Analysis of Alexandreis



I Sing the Man that never Equal knew,
Whose Mighty Arms all Asia did subdue,
Whose Conquests through the spacious World do ring,
That City-Raser, King-destroying King,
Who o're the Warlike Macedons did Reign,
And worthily the Name of Great did gain.
This is the Prince (if Fame you will believe,
To ancient Story any credit give.)
Who when the Globe of Earth he had subdu'd,
With Tears the easie Victory pursu'd;
Because that no more Worlds there were to win,
No further Scene to act his Glorys in.
 Ah that some pitying Muse would now inspire
My frozen style with a Poetique fire,
And Raptures worthy of his Matchless Fame,
Whose Deeds I sing, whose never fading Name

Long as the world shall fresh and deathless last,
No less to future Ages, then the past.
Great my presumption is, I must confess,
But if I thrive, my Glory's ne're the less;
Nor will it from his Conquests derogate
A Female Pen his Acts did celebrate.
If thou O Muse wilt thy assistance give,
Such as made Naso and great Maro live,
With him whom Melas fertile Banks did bear,
Live, though their Bodies dust and ashes are;
Whose Laurels were not fresher, than their Fame
Is now, and will for ever be the same.
If the like favour thou wilt grant to me,
O Queen of Verse, I'll not ungrateful be,
My choicest hours to thee I'll Dedicate,
'Tis thou shalt rule, 'tis thou shalt be my Fate.
But if Coy Goddess thou shalt this deny,
And from my humble suit disdaining fly,
I'll stoop and beg no more, since I know this,
Writing of him, I cannot write amiss:
His lofty Deeds will raise each feeble line,
And God-like Acts will make my Verse Divine.

'Twas at the time the golden Sun doth rise,
And with his Beams enlights the azure skies,
When lo a Troop in Silver Arms drew near,
The glorious Sun did nere so bright appear;
Dire Scarlet Plumes adorn'd their haughty Crests,
And crescent Shields did shade their shining Brests;
Down from their shoulders hung a Panthers Hide,
A Bow and Quiver ratled by their side;
Their hands a knotty well try'd Speare did bear,
Jocund they seem'd, and quite devoyd of fear.
These warlike Virgins were, that do reside
Near Thermodons smooth Banks and verdant side,
The Plains of Themiscyre their Birth do boast,
Thalestris now did head the beauteous Host;
She emulating that Illustrious Dame,
Who to the aid of Troy and Priam came,
And her who the Retulian Prince did aid,
Though dearly both for their Assistance paid.
But fear she scorn'd, nor the like fate did dread,
Her Host she often to the field had lead,
As oft in Triumph had return'd again,
Glory she only sought for all her pain.

This Martial Queen had heard how lowdly fame,
Eccho'd our Conquerors redoubted Name,
Her Soul his Conduct and his Courage fir'd,
To see the Hero she so much admir'd;
And to Hyrcania for this cause she went,
Where Alexander (wholly then intent
On Triumphs and such Military sport)
At Truce with War held both his Camp and Court.
And while before the Town she did attend
Her Messengers return, she saw ascend
A cloud of Dust, that cover'd all the skie,
And still at every pause there stroke her eye.
The interrupted Beams of Burnisht Gold,
As dust the Splendour hid, or did unfold;
Loud Neighings of the Steeds, and Trumpets sound
Fill'd all the Air, and eccho'd from the ground:
The gallant Greeks with a brisk March drew near,
And their great Chief did at their Head appear.
And now come up to th'Amazonian Band,
They made a Hault and a respectful Stand:
And both the Troops (with like amazement strook)
Did each on other with deep silence look.

Th'Heroick Queen (whose high pretence to War
Cancell'd the bashful Laws and nicer Bar
Of Modesty, which did her Sex restrain)
First boldly did advance before her Train,
And thus she spake. All but a God in Name,
And that a debt Time owes unto thy Fame.


Scheme AABBCCXDEEFFXXGG HHIIEJDXKLGGMMJJNNOOPP QQRRXISSKRSSTTGGUUVVXC GGWWXXYYZZBN1 1 2 2 RR3 3 BX XLCCGG
Poetic Form
Metre 1101110101 1101110101 111010111 1101010101 11101111 01011111 1101111101 1101010101 1101111101 110110001 0111111011 110111110 11110011101 110110110 01101111 1111110101 110111011 1111010101 1101011101 1111111101 1111111 01111110 1111110101 1111001101 111110111 1111010101 1100110111 1101110101 101111111 1111110101 1101011110 1111111111 1111011101 0111010101 1101111111 1011110101 1101111101 0111111101 1101010111 011110101 1101010111 01001111101 1101011101 0101111101 1111010101 010101111 1101011111 11101111 111001101 11110101 01111111 1111011 1100101001 110111011 00101111 1101110101 1111101111 0111010111 1101010101 1011011101 110111111 11010011 01101011010 11010111010 01111111 101010101 110011001 1111111101 0101011101 0100011101 0111110101 01110011101 00101111 110111101 111010101 110101101 0101101111 0111111101 011111101001 1101000101 0101110101 1111011101 1111111 1001010101 1100110101 1101010101 0111110101 0101111011
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 3,777
Words 691
Sentences 18
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 16, 22, 22, 22, 6
Lines Amount 88
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 592
Words per stanza (avg) 138
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

3:34 min read
102

Anne Killigrew

Anne Killigrew was an English poet. more…

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