Classic and Contemporary Poetry
JUPITER AND HIS CHILDREN; A CLASSIC FABLE, by JOHN GODFREY SAXE Poet's Biography First Line: Once on sublime olympus, when Last Line: The father yearns to spare the son. Subject(s): Jupiter (god) | ||||||||
ONCE on sublime Olympus, when Great Jove, the sire of gods and men, Was looking down on this our Earth, And marking the increasing dearth Of pious deeds and noble lives, While vice abounds and meanness thrives, -- He straight determined to efface At one fell swoop the thankless race Of human kind. "Go!" said the King Unto his messenger, "and bring The vengeful Furies; be it theirs, Unmindful of their tears and prayers, These wretches -- hateful from their birth -- To wipe from off the face of earth!" The message heard, with torch of flame And reeking sword, Alecto came, And by the beard of Pluto swore The human race should be no more! But Jove, relenting thus to see The direst of the murderous three, And hear her menace, bade her go Back to the murky realms below. "Be mine the cruel task!" he said, And, at the word, a bolt he sped, Which, falling in a desert place, Left all unhurt the human race! Grown bold and bolder, wicked men Wax worse and worse, until again The stench to high Olympus came, And all the gods began to blame The monarch's weak indulgence, -- they Would crush the knaves without delay! At this, the Ruler of the air Proceeds a tempest to prepare, Which, dark and dire, he swiftly hurled In raging fury on the world! But not where human beings dwell (So Jove provides) the tempest fell. And still the sin and wickedness Of men grew more, instead of less; Whereat the gods declare, at length, For thunderbolts of greater strength, Which Vulcan soon, at Jove's command, Wrought in his forge with dexterous hand. Now from the smithy's glowing flame Two different sorts of weapons came: To hit the mark was one designed; As sure to miss, the other kind. The second sort the Thunderer threw, Which not a human being slew; But, roaring loudly, hurtled wide On forest-top and mountain-side! MORAL. What means this ancient tale? That Jove In wrath still felt a parent's love; Whatever crimes he may have done, The father yearns to spare the son. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...CUPID ACQUITTED, A TALE by THOMAS WARTON THE ELDER JUPITER AND LEDA by HENRY CAREY (1687-1743) JUPITER AND GANIMEDE by THOMAS HEYWOOD DEATH AND CUPID; AN ALLEGORY by JOHN GODFREY SAXE EARLY RISING by JOHN GODFREY SAXE HOW CYRUS LAID THE CABLE [JULY 29, 1866] by JOHN GODFREY SAXE LITTLE JERRY, THE MILLER by JOHN GODFREY SAXE MY FAMILIAR by JOHN GODFREY SAXE RAILROAD RHYME by JOHN GODFREY SAXE |
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