Epilogue to the 'Maid's Tragedy.' Spoken by the King
The fierce Melantius was content, you see,The king should live; be not more fierce than he;Too long indulgent to so rude a time,When love was held so capital a crime,That a crown'd head could no compassion find,But died--because the killer had been kind!Nor is't less strange, such mighty wits as thoseShould use a style in tragedy like prose.Well-sounding verse, where princes tread the stage,Should speak their virtue, or describe their rage.By the loud trumpet, which our courage aids,We learn that sound, as well as sense, persuades;And verses are the potent charms we use,Heroic thoughts and virtue to infuse.
When next we act this tragedy again,Unless you like the change, we shall be slain.The innocent Aspasia's life or death,Amintor's too, depends upon your breath.Excess of love was heretofore the cause;Now if we die, 'tis want of your applause.
Aspasia bleeding on the stage does lie,To show you still 'tis the Maid's Tragedy.The fierce Melantius was content, you see,The king should live; be not more fierce than he;Too long indulgent to so rude a time,When love was held so capital a crime,That a crown'd head could no compassion find,But died--because the killer had been kind!This better-natured poet had reprievedGentle Amintor too, had he believedThe fairer sex his pardon could approve,Who to ambition sacrificed his love.Aspasia he has spared; but for her wound(Neglected love!) there could no salve be found.
When next we act this tragedy again,Unless you like the change, I must be slain.Excess of love was heretofore the cause;Now if I die, 'tis want of your applause.
Words in this poem
- 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
Epilogue to the 'Maid's Tragedy.' Spoken by the King is in the public domain. This text is taken from Poetical Works of Edmund Waller and Sir John Denham, Project Gutenberg ebook #12322; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Edmund Waller, Epilogue to the 'Maid's Tragedy.' Spoken by the King, in Poetical Works (1645–1668), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #12322, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/waller-denham/epilogue-to-the-maid-s-tragedy-spoken-by-the-king.html, id L09116.
Form and metre
Epilogue to the 'Maid's Tragedy.' Spoken by the King is 38 lines in 4 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 95% of the lines: heroic couplets. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 88%). 93% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.0 syllables. 1 line ends on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 10% 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 AABBCCDDEEFFGG seeA · heA · timeB · crimeB · findC · kindC · thoseD · proseD · stageE · rageE · aidsF · persuadesF · useG · infuseG
- 2 AABBCC againA · slainA · deathB · breathB · causeC · applauseC
- 3 A-AABBCCDDEEFF lieA · tragedy · seeA · heA · timeB · crimeB · findC · kindC · reprievedD · believedD · approveE · loveE · woundF · foundF
- 4 AABB againA · slainA · causeB · applauseB
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 |
|---|---|---|
| The fierce Melantius was content, you see, | 10 | ······/˘·· |
| The king should live; be not more fierce than he; | 10 | ·········· |
| Too long indulgent to so rude a time, | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| When love was held so capital a crime, | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| That a crown'd head could no compassion find, | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| But died--because the killer had been kind! | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Nor is't less strange, such mighty wits as those | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Should use a style in tragedy like prose. | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| Well-sounding verse, where princes tread the stage, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Should speak their virtue, or describe their rage. | 10 | ···/˘·˘/·· |
| By the loud trumpet, which our courage aids, | 10 | ···/˘·//˘· |
| We learn that sound, as well as sense, persuades; | 10 | ········˘/ |
| And verses are the potent charms we use, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Heroic thoughts and virtue to infuse. | 10 | ˘/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| When next we act this tragedy again, | 10 | ·····/˘˘˘/ |
| Unless you like the change, we shall be slain. | 10 | ·········· |
| The innocent Aspasia's life or death, | 10 | ·/˘˘······ |
| Amintor's too, depends upon your breath. | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| Excess of love was heretofore the cause; | 10 | ˘/····˘/·· |
| Now if we die, 'tis want of your applause. | 10 | ········˘/ |
| Aspasia bleeding on the stage does lie, | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| To show you still 'tis the Maid's Tragedy. | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| The fierce Melantius was content, you see, | 10 | ······/˘·· |
| The king should live; be not more fierce than he; | 10 | ·········· |
| Too long indulgent to so rude a time, | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| When love was held so capital a crime, | 10 | ·····/˘˘·· |
| That a crown'd head could no compassion find, | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| But died--because the killer had been kind! | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| This better-natured poet had reprieved | 10 | ·/˘/˘/˘·˘/ |
| Gentle Amintor too, had he believed | 10 | /˘······˘/ |
| The fairer sex his pardon could approve, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| Who to ambition sacrificed his love. | 10 | ··˘/˘/˘··· |
| Aspasia he has spared; but for her wound | 10 | ·········· |
| (Neglected love!) there could no salve be found. | 10 | ˘/˘······· |
| When next we act this tragedy again, | 10 | ·····/˘˘˘/ |
| Unless you like the change, I must be slain. | 10 | ·········· |
| Excess of love was heretofore the cause; | 10 | ˘/····˘/·· |
| Now if I die, 'tis want of your applause. | 10 | ········˘/ |
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