Analysis of Heroic Stanzas
John Dryden 1631 (Aldwincle) – 1631 (London)
Consecrated to the Glorious Memory of His
Most Serene and Renowned Highness, Oliver,
Late Lord Protector of This Commonwealth, etc.
Written After the Celebration of his Funeral
And now 'tis time; for their officious haste,
Who would before have borne him to the sky,
Like eager Romans ere all rites were past
Did let too soon the sacred eagle fly.
Though our best notes are treason to his fame
Join'd with the loud applause of public voice;
Since Heav'n, what praise we offer to his name,
Hath render'd too authentic by its choice;
Though in his praise no arts can liberal be,
Since they whose Muses have the highest flown
Add not to his immortal memory,
But do an act of friendship to their own;
Yet 'tis our duty and our interest too
Such monuments as we can build to raise,
Lest all the world prevent what we should do
And claim a title in him by their praise.
How shall I then begin, or where conclude
To draw a fame so truly circular?
For in a round what order can be shew'd,
Where all the parts so equal perfect are?
His grandeur he deriv'd from Heav'n alone,
For he was great ere fortune made him so,
And wars like mists that rise against the sun
Made him but greater seem, not greater grown.
No borrow'd bays his temples did adorn,
But to our crown he did fresh jewels bring.
Nor was his virtue poison'd soon as born
With the too early thoughts of being king.
Fortune (that easy mistress of the young
But to her ancient servant coy and hard)
Him at that age her favorites rank'd among
When she her best-lov'd Pompey did discard.
He, private, mark'd the faults of others' sway,
And set as sea-marks for himself to shun,
Not like rash monarchs who their youth betray
By acts their age too late would wish undone.
And yet dominion was not his design;
We owe that blessing not to him but Heaven,
Which to fair acts unsought rewards did join,
Rewards that less to him than us were given.
Our former chiefs like sticklers of the war
First sought t'inflame the parties, then to poise,
The quarrel lov'd, but did the cause abhor,
And did not strike to hurt but make a noise.
War, our consumption, was their gainfull trade;
We inward bled whilst they prolong'd our pain;
He fought to end our fighting and assay'd
To stanch the blood by breathing of the vein.
Swift and resistless through the land he pass'd
Like that bold Greek who did the east subdue,
And made to battles such heroic haste
As if on wings of victory he flew.
He fought secure of fortune as of fame,
Till by new maps the island might be shown,
Of conquests which he strew'd where'er he came
Thick as a galaxy with stars is sown.
His palms, though under weights they did not stand,
Still thriv'd; no winter could his laurels fade;
Heav'n in his portrait shew'd a workman's hand
And drew it perfect yet without a shade.
Peace was the prize of all his toils and care,
Which war had banish'd and did now restore;
Bologna's walls thus mounted in the air
To seat themselves more surely than before.
Her safety rescu'd Ireland to him owes,
And treacherous Scotland, to no int'rest true,
Yet bless'd that fate which did his arms dispose
Her land to civilize as to subdue.
Nor was he like those stars which only shine
When to pale mariners they storms portend;
He had his calmer influence, and his mien
Did love and majesty together blend.
'Tis true, his count'nance did imprint an awe,
And naturally all souls to his did bow,
As wands of divination downward draw
And points to beds where sov'reign gold doth grow.
When past all offerings to Feretrian Jove,
He Mars depos'd and arms to gowns made yield;
Successful councils did him soon approve
As fit for close intrigues as open field.
To suppliant Holland he vouchsaf'd a peace,
Our once bold rival in the British main,
Now tamely glad her unjust claim to cease
And buy our friendship with her idol, gain.
Fame of th' asserted sea through Europe blown
Made France and Spain ambitious of his love;
Each knew that side must conquer he would own,
And for him fiercely as for empire strove.
23
Scheme XAXX BCDC EFEF GHGH IJIJ XABX HKLH MNMN OPOP QLQL RLXL STST UVBV DIBI EHEH WUWU XSXS YIYI RZXZ XXXK 1 2 1 2 3 V3 V H1 H1 XA Poetic Form Metre 1001010010011 10100110100 110101110100 1010001011100 01111111 1101111101 1101011101 1111010101 11011110111 1101011101 1111110111 1101010111 10111111001 1111010101 1111010100 1111110111 111010010101 1100111111 1101011111 0101001111 1111011101 1101110100 1001110111 1101110011 1011011101 1111110111 0111110101 1111011101 111110101 11101111101 1111010111 1011011101 1011010101 1101010101 11110100101 1101110101 1101011101 0111110111 111111101 1111111101 0101011101 11110111110 111110111 01111111010 1010111101 11101010111 0101110101 0111111101 1100101111 11011101101 1111101001 1101110101 10110111 1111110101 0111010101 1111110011 1101110111 1111010111 111111011 1101001111 1111011111 1111011101 1011010101 0110110101 1101111101 1111001101 11110001 1101110101 01010100111 0100101111 1111111101 011101101 1111111101 1111001101 11110100011 1101000101 1111110111 01000111111 111010101 011111111 111100111 1101011111 0101011101 1111011101 11101101 10111000101 111001111 01101010101 111101011101 1101010111 1111110111 01110111001 1 1 Closest metre Iambic pentameter Characters 4,034 Words 757 Sentences 24 Stanzas 24 Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 2 Lines Amount 94 Letters per line (avg) 33 Words per line (avg) 8 Letters per stanza (avg) 131 Words per stanza (avg) 31 Font size:Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 26, 2023
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"Heroic Stanzas" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/22669/heroic-stanzas>.
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