Analysis of The Origin of Cupid -- A Fable
Mary Darby Robinson 1757 (England) – 1800 (England)
ON IDA'S mount the gods were met,
A sportive, jolly, noisy set,
Resolving nectar bowls to quaff,
To revel, riot, sing and laugh;
For gods will frolic now and then,
And err like earth-born sons of men.
From early dawn till setting day
The jocund hours had roll'd away,
When midst the group Apollo rose
This serious question to propose,
Who should succeed upon the throne
When Jupiter their king was gone?
MARS first his best excuses made,
War his delight and ancient trade;
Old NEPTUNE vow'd at such an age,
In state affairs he'd not engage:
BACCHUS preferr'd a draught of nectar
To any monarch's crown and sceptre.
At length fatigu'd with idle prating,
With contradiction and debating;
It was propos'd, and straight agreed,
A new-form'd monarch should succeed,
And each, to make the plan expedient,
Should of offer some DIVINE ingredient.
MARS offer'd couragetrain'd to arms;
VENUS her soft bewitching charms:
HERCULES strength; proud JUNO grace;
MOMUS his laughing, dimpled face;
APOLLO and the SISTERS NINE,
Gave polish'd manners, wit divine!
At length the infant was completed,
And on a throne of ether seated;
His beauty aw'd the gazing crowd;
Before his feet each veteran bow'd;
Each hop'd his gentle smiles to prove,
And hail'd the little monarch LOVE.
When lo, to check the mirthful hour,
Old TIME appear'd, with aspect sour;
His hoary locks like silver thread
Upon his stooping shoulders spread;
"Vain are your wishes" cried the sage;
"In useless toil you now engage,
Think ye, with all this vain parade,
To form a god without MY aid?
In all debates am I alone,
For age, and wise experience known;
Presumptuous wretches, you shall prove,
That TIME has pow'r TO CONQUER LOVE!
No settled bliss the Boy shall taste,
My pinions to his shoulders plac'd
Shall bear him to the world below;
Each change of fortune there to know;
While in each state the wretch shall be
A SUBJECT VASSAL STILL TO ME."
Scheme | AABBCCDDEEFX GGHHII JJKKLL MMNNOO PPQQBB IIRRHHGGFF BBSSTTUU |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1110101 0110101 01010111 11010101 11110101 01111111 11011101 01101101 11010101 110010101 11010101 11001111 11110101 11010101 11011111 01011101 100101110 11011010 11011101 10100010 11010101 0111101 0111010100 11101010100 11010111 100111 1011101 1110101 01000101 11010101 110101010 010111010 11010101 011111001 11110111 0101011 11110110 11011110 11011101 01110101 11110101 01011101 11111101 11010111 01011101 110101001 01001111 111111101 11010111 1111101 11110101 11110111 10110111 00110111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,899 |
Words | 330 |
Sentences | 10 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 12, 6, 6, 6, 6, 10, 8 |
Lines Amount | 54 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 212 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 47 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:44 min read
- 97 Views
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"The Origin of Cupid -- A Fable" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/26844/the-origin-of-cupid----a-fable>.
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