Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE COPERNICAN SYSTEM, by THOMAS CHATTERTON


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE COPERNICAN SYSTEM, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: The sun revolving on his axis turns
Last Line: Now more admir'd in being understood.
Subject(s): Mnemonics; Planets


The Sun revolving on his axis turns,
And with creative fire intensely burns;
Impell'd the forcive air, our Earth supreme,
Rolls with the planets round the solar gleam;
First Mercury completes his transient year,
Glowing, refulgent, with reflected glare;
Bright Venus occupies a wider way,
The early harbinger of night and day;
More distant still our globe terraqueous turns,
Nor chills intense, nor fiercely heated burns;
Around her rolls the lunar orb of light,
Trailing her silver glories through the night:
On the Earth's orbit see the various signs,
Mark where the Sun, our year completing, shines;
First the bright Ram his languid ray improves;
Next glaring wat'ry thro' the Bull he moves;
The am'rous Twins admit his genial ray;
Now burning, thro' the Crab he takes his way;
The Lion, flaming, bears the solar power;
The Virgin faints beneath the sultry shower.
Now the just Balance weighs his equal force,
The slimy Serpent swelters in his course;
The sabled Archer clouds his languid face;
The Goat, with tempests, urges on his race;
Now in the water his faint beams appear,
And the cold Fishes end the circling year.
Beyond our globe the sanguine Mars displays
A strong reflection of primeval rays;
Next belted Jupiter far distant gleams,
Scarcely enlight'ned with the solar beams;
With four unfix'd receptacles of light,
He tours majestic thro' the spacious height:
But farther yet the tardy Saturn lags,
And five attendant luminaries drags;
Investing with a double ring his pace,
He circles thro' immensity of space.
These are thy wond'rous works, first Source of good!
Now more admir'd in being understood.






Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net