To Mæcenas: Book I: , Ode the Seventh
Be far-fam'd RHODES the theme of loftier strains,Or MITYLENE, as their Bard decrees;Or EPHESUS, where great DIANA reigns,Or CORINTH, towering 'twixt the rival seas;Or THEBES, illustrious in thy birth divine,Purpureal BACCHUS;--or of PHŒBUS' shrineDELPHOS oracular; or warbling hailThessalian TEMPE's flower-embroider'd vale.
The Art-crown'd City, chaste MINERVA's pride,There are, whose endless numbers have pourtray'd;They, to each tree that spreads its branches wide,Prefer the tawny Olive's scanty shade.Many, in JUNO's honor, sing thy meads,Green ARGOS, glorying in thy agile steeds;Or opulent MYCENE, whose proud fanesThe blood of murder'd AGAMEMNON stains.
Nor patient LACEDÆMON wakes my lyre,Who trains her Sons to all the Warrior's toil;Nor me LARISSA's airy graces fire,Tho' round her hills the golden vallies smile:But my lov'd mansion, 'mid the circling wood,On the green bank of clear Albūnea's flood,Its walls resounding with the echo'd roar,As Anio's torrents down the mountain pour.
Amid my blooming orchards pleas'd I rove,Guiding the ductile course of murmuring rills;Or mark the curtains of the sacred groveSink in the vales, or sweep along the hills.Ah Friend! if round my cell such graces shine,The PALACE of Tiburnian Shades is thine;She every feature of the Scene commands,And Empress of its varied beauty stands.
Tho' frequent mists the young Favonius shroud,Bending his flagging wing with heavy rains,Yet oft he chases every showery cloud,Winnowing, with pinion light, th' aerial plains;Ah! thus from thee let each dark vapor roll,That rash Ambition gathers on the soul;The jocund Pleasures in her absence rise,Glow in the breast, and sparkle in the eyes.
And thou, MUNATIUS, whether Fate ordainThe Camp thy home, with glancing javelins bright;Or if the graces of that fair domain,Umbrageous Tivoli, thy steps invite;If trumpets sound the clang that Warriors love,Or round thee trill the choirings of the grove,In flowing bowls drown every vain regret,Enjoy the PRESENT, and the PAST forget!
The walls of SALAMIS when TEUCER fled,Driven by a Parent's unrelenting frown,Hope from his spirit chas'd each anxious dread,While on his brow he bound the poplar crown;In rich libation pour'd the generous wine,Then bath'd his temples in the juice divine;And thus, with gladden'd eye, and air sedate,Address'd the drooping Followers of his fate.
“Wherever Destiny, a kinder friendThan he who gave me birth, may point the way,Thither resolv'd our duteous steps shall bend,Nor know presaging fear, nor weak delay.Doubt flies when Teucer leads, and cold despair,In Teucer's auspices, shall melt to air;Phœbus ordains that, in more favoring skies,Another prosp'rous SALAMIS shall rise.
“So much alike her fountains, fanes, and bowers,That e'en her name shall dubious meaning bear;--Then, my lov'd Friends, who oft, in darker hours,Have shar'd with me a conflict more severe,O! let us lose in wine our sorrow's weight,And rise the masters of our future fate!This night we revel in convivial ease,To-morrow seek again the vast and pathless seas.”
Words in this poem 25
- diana n.
- The daughter of Jupiter and Latona; a virgin goddess who presided over hunting, chastity, and marriage; -- identified with the Greek goddess Artemis. [L. Diana.]
- towering a.
- Very high; elevated; rising aloft; as, a towering height.
- purpureal a.
- Of a purple color; purple.
- oracular a.
- Of or pertaining to an oracle; uttering oracles; forecasting the future; as, an oracular tongue. [L. oracularius. See Oracle.]
- thessalian a.
- Of or pertaining to Thessaly in Greece. [Cf. L. Thessalius.]
- vale n.
- A tract of low ground, or of land between hills; a valley. [OE. val, F. val, L. vallis; perhaps akin to Gr. Avalanche, Vail to lower, Valley.]
- mansion n.
- A dwelling place, -- whether a part or whole of a house or other shelter. [OF. mansion, F. maison, fr. L. mansio a staying, remaining, a dwelling, habitation, fr. manere, mansum, to stay, dwell; akin to Gr. Manse, Manor, Menagerie, Men]
- amid prep.
- In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. [OE. amidde, amiddes, on midden, AS. on middan, in the middle, fr. midde the middle. The s is an adverbial ending, originally marking the genitive; the t is a la]
- flagging n.
- A pavement or sidewalk of flagstones; flagstones, collectively.
- showery a.
- Raining in showers; abounding with frequent showers of rain.
- winnowing n.
- The act of one who, or that which, winnows.
- pinion n.
- A moth of the genus Lithophane, as L. antennata, whose larva bores large holes in young peaches and apples.
- jocund
- Merry; cheerful; gay; airy; lively; sportive. [L. jocundus, jucundus, orig., helpful, fr. juvare to help. See Aid.]
- glancing a.
- Shooting, as light.
- umbrageous a.
- Forming or affording a shade; shady; shaded; as, umbrageous trees or foliage. [Cf. F. ombraqeux shy, skittish, suspicious, in OF. also, shady. See Umbrage.]
- trumpets n.
- A plant (Sarracenia flava) with long, hollow leaves.
- clang v. t.
- To strike together so as to produce a ringing metallic sound. [L. clangere; akin to Gr. clank.]
- unrelenting a.
- Not relenting; unyielding; rigid; hard; stern; cruel.
- libation n.
- The act of pouring a liquid or liquor, usually wine, either on the ground or on a victim in sacrifice, in honor of some deity; also, the wine or liquid thus poured out. [L. libatio, fr. libare to take a little from anything, to taste, to pour out as an offering: cf. F. libation.]
- generous a.
- Of honorable birth or origin; highborn. [F. généreux, fr. L. generous of noble birth, noble, excellent, magnanimous, fr. genus birth, race: cf. It. generoso. See 2d Gender.]
- wherever adv.
- At or in whatever place; wheresoever.
- duteous a.
- Fulfilling duty; dutiful; having the sentiments due to a superior, or to one to whom respect or service is owed; obedient; as, a duteous son or daughter. [From Duty.]
- 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,]
- dubious a.
- Doubtful or not settled in opinion; being in doubt; wavering or fluctuating; undetermined. [L. dubius, dubiosus, fr. duo two. See Two, and cf. Doubt.]
- pathless a.
- Having no beaten path or way; untrodden; impenetrable; as, pathless woods.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
To Mæcenas: Book I: , Ode the Seventh is in the public domain. This text is taken from Original sonnets on various subjects; and odes paraphrased from Horace, Project Gutenberg ebook #27663; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Anna Seward, To Mæcenas: Book I: , Ode the Seventh, in Original Sonnets on Various Subjects (1799), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #27663, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/seward-sonnets/to-m-cenas-book-i-ode-the-seventh.html, id L09826.
Form and metre
To Mæcenas: Book I: , Ode the Seventh is 72 lines in 9 stanzas of 8 lines each. The rhyme scheme is ABABCCDD, complete in 7 of its 9 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 86%). 92% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.1 syllables. 3 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 8% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
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 ABABCCDD strainsA · decreesB · reignsA · seasB · divineC · shrineC · hailD · valeD
- 2 ABABCCDD prideA · pourtray'dB · wideA · shadeB · meadsC · steedsC · fanesD · stainsD
- 3 A-A-BBCC lyreA · toil · fireA · smile · woodB · floodB · roarC · pourC
- 4 ABABCCDD roveA · rillsB · groveA · hillsB · shineC · thineC · commandsD · standsD
- 5 ABABCCDD shroudA · rainsB · cloudA · plainsB · rollC · soulC · riseD · eyesD
- 6 ABAB--CC ordainA · brightB · domainA · inviteB · love · grove · regretC · forgetC
- 7 ABABCCDD fledA · frownB · dreadA · crownB · wineC · divineC · sedateD · fateD
- 8 ABABCCDD friendA · wayB · bendA · delayB · despairC · airC · skiesD · riseD
- 9 ABABCCDD bowersA · bearB · hoursA · severeB · weightC · fateC · easeD · seasD
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Be far-fam'd RHODES the theme of loftier strains, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Or MITYLENE, as their Bard decrees; | 9 | ·······˘/ |
| Or EPHESUS, where great DIANA reigns, | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| Or CORINTH, towering 'twixt the rival seas; | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Or THEBES, illustrious in thy birth divine, | 10 | ··˘/˘···˘/ |
| Purpureal BACCHUS;--or of PHŒBUS' shrine | 11 | ˘/˘˘/˘····· |
| DELPHOS oracular; or warbling hail | 10 | ··˘/˘˘·/˘· |
| Thessalian TEMPE's flower-embroider'd vale. | 11 | ˘/˘˘/˘/˘/˘· |
| The Art-crown'd City, chaste MINERVA's pride, | 10 | ···/˘·˘/˘· |
| There are, whose endless numbers have pourtray'd; | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| They, to each tree that spreads its branches wide, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Prefer the tawny Olive's scanty shade. | 10 | ˘/·/˘/˘/˘· |
| Many, in JUNO's honor, sing thy meads, | 10 | /˘·/˘/˘··· |
| Green ARGOS, glorying in thy agile steeds; | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Or opulent MYCENE, whose proud fanes | 9 | ·/˘˘····· |
| The blood of murder'd AGAMEMNON stains. | 10 | ···/˘·˘/·· |
| Nor patient LACEDÆMON wakes my lyre, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Who trains her Sons to all the Warrior's toil; | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Nor me LARISSA's airy graces fire, | 11 | ··˘/˘/˘/˘/˘ |
| Tho' round her hills the golden vallies smile: | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| But my lov'd mansion, 'mid the circling wood, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| On the green bank of clear Albūnea's flood, | 10 | ·········· |
| Its walls resounding with the echo'd roar, | 10 | ··˘/˘··/˘· |
| As Anio's torrents down the mountain pour. | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Amid my blooming orchards pleas'd I rove, | 10 | ˘/·/˘/˘··· |
| Guiding the ductile course of murmuring rills; | 10 | /˘·/˘··/˘· |
| Or mark the curtains of the sacred grove | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| Sink in the vales, or sweep along the hills. | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| Ah Friend! if round my cell such graces shine, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| The PALACE of Tiburnian Shades is thine; | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| She every feature of the Scene commands, | 10 | ·/˘/˘···˘/ |
| And Empress of its varied beauty stands. | 10 | ·/˘··/˘/˘· |
| Tho' frequent mists the young Favonius shroud, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Bending his flagging wing with heavy rains, | 10 | /˘·/˘··/˘· |
| Yet oft he chases every showery cloud, | 11 | ···/˘/˘/˘˘· |
| Winnowing, with pinion light, th' aerial plains; | 10 | /·˘·/˘·/˘· |
| Ah! thus from thee let each dark vapor roll, | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| That rash Ambition gathers on the soul; | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘··· |
| The jocund Pleasures in her absence rise, | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Glow in the breast, and sparkle in the eyes. | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| And thou, MUNATIUS, whether Fate ordain | 10 | ········˘/ |
| The Camp thy home, with glancing javelins bright; | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| Or if the graces of that fair domain, | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| Umbrageous Tivoli, thy steps invite; | 10 | ˘/˘/˘˘··˘/ |
| If trumpets sound the clang that Warriors love, | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| Or round thee trill the choirings of the grove, | 10 | ·········· |
| In flowing bowls drown every vain regret, | 10 | ·/··/˘˘·˘/ |
| Enjoy the PRESENT, and the PAST forget! | 10 | ˘/·/˘···˘/ |
| The walls of SALAMIS when TEUCER fled, | 10 | ···˘/˘···· |
| Driven by a Parent's unrelenting frown, | 10 | /··/˘·˘/˘· |
| Hope from his spirit chas'd each anxious dread, | 10 | ···/˘··/˘· |
| While on his brow he bound the poplar crown; | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| In rich libation pour'd the generous wine, | 10 | ··˘/˘··/˘· |
| Then bath'd his temples in the juice divine; | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| And thus, with gladden'd eye, and air sedate, | 10 | ········˘/ |
| Address'd the drooping Followers of his fate. | 10 | ˘/·/˘/˘··· |
| “Wherever Destiny, a kinder friend | 10 | ˘/˘/˘˘·/˘· |
| Than he who gave me birth, may point the way, | 10 | ·········· |
| Thither resolv'd our duteous steps shall bend, | 11 | /˘˘///˘˘··· |
| Nor know presaging fear, nor weak delay. | 10 | ··/˘˘···˘/ |
| Doubt flies when Teucer leads, and cold despair, | 10 | ········˘/ |
| In Teucer's auspices, shall melt to air; | 10 | ···/˘˘···· |
| Phœbus ordains that, in more favoring skies, | 10 | ··˘/···/˘· |
| Another prosp'rous SALAMIS shall rise. | 10 | ˘/˘··˘/˘·· |
| “So much alike her fountains, fanes, and bowers, | 11 | ··˘/·/˘··/˘ |
| That e'en her name shall dubious meaning bear;-- | 10 | ·····/˘/˘· |
| Then, my lov'd Friends, who oft, in darker hours, | 11 | ·······/˘/˘ |
| Have shar'd with me a conflict more severe, | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| O! let us lose in wine our sorrow's weight, | 10 | ······//˘· |
| And rise the masters of our future fate! | 10 | ···/˘·//˘· |
| This night we revel in convivial ease, | 10 | ···/˘·˘/˘· |
| To-morrow seek again the vast and pathless seas.” | 12 | ·/˘·˘/···/˘· |
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