Sarpedon's Speech to Glaucus, in the Twelfth Book of Homer
Thus to Glaucus spakeDivine Sarpedon, since he did not findOthers, as great in place, as great in mind:--Above the rest why is our pomp, our power?Our flocks, our herds, and our possessions more?Why all the tributes land and sea affordsHeap'd in great chargers, load our sumptuous boards?Our cheerful guests carouse the sparkling tearsOf the rich grape, while music charms their ears?Why, as we pass, do those on Xanthus' shore,As gods behold us, and as gods adore?But that, as well in danger as degree,We stand the first; that when our Licians seeOur brave examples, they admiring say,Behold our gallant leaders! These are theyDeserve the greatness, and unenvied stand,Since what they act transcends what they command.Could the declining of this fate (O friend!)Our date to immortality extend?Or if death sought not them who seek not death,Would I advance? or should my vainer breathWith such a glorious folly thee inspire?But since with Fortune Nature doth conspire,Since age, disease, or some less noble end,Though not less certain, does our days attend;Since 'tis decreed, and to this period leadA thousand ways, the noblest path we'll tread,And bravely on, till they, or we, or all,A common sacrifice to honour fall.
Words in this poem
- glaucus n.
- A genus of nudibranchiate mollusks, found in the warmer latitudes, swimming in the open sea. These mollusks are beautifully colored with blue and silvery white. [L., sea green.]
- adore v. t.
- To worship with profound reverence; to pay divine honors to; to honor as deity or as divine. [OE. aouren, anouren, adoren, OF. aorer, adorer, F. adorer, fr. L. adorare; ad + orare to speak, pray, os, oris, mouth. In OE. confused with honor, the French pr]
- admiring a.
- Expressing admiration; as, an admiring glance.
- 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.]
- bravely adv.
- In a brave manner; courageously; gallantly; valiantly; splendidly; nobly.
- 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.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Sarpedon's Speech to Glaucus, in the Twelfth Book of Homer 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, Sarpedon's Speech to Glaucus, in the Twelfth Book of Homer, in Poetical Works (1645–1668), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #12322, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/waller-denham/sarpedon-s-speech-to-glaucus-in-the-twelfth-book-of-homer.html, id L09152.
Form and metre
Sarpedon's Speech to Glaucus, in the Twelfth Book of Homer is 29 lines in a single stanza. It is in rhyming couplets, 83% of the lines: heroic couplets. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 90%). 93% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 9.9 syllables. 2 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 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 -AA-BCCDDBBEEFFGGHHII--HHJJKK spake · findA · mindA · power · moreB · affordsC · boardsC · tearsD · earsD · shoreB · adoreB · degreeE · seeE · sayF · theyF · standG · commandG · friendH · extendH · deathI · breathI · inspire · conspire · endH · attendH · leadJ · treadJ · allK · fallK
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Thus to Glaucus spake | 5 | ··/˘· |
| Divine Sarpedon, since he did not find | 10 | ˘/········ |
| Others, as great in place, as great in mind:-- | 10 | /˘········ |
| Above the rest why is our pomp, our power? | 11 | ······/·//˘ |
| Our flocks, our herds, and our possessions more? | 10 | /·/··/˘/˘· |
| Why all the tributes land and sea affords | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| Heap'd in great chargers, load our sumptuous boards? | 10 | ···/˘·//˘· |
| Our cheerful guests carouse the sparkling tears | 10 | //˘·˘/·/˘· |
| Of the rich grape, while music charms their ears? | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Why, as we pass, do those on Xanthus' shore, | 10 | ·········· |
| As gods behold us, and as gods adore? | 10 | ··˘/····˘/ |
| But that, as well in danger as degree, | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| We stand the first; that when our Licians see | 10 | ······/··· |
| Our brave examples, they admiring say, | 10 | /·˘/˘·˘/˘· |
| Behold our gallant leaders! These are they | 10 | ˘///˘/˘··· |
| Deserve the greatness, and unenvied stand, | 9 | ˘/·/˘···· |
| Since what they act transcends what they command. | 10 | ····˘/··˘/ |
| Could the declining of this fate (O friend!) | 10 | ··˘/˘····· |
| Our date to immortality extend? | 10 | /···˘/˘˘˘/ |
| Or if death sought not them who seek not death, | 10 | ·········· |
| Would I advance? or should my vainer breath | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| With such a glorious folly thee inspire? | 10 | ···/˘/˘·˘/ |
| But since with Fortune Nature doth conspire, | 11 | ···/˘/˘·˘/˘ |
| Since age, disease, or some less noble end, | 10 | ··˘/···/˘· |
| Though not less certain, does our days attend; | 10 | ···/˘·/·˘/ |
| Since 'tis decreed, and to this period lead | 10 | ··˘/···/˘· |
| A thousand ways, the noblest path we'll tread, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| And bravely on, till they, or we, or all, | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| A common sacrifice to honour fall. | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
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.