled a.
- Having the form of a circle; round.
- maugre v. t.
- To defy. J. Webster.
- joyfull a.
- Full of joy; having or causing joy; very glad; as, a joyful heart.
- sitt
- obs. 3d pers. sing. pres. of Sit, for sitteth.
- triumphing a.
- Having or celebrating a triumph; victorious; triumphant.
- cheerfull a.
- Having or showing good spirits or joy; cheering; cheery; contented; happy; joyful; lively; animated; willing.
- abash v.
- To destroy the self-possession of; to confuse or confound, as by exciting suddenly a consciousness of guilt, mistake, or inferiority; to put to shame; to disconcert; to discomfit. [OE. abaissen, abaisshen, abashen, OF.esbahir, F. ébahir, to astonish, fr. L. ex + the interjection bah, expressing astonishment. In OE. somewhat confused with a]
- morne a.
- Of or pertaining to the morn; morning.
- aspire v. t.
- To aspire to; to long for; to try to reach; to mount to.
- sullen a.
- Lonely; solitary; desolate. Wyclif (Job iii. 14). [OE. solein, solain, lonely, sullen; through Old French fr. (assumed) LL. solanus solitary, fr. L. solus alone. See Sole, a.]
- mournfull a.
- Full of sorrow; expressing, or intended to express, sorrow; mourning; grieving; sad; also, causing sorrow; saddening; grievous; as, a mournful person; mournful looks, tones, loss.
- glorious a.
- Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory; noble; praiseworthy; excellent; splendid; illustrious; inspiring admiration; as, glorious deeds. [OF. glorios, glorious, F. glorieux, fr. L. gloriosus. See Glory, n.]
- rivall n.
- A person having a common right or privilege with another; a partner. [F. rival (cf. It. rivale), L. rivales two neigbors having the same brook in common, rivals, fr. rivalis belonging to a brook, fr. rivus a brook. Cf. Rivulet, Re]
- untill prep.
- To; unto; towards; -- used of material objects. [OE. until, ontil; un- (as in unto) + til till; cf. Dan. indtil, Sw. intill. See Unto, and Till, prep.]
- phoebus n.
- Apollo; the sun god.
- tripp n.
- To move with light, quick steps; to walk or move lightly; to skip; to move the feet nimbly; -- sometimes followed by it. See It, 5. [OE. trippen; akin to D. trippen, Dan. trippe, and E. tramp. See Tramp.]
- starre n.
- One of the innumerable luminous bodies seen in the heavens; any heavenly body other than the sun, moon, comets, and nebulæ. [OE. sterre, AS. steorra; akin to OFries. stera, OS. sterro, D. ster, OHG. sterno, sterro, G. stern, Icel. stjarna, Sw. stjerna, Dan. stierne, Goth. staírno, Arm]
- farre n.
- A young pig, or a litter of pigs. [See Farrow.]
- lustre n.
- A period of five years; a lustrum. [L. lustrum: cf. F. lustre.]
- shott a.
- Woven in such a way as to produce an effect of variegation, of changeable tints, or of being figured; as, shot silks. See Shoot, v.
- mortall a.
- Subject to death; destined to die; as, man is mortal. [F. mortel, L. mortalis, from mors, mortis, death, fr. moriri 8die; akin to E. murder. See Murder, and cf. Filemot, Mere a lake, Mortgage.]
- gladly adv.
- Preferably; by choice. [From Glad, a.]
- adore v. t.
- To worship with profound reverence; to pay divine honors to; to honor as deity or as divine. [OE. aouren, anouren, adoren, OF. aorer, adorer, F. adorer, fr. L. adorare; ad + orare to speak, pray, os, oris, mouth. In OE. confused with honor, the French pr]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Upon the King's Coronation is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, Volume I, Project Gutenberg ebook #38549; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Richard Crashaw, Upon the King's Coronation, in Steps to the Temple and Other Poems (1646–1652), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #38549, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/crashaw-poems/upon-the-king-s-coronation.html, id L12128.
Form and metre
Upon the King's Coronation is 82 lines in 2 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 80% of the lines: heroic couplets. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 82%). 87% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 9.9 syllables. 12 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 46% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in heroic couplets, 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 --AABBCC----DDEE--FFGGHHIIJJKKLL------MMNN quire · higher · treadA · headA · isleB · smileB · tideC · prideC · vye · majesty · see · epitome · heereD · sphereD · nightE · lightE · praesage · age · nowF · browF · wingsG · bringsG · praiesH · raiesH · mayI · dayI · nightJ · lightJ · constellationK · sunneK · scornL · morneL · eye · astronomie · aspire · fire · deity · divinity · thenceM · influenceM · feareN · teareN
- 2 AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJKKLLMMNNOOPPQQ--RRSS nowA · browA · greifeB · releifeB · powerC · showerC · birthD · earthD · reel'dE · vpheldE · storeF · moreF · appeareG · sphereG · weedsH · steedsH · hiesI · espiesI · nightJ · sightJ · soundK · roundK · seeL · beeL · songM · alongM · beholdN · goldN · starreO · farreO · resortP · courtP · brightQ · quiteQ · eyes · sacrifice · adoreR · woreR · dayS · awayS
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sound forth, coelestiall organs, let heauen's quire | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Ravish the dancing orbes, make them mount higher | 11 | /˘·/˘····/˘ |
| With nimble capers, & force Atlas tread | 9 | ·/˘/˘·/˘· |
| Vpon his tiptoes, e're his siluer head | 9 | ··/······ |
| Shall kisse his golden curthen. Thou glad Isle, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| That swim'st as deepe in joy, as seas, now smile; | 10 | ·········· |
| Lett not thy weighty glories, this full tide | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| Of blisse, debase thee; but with a just pride | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Swell: swell to such an height, that thou maist vye | 10 | ·········· |
| With heauen itselfe for stately majesty. | 10 | ·····/˘/˘˘ |
| Doe not deceiue mee, eyes: doe I not see | 9 | ········· |
| In this blest earth heauen's bright epitome, | 10 | ······˘/˘˘ |
| Circled with pure refined glory? heere | 10 | /˘˘··˘//˘· |
| I view a rising sunne in this our sphere, | 10 | ···/˘···/· |
| Whose blazing beames, maugre the blackest night, | 10 | ·/˘·/˘·/˘· |
| And mists of greife, dare force a joyfull light. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| The gold, in wch he flames, does well praesage | 10 | ·········· |
| A precious season, & a golden age. | 9 | ·/˘/˘·/˘· |
| Doe I not see joy keepe his revels now, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| And sitt triumphing in each cheerfull brow? | 10 | ··/˘˘··/˘· |
| Vnmixt felicity with siluer wings | 9 | ·˘/˘˘···· |
| Broodeth this sacred place: hither Peace brings | 10 | /˘·/˘·/˘·· |
| The choicest of her oliue-crownes, & praies | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| To haue them guilded with his courteous raies. | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Doe I not see a Cynthia, who may | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| Abash the purest beauties of the day? | 10 | ˘/·/˘/˘··· |
| To whom heauen's lampes often in silent night | 10 | ····/˘·/˘· |
| Steale from their stations to repaire their light. | 11 | ····/˘····· |
| Doe I not see a constellation, | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| Each little beame of wch would make a sunne? | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| I meane those three great starres, who well may scorn | 10 | ·········· |
| Acquaintance with the vsher of the morne. | 10 | ˘/˘·····/˘ |
| To gaze vpon such starres each humble eye | 9 | ······/˘· |
| Would be ambitious of astronomie | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| Who would not be a phoenix, & aspire | 9 | ·····/˘˘/ |
| To sacrifice himselfe in such sweet fire? | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| Shine forth, ye flaming sparkes of Deity, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘˘ |
| Yee perfect emblemes of divinity. | 10 | ·/·/˘·˘/˘˘ |
| Fixt in your spheres of glory, shed from thence, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| The treasures of our liues, your influence, | 11 | ·/˘·/˘··/˘˘ |
| For if you sett, who may not justly feare, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| The world will be one ocean, one great teare. | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Strange metamorphosis! It was but now | 10 | ··˘/˘˘···· |
| The sullen heauen had vail'd its mournfull brow | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| With a black maske: the clouds with child by Greife | 10 | ·········· |
| Traueld th' Olympian plaines to find releife. | 10 | ·˘/˘˘····· |
| But at the last (having not soe much power | 11 | ····/˘···/˘ |
| As to refraine) brought forth a costly shower | 11 | ·······/˘/˘ |
| Of pearly drops, & sent her numerous birth | 10 | ·/˘···/˘˘· |
| (As tokens of her greife) vnto the Earth. | 9 | ·/˘······ |
| Alas, the Earth, quick drunke with teares, had reel'd | 10 | ˘/········ |
| From of her center, had not Ioue vpheld | 9 | ···/˘···· |
| The staggering lumpe: each eye spent all its store, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| As if heereafter they would weepe noe more: | 10 | ·········· |
| Streight from this sea of teares there does appeare | 10 | ·········· |
| Full glory naming in her owne free sphere. | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| Amazed Sol throwes of his mournfull weeds, | 10 | ˘/˘····/˘· |
| Speedily harnessing his fiery steeds, | 10 | /˘/˘˘·/˘˘· |
| Vp to Olympus' stately topp he hies, | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘··· |
| From whence his glorious rivall hee espies. | 11 | ···/˘˘/˘·/˘ |
| Then wondring starts, & had the curteous night | 10 | ·/˘˘······ |
| Withheld her vaile, h' had forfeited his sight. | 10 | ˘/····/˘·· |
| The joy full sphaeres with a delicious sound | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| Afright th' amazed aire, and dance a round | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| To their owne musick, nor (untill they see | 10 | ···/˘·˘/·· |
| This glorious Phoebus sett) will quiet bee. | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Each aery Siren now hath gott her song, | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| To whom the merry lambes doe tripp along | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| The laughing meades, as joy full to behold | 10 | ·/˘·····˘/ |
| Their winter coates couer'd with naming gold. | 10 | ·/˘//··/˘· |
| Such was the brightnesse of this Northerne starre, | 10 | ·········· |
| It made the virgin phoenix come from farre | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| To be repair'd: hither she did resort, | 10 | ··˘//˘··˘/ |
| Thinking her father had remou'd his Court. | 10 | /˘·/˘····· |
| The lustre of his face did shine soe bright, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| That Rome's bold egles now were blinded quite; | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| The radiant darts shott from his sparkling eyes, | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| Made euery mortall gladly sacrifice | 10 | ···/˘/˘/˘· |
| A heart burning in loue; all did adore | 10 | ··/˘····˘/ |
| This rising sunne; their faces nothing wore, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘/˘· |
| But smiles, and ruddy joyes, and at this day | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| All melancholy clouds vanisht away. | 10 | ·/˘·˘···˘/ |
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.