To the Queen
As those who pass the Alps do say,The Rocks which first oppose their way,And so amazing-High do show,By fresh Ascents appear but low,And when they come unto the last,They scorn the dwarfish Hills th'ave past.
So though my Muse at her first flight,Thought she had chose the greatest height,And (imp'd with Alexander's Name)Believ'd there was no further Fame:Behold an Eye wholly DivineVouchsaf'd upon my Verse to Shine!And from that time I'gan to treatWith Pitty him the World call'd Great;To smile at his exalted Fate,Unequal (though Gigantick) State.I saw that Pitch was not sublime,Compar'd with this which now I climb;His Glories sunk, and were unseen,When once appear'd the Heav'n-born Queen:Victories, Laurels, Conquer'd Kings,Took place among inferiour things.
Now surely I shall reach the Clouds,For none besides such Vertue shrouds:Having scal'd this with holy Strains,Nought higher but the Heaven remains!No more I'll Praise on them bestow,Who to ill Deeds their Glories owe;Who build their Babels of Renown,Upon the poor oppressed Crown,Whole Kingdoms do depopulate,To raise a Proud and short-Liv'd State:I prize no more such Frantick Might,Than his that did with Wind-Mills Fight:No, give me Prowess, that with CharmsOf Grace and Goodness, not with Harms,Erects a Throne i'th' inward Parts,And Rules mens Wills, but with their Hearts;Who with Piety and Vertue thusPropitiates God, and Conquers us.O that now like Araunah here,Altars of Praises I could rear,Suiting her worth, which might be seenLike a Queens Present, to a Queen!
'Alone she stands for Vertues Cause,When all decry, upholds her Laws:When to Banish her is the Strife,Keeps her unexil'd in her Life;Guarding her matchless InnocenceFrom Storms of boldest Impudence;In spight of all the Scoffs and Rage,And Persecutions of the Age,Owns Vertues Altar, feeds the Flame,Adores her much-derided Name;While impiously her hands they tie,Loves her in her Captivity;Like Perseus saves her, when she standsExpos'd to the Leviathans.So did bright Lamps once live in Urns,So Camphire in the water burns,So Ætna's Flames do ne'er go out,Though Snows do freeze her head without.'
How dares bold Vice unmasked walk,And like a Giant proudly stalk?When Vertue's so exalted seen,Arm'd and Triumphant in the Queen?How dares its Ulcerous Face appear,When Heavenly Beauty is so near?But so when God was close at hand,And the bright Cloud did threatning stand(In sight of Israel) on the Tent,They on in their Rebellion went.
O that I once so happy were,To find a nearer Shelter there!Till then poor Dove, I wandering flyBetween the Deluge and the Skie:Till then I Mourn, but do not sing,And oft shall plunge my wearied wing:If her bless'd hand vouchsafe the Grace,I'th'Ark with her to give a place,I safe from danger shall be found,When Vice and Folly others drown'd.
Words in this poem
- dwarfish a.
- Like a dwarf; below the common stature or size; very small; petty; as, a dwarfish animal, shrub.
- unseen a.
- Not seen or discovered.
- inferiour a.
- Lower in place, rank, excellence, etc.; less important or valuable; subordinate; underneath; beneath. [L., compar. of inferus that is below, underneath, the lower; akin to E. under: cf. F. inférieur. See Under.]
- 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,]
- depopulate v. t.
- To deprive of inhabitants, whether by death or by expulsion; to reduce greatly the populousness of; to dispeople; to unpeople. [L. depopulatus, p. p. of depopulari to ravage; de- + populari to ravage, fr. populus people: cf. OF. depopuler, F. dépeupler. See People.]
- prowess n.
- Distinguished bravery; valor; especially, military bravery and skill; gallantry; intrepidity; fearlessness. Chaucer. Sir P. Sidney. [OF. proece, proesce, F. prouesse. See Prow, a.]
- decry v. t.
- To cry down; to censure as faulty, mean, or worthless; to clamor against; to blame clamorously; to discredit; to disparage. [F. décrier, OF. descrier; pref. des- (L. dis-) + crier to cry. See Cry, and cf. Descry.]
- strife n.
- The act of striving; earnest endeavor. [OF. estrif. See Strive.]
- spight n.
- A woodpecker. See Speight.
- perseus n.
- A Grecian legendary hero, son of Jupiter and Danaë, who slew the Gorgon Medusa.
- camphire n.
- An old spelling of Camphor.
- went n.
- Course; way; path; journey; direction.
- vouchsafe v. t.
- To condescend to grant; to concede; to bestow. [Vouch + safe, that is, to vouch or answer for safety.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
To the Queen is in the public domain. This text is taken from Poems (1686), Project Gutenberg ebook #41076; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Anne Killigrew, To the Queen, in Poems (1686) (1686), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #41076, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/killigrew-poems/to-the-queen.html, id L09190.
Form and metre
To the Queen is 82 lines in 6 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 88% of the lines: octosyllabic couplets. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 87%). 94% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 8.0 syllables. 4 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 11% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in octosyllabic couplets, other poems in iambic tetrameter.
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 sayA · wayA · showB · lowB · lastC · pastC
- 2 AABBCC-DDDEEFFGG flightA · heightA · nameB · fameB · divineC · shineC · treat · greatD · fateD · stateD · sublimeE · climbE · unseenF · queenF · kingsG · thingsG
- 3 AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJKK cloudsA · shroudsA · strainsB · remainsB · bestowC · oweC · renownD · crownD · depopulateE · stateE · mightF · fightF · charmsG · harmsG · partsH · heartsH · thusI · usI · hereJ · rearJ · seenK · queenK
- 4 AABBCCDDEE---FFFGG causeA · lawsA · strifeB · lifeB · innocenceC · impudenceC · rageD · ageD · flameE · nameE · tie · captivity · stands · leviathansF · urnsF · burnsF · outG · withoutG
- 5 AABBCCDDEE walkA · stalkA · seenB · queenB · appearC · nearC · handD · standD · tentE · wentE
- 6 ----AABBCC were · there · fly · skie · singA · wingA · graceB · placeB · foundC · drown'dC
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 tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| As those who pass the Alps do say, | 8 | ········ |
| The Rocks which first oppose their way, | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| And so amazing-High do show, | 8 | ··˘/˘··· |
| By fresh Ascents appear but low, | 8 | ··˘/˘/·· |
| And when they come unto the last, | 8 | ········ |
| They scorn the dwarfish Hills th'ave past. | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| So though my Muse at her first flight, | 8 | ········ |
| Thought she had chose the greatest height, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And (imp'd with Alexander's Name) | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| Believ'd there was no further Fame: | 8 | ˘/···/˘· |
| Behold an Eye wholly Divine | 8 | ˘/··/˘˘/ |
| Vouchsaf'd upon my Verse to Shine! | 8 | ········ |
| And from that time I'gan to treat | 8 | ········ |
| With Pitty him the World call'd Great; | 8 | ········ |
| To smile at his exalted Fate, | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| Unequal (though Gigantick) State. | 8 | ˘/˘····· |
| I saw that Pitch was not sublime, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Compar'd with this which now I climb; | 8 | ˘/······ |
| His Glories sunk, and were unseen, | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| When once appear'd the Heav'n-born Queen: | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| Victories, Laurels, Conquer'd Kings, | 8 | /˘˘/˘/˘· |
| Took place among inferiour things. | 9 | ····˘/˘˘· |
| Now surely I shall reach the Clouds, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| For none besides such Vertue shrouds: | 7 | ··˘/··· |
| Having scal'd this with holy Strains, | 8 | /˘···/˘· |
| Nought higher but the Heaven remains! | 9 | ·/˘··/˘˘/ |
| No more I'll Praise on them bestow, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Who to ill Deeds their Glories owe; | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Who build their Babels of Renown, | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| Upon the poor oppressed Crown, | 7 | ····˘/· |
| Whole Kingdoms do depopulate, | 8 | ·/˘·˘/˘· |
| To raise a Proud and short-Liv'd State: | 8 | ········ |
| I prize no more such Frantick Might, | 8 | ········ |
| Than his that did with Wind-Mills Fight: | 8 | ········ |
| No, give me Prowess, that with Charms | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Of Grace and Goodness, not with Harms, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Erects a Throne i'th' inward Parts, | 8 | ˘/···/˘· |
| And Rules mens Wills, but with their Hearts; | 8 | ········ |
| Who with Piety and Vertue thus | 8 | ··/˘˘··· |
| Propitiates God, and Conquers us. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| O that now like Araunah here, | 8 | ········ |
| Altars of Praises I could rear, | 8 | /˘·/˘··· |
| Suiting her worth, which might be seen | 8 | /˘······ |
| Like a Queens Present, to a Queen! | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| 'Alone she stands for Vertues Cause, | 7 | ˘/····· |
| When all decry, upholds her Laws: | 8 | ··˘/˘/·· |
| When to Banish her is the Strife, | 8 | ··/˘···· |
| Keeps her unexil'd in her Life; | 8 | ········ |
| Guarding her matchless Innocence | 8 | /˘·/˘/˘˘ |
| From Storms of boldest Impudence; | 8 | ···/˘/˘˘ |
| In spight of all the Scoffs and Rage, | 8 | ········ |
| And Persecutions of the Age, | 8 | ··˘/˘··· |
| Owns Vertues Altar, feeds the Flame, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Adores her much-derided Name; | 8 | ˘/··˘/˘· |
| While impiously her hands they tie, | 8 | ········ |
| Loves her in her Captivity; | 8 | ····˘/˘˘ |
| Like Perseus saves her, when she stands | 9 | ·/˘˘····· |
| Expos'd to the Leviathans. | 8 | ˘/··˘/˘˘ |
| So did bright Lamps once live in Urns, | 8 | ········ |
| So Camphire in the water burns, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| So Ætna's Flames do ne'er go out, | 7 | ······· |
| Though Snows do freeze her head without.' | 8 | ········ |
| How dares bold Vice unmasked walk, | 7 | ····˘/· |
| And like a Giant proudly stalk? | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| When Vertue's so exalted seen, | 7 | ···˘/˘· |
| Arm'd and Triumphant in the Queen? | 8 | ··˘/˘··· |
| How dares its Ulcerous Face appear, | 9 | ···/˘˘·˘/ |
| When Heavenly Beauty is so near? | 9 | ·/˘˘/˘··· |
| But so when God was close at hand, | 8 | ········ |
| And the bright Cloud did threatning stand | 8 | ········ |
| (In sight of Israel) on the Tent, | 9 | ···/˘˘··· |
| They on in their Rebellion went. | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| O that I once so happy were, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| To find a nearer Shelter there! | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| Till then poor Dove, I wandering fly | 9 | ·····/˘˘· |
| Between the Deluge and the Skie: | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Till then I Mourn, but do not sing, | 8 | ········ |
| And oft shall plunge my wearied wing: | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| If her bless'd hand vouchsafe the Grace, | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| I'th'Ark with her to give a place, | 8 | ········ |
| I safe from danger shall be found, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| When Vice and Folly others drown'd. | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
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