Columbus in Chains
During his third voyage, while in San Domingo, suchunjust representations were made of his conduct to theCourt of Spain, that a new admiral, Bovadilla, wasappointed to supersede him, who sent Columbus home inirons.--Freneau's note.
Are these the honours they reserve for me,Chains for the man that gave new worlds to Spain!Rest here, my swelling heart!--O kings, O queens,Patrons of monsters, and their progeny,Authors of wrong, and slaves to fortune merely!Why was I seated by my prince's side,Honour'd, caress'd like some first peer of Spain?Was it that I might fall most suddenlyFrom honour's summit to the sink of scandal!'Tis done, 'tis done!--what madness is ambition!What is there in that little breath of men,Which they call Fame, that should induce the braveTo forfeit ease and that domestic blissWhich is the lot of happy ignorance,Less glorious aims, and dull humility?--Whoe'er thou art that shalt aspire to honour,And on the strength and vigour of the mindVainly depending, court a monarch's favour,Pointing the way to vast extended empire;First count your pay to be ingratitude,Then chains and prisons, and disgrace like mine!Each wretched pilot now shall spread his sails,And treading in my footsteps, hail new worlds,Which, but for me, had still been empty visions.
Words in this poem
- supersede v. t.
- To come, or be placed, in the room of; to replace. [L. supersedere, supersessum, to sit above, be superior to, forbear, omit; super above + sedere to sit: cf. F. superséder. See Sit, and cf. Surcease.]
- scandal n.
- Offense caused or experienced; reproach or reprobation called forth by what is regarded as wrong, criminal, heinous, or flagrant: opprobrium or disgrace. [F. scandale, fr. L. scandalum, Gr. scandle, OF. escandle. See Slander.]
- induce v. t.
- To lead in; to introduce. [L. inducere, inductum; pref. in- in + ducere to lead. See Duke, and cf. Induct.]
- 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.]
- shalt
- 2d per. sing. of Shall.
- aspire v. t.
- To aspire to; to long for; to try to reach; to mount to.
- honour n.
- Esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation; respect; consideration; reverence; veneration; manifestation of respect or reverence. [OE. honor, honour, onour, onur, OF. honor, onor, honur, onur, honour, onour, F. honneur, fr. L. honor, honos.]
- vigour v. t.
- To invigorate. Feltham.
- favour n.
- Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will. [Written also favour.]
- ingratitude n.
- Want of gratitude; insensibility to, forgetfulness of, or ill return for, kindness or favors received; unthankfulness; ungratefulness. [F. ingratitude, L. ingratitudo. See Ingrate.]
- 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,]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Columbus in Chains is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poems of Philip Freneau, Poet of the American Revolution. Volume 1 (of 3), Project Gutenberg ebook #38475; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Philip Freneau, Columbus in Chains, in Poems (1786–1815), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #38475, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/freneau-poems/columbus-in-chains.html, id L12724.
Form and metre
Columbus in Chains is 29 lines in 2 verse paragraphs. It is unrhymed, as far as the pronouncing dictionary can tell. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 84%). 90% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.6 syllables. 12 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 28% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in iambic pentameter, other poems in blank verse.
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----A--AA------------- me · spainA · queens · progeny · merely · side · spainA · suddenly · scandal · ambitionA · menA · brave · bliss · ignorance · humility · honour · mind · favour · empire · ingratitude · mine · sails · worlds · visions
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 |
|---|---|---|
| During his third voyage, while in San Domingo, such | 13 | /˘··/˘···˘/˘· |
| unjust representations were made of his conduct to the | 14 | ˘/·˘/˘····/˘·· |
| Court of Spain, that a new admiral, Bovadilla, was | 13 | ······/˘····· |
| appointed to supersede him, who sent Columbus home in | 15 | ˘/˘··˘/···˘/˘·· |
| irons.--Freneau's note. | 5 | /˘··· |
| Are these the honours they reserve for me, | 10 | ···/˘·˘/·· |
| Chains for the man that gave new worlds to Spain! | 10 | ·········· |
| Rest here, my swelling heart!--O kings, O queens, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| Patrons of monsters, and their progeny, | 10 | /˘·/˘··/˘˘ |
| Authors of wrong, and slaves to fortune merely! | 11 | /˘·····/˘/˘ |
| Why was I seated by my prince's side, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Honour'd, caress'd like some first peer of Spain? | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Was it that I might fall most suddenly | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| From honour's summit to the sink of scandal! | 11 | ·/˘/˘····/˘ |
| 'Tis done, 'tis done!--what madness is ambition! | 11 | ·····/˘·˘/˘ |
| What is there in that little breath of men, | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Which they call Fame, that should induce the brave | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| To forfeit ease and that domestic bliss | 10 | ·/˘···˘/˘· |
| Which is the lot of happy ignorance, | 10 | ·····/˘/˘˘ |
| Less glorious aims, and dull humility?-- | 11 | ·/˘˘···˘/˘˘ |
| Whoe'er thou art that shalt aspire to honour, | 10 | ·····˘/·/˘ |
| And on the strength and vigour of the mind | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Vainly depending, court a monarch's favour, | 11 | /˘˘/˘··/·/˘ |
| Pointing the way to vast extended empire; | 11 | /˘····˘/˘/˘ |
| First count your pay to be ingratitude, | 10 | ······˘/˘˘ |
| Then chains and prisons, and disgrace like mine! | 10 | ···/˘·˘/·· |
| Each wretched pilot now shall spread his sails, | 10 | ·/˘/˘····· |
| And treading in my footsteps, hail new worlds, | 10 | ·/˘··/···· |
| Which, but for me, had still been empty visions. | 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.