Epitaph on Sir George Speke
Under this stone lies virtue, youth,Unblemish'd probity, and truth,Just unto all relations known,A worthy patriot, pious son;Whom neighb'ring towns so often sentTo give their sense in Parliament;With lives and fortunes trusting oneWho so discreetly used his own.Sober he was, wise, temperate,Contented with an old estate,Which no foul avarice did increase,Nor wanton luxury make less.While yet but young his father died,And left him to a happy guide;Not Lemuel's mother with more careDid counsel or instruct her heir,Or teach with more success her sonThe vices of the time to shun.An heiress she; while yet alive,All that was hers to him did give;And he just gratitude did showTo one that had obliged him so;Nothing too much for her he thought,By whom he was so bred and taught.So (early made that path to tread,Which did his youth to honour lead)His short life did a pattern giveHow neighbours, husbands, friends, should live.
The virtues of a private lifeExceed the glorious noise and strifeOf battles won; in those we findThe solid int'rest of mankind.
Approved by all, and loved so well,Though young, like fruit that's ripe, he fell.
Words in this poem
- probity n.
- Tried virtue or integrity; approved moral excellence; honesty; rectitude; uprightness. [F. probité, fr. L. probitas, fr. probus good, proper, honest. Cf. Prove.]
- parliament n.
- A parleying; a discussion; a conference. [OE. parlement, F. parlement, fr. parler to speak; cf. LL. parlamentum, parliamentum. See Parley.]
- avarice n.
- An excessive or inordinate desire of gain; greediness after wealth; covetousness; cupidity. [F. avaritia, fr. avarus avaricious, prob. fr. av to covert, fr. a root av to satiate one's self: cf. Gr. av to satiate one's self, rejoice, protect.]
- instruct a.
- Arranged; furnished; provided. [L. instructus, p. p. of instruere to furnish, provide, construct, instruct; pref. in- in, struere. See Structure.]
- heiress
- , A female heir.
- 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.]
- 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.]
- strife n.
- The act of striving; earnest endeavor. [OF. estrif. See Strive.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Epitaph on Sir George Speke 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, Epitaph on Sir George Speke, in Cooper's Hill, and Other Poems (1645–1668), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #12322, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/waller-denham/epitaph-on-sir-george-speke.html, id L09129.
Form and metre
Epitaph on Sir George Speke is 34 lines in 3 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 71% of the lines: octosyllabic couplets. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 89%). 92% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 8.2 syllables. 2 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 26% 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 AABCDDCBEE--FFGGCCHIJJKKLLIH youthA · truthA · knownB · sonC · sentD · parliamentD · oneC · ownB · temperateE · estateE · increase · less · diedF · guideF · careG · heirG · sonC · shunC · aliveH · giveI · showJ · soJ · thoughtK · taughtK · treadL · leadL · giveI · liveH
- 2 AABB lifeA · strifeA · findB · mankindB
- 3 AA wellA · fellA
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Under this stone lies virtue, youth, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Unblemish'd probity, and truth, | 8 | ˘/˘/˘˘·· |
| Just unto all relations known, | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| A worthy patriot, pious son; | 8 | ·/˘/˘˘/· |
| Whom neighb'ring towns so often sent | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| To give their sense in Parliament; | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| With lives and fortunes trusting one | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| Who so discreetly used his own. | 8 | ··˘/˘··· |
| Sober he was, wise, temperate, | 7 | /˘···/˘ |
| Contented with an old estate, | 8 | ˘/˘···˘/ |
| Which no foul avarice did increase, | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| Nor wanton luxury make less. | 8 | ·/˘/˘˘·· |
| While yet but young his father died, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And left him to a happy guide; | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Not Lemuel's mother with more care | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Did counsel or instruct her heir, | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| Or teach with more success her son | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| The vices of the time to shun. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| An heiress she; while yet alive, | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| All that was hers to him did give; | 8 | ········ |
| And he just gratitude did show | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| To one that had obliged him so; | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| Nothing too much for her he thought, | 8 | /˘······ |
| By whom he was so bred and taught. | 8 | ········ |
| So (early made that path to tread, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Which did his youth to honour lead) | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| His short life did a pattern give | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| How neighbours, husbands, friends, should live. | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| The virtues of a private life | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Exceed the glorious noise and strife | 8 | ˘/·/˘··· |
| Of battles won; in those we find | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| The solid int'rest of mankind. | 8 | ·/˘···// |
| Approved by all, and loved so well, | 8 | ˘/······ |
| Though young, like fruit that's ripe, he fell. | 8 | ········ |
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.