Epode

William Taylor Collins 1721 (Sussex) – 1759 (Sussex)



In earliest Grece to Thee with partial Choice,
    The Grief-full Muse addrest her infant Tongue;
The Maids and Matrons, on her awful Voice,
    Silent and pale in wild Amazement hung.

Yet he the Bard who first invok'd thy Name,
    Disdain'd in Marathon its Pow'r to feel:
For not alone he nurs'd the Poet's flame,
    But reach'd from Virtue's Hand the Patriot's Steel.

But who is He whom later Garlands grace,
    Who left a-while o'er Hybla's Dews to rove,
With trembling Eyes thy dreary Steps to trace,
    Where Thou and Furies shar'd the baleful Grove?

Wrapt in thy cloudy Veil th' Incestuous Queen
    Sigh'd the sad Call her Son and Husband hear'd,
When once alone it broke the silent Scene,
    And He the Wretch of Thebes no more appear'd.

O Fear, I know Thee by my throbbing Heart,
    Thy with'ring Pow'r inspir'd each mournful Line,
Tho' gentle Pity claim her mingled Part,
    Yet all the Thunders of the Scene are thine!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

53 sec read
24

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH HIHI
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 940
Words 162
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

William Taylor Collins

William Collins was an English poet. Second in influence only to Thomas Gray, he was an important poet of the middle decades of the 18th century. more…

All William Taylor Collins poems | William Taylor Collins Books

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