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[Conan]


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[Conan]


1 Conan's name, my lay, rehearse,
2 Build to him the lofty verse,
3 Sacred tribute of the bard,
4 Verse, the hero's sole reward.
5 As the flame's devouring force;
6 As the whirlwind in its course;
7 As the thunder's fiery stroke,
8 Glancing on the shivered oak;
9 Did the sword of Conan mow
10 The crimson harvest of the foe.

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0 [Conan]

Metrical notation:  +-|+-|+-|+/ +-|+-|+-|+/ +-|+-|+-|+/ +-|+-|+-|+/ +-|+-|+-|+/ +-|+-|+-|+/ +-|+-|+-|+/ +-|+-|+-|+/ +-|+-|+-|+/ +-|+-|+-|+/
Metrical foot type:  trochaic (+-)
Metrical foot number:  tetrameter (4 feet) (catalectic)
Rhyme scheme:  aabbccddee
Rhyme (stanza position):  pair (aabb)
Syllable pattern:  7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7.7
Stanza:  ten-line stanza

Notation symbols: | (foot boundary), || (caesura), / (metrical line boundary), + (metrically prominent), - (metrically non-prominent)


1 Conan's name, my lay, rehearse,    
Rhyme:  aabbccddee   |   Rhyme word(s):  rehearse   |   Rhyme sound:  /ɜːs/   |   Rhyme (line position):  end
Metre:  +-|+-|+-|+/   |   Syllables:  7
Figure:  assonance (phonological): name/lay /eɪ/
Figure:  consonance (phonological): Conan's/name /n/
Figure:  consonance (phonological): name/my /m/

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2 Build to him the lofty verse,    
Rhyme:  aabbccddee   |   Rhyme word(s):  verse   |   Rhyme sound:  /ɜːs/   |   Rhyme (line position):  end
Metre:  +-|+-|+-|+/   |   Syllables:  7
Figure:  assonance (phonological): Build/him /ɪ/
Figure:  consonance (phonological): Build/lofty /l/

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3 Sacred tribute of the bard,    
Rhyme:  aabbccddee   |   Rhyme word(s):  bard   |   Rhyme sound:  /ɑːd/   |   Rhyme (line position):  end
Metre:  +-|+-|+-|+/   |   Syllables:  7
Figure:  consonance (phonological): tribute/bard /b/

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4 Verse, the hero's sole reward.    
Rhyme:  aabbccddee   |   Rhyme word(s):  reward   |   Rhyme sound:  /ɔːd/   |   Rhyme (line position):  end
Metre:  +-|+-|+-|+/   |   Syllables:  7
Figure:  consonance (phonological): Verse/sole /s/
Figure:  consonance (phonological): hero's/reward /r/

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5 As the flame's devouring force;    
Rhyme:  aabbccddee   |   Rhyme word(s):  force   |   Rhyme sound:  /ɔːs/   |   Rhyme (line position):  end
Metre:  +-|+-|+-|+/   |   Syllables:  7
Figure:  alliteration (phonological): flame's/force /f/
Figure:  consonance (phonological): flame's/force /f/
Figure:  anaphora (morphological): As the

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6 As the whirlwind in its course;    
Rhyme:  aabbccddee   |   Rhyme word(s):  course   |   Rhyme sound:  /ɔːs/   |   Rhyme (line position):  end
Metre:  +-|+-|+-|+/   |   Syllables:  7
Figure:  assonance (phonological): whirlwind/in/its /ɪ/
Figure:  consonance (phonological): whirlwind/in /n/
Figure:  anaphora (morphological): As the

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7 As the thunder's fiery stroke,    
Rhyme:  aabbccddee   |   Rhyme word(s):  stroke   |   Rhyme sound:  /əʊk/   |   Rhyme (line position):  end
Metre:  +-|+-|+-|+/   |   Syllables:  7

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8 Glancing on the shivered oak;    
Rhyme:  aabbccddee   |   Rhyme word(s):  oak   |   Rhyme sound:  /əʊk/   |   Rhyme (line position):  end
Metre:  +-|+-|+-|+/   |   Syllables:  7
Figure:  consonance (phonological): Glancing/on /n/

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9 Did the sword of Conan mow    
Rhyme:  aabbccddee   |   Rhyme word(s):  mow   |   Rhyme sound:  /əʊ/   |   Rhyme (line position):  end
Metre:  +-|+-|+-|+/   |   Syllables:  7
Figure:  assonance (phonological): of/Conan /ɒ/
Figure:  consonance (phonological): Did/sword /d/

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10 The crimson harvest of the foe.    
Rhyme:  aabbccddee   |   Rhyme word(s):  foe   |   Rhyme sound:  /əʊ/   |   Rhyme (line position):  end
Metre:  +-|+-|+-|+/   |   Syllables:  7
Figure:  consonance (phonological): harvest/of /v/

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Expanding the poem lines (+) shows notes and queries taken from various critical editions of Gray's works, as well as those contributed by users of the Archive. There are 0 textual and 4 explanatory notes/queries.

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0 [Conan]


1 Conan's name, my lay, rehearse, 1 Explanatory

1.5 rehearse,] "Cf. "repeat their Chiefs and [...]" J. Bradshaw, 1891.

"Cf. "repeat their Chiefs and Loves." "Progress of Poesy," 60."

The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray: English and Latin. Edited with an introduction, life, notes and a bibliography by John Bradshaw. The Aldine edition of the British poets series. London: George Bell and sons, 1891, 262.

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2 Build to him the lofty verse, 1 Explanatory

2.1-6 Build ... verse,] "The expression is from "Lycidas":— [...]" J. Bradshaw, 1891.

"The expression is from "Lycidas":—

                                            "He knew
Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhyme."—10, 11.
And before Milton we have it in Horace and Spenser:—
"Seu condis amabile carmen."—Epistola, I. iii. 25.

"To build with level of my lofty style."—Ruins of Rome, 2."

The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray: English and Latin. Edited with an introduction, life, notes and a bibliography by John Bradshaw. The Aldine edition of the British poets series. London: George Bell and sons, 1891, 262.

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3 Sacred tribute of the bard,
4 Verse, the hero's sole reward.
5 As the flame's devouring force;
6 As the whirlwind in its course;
7 As the thunder's fiery stroke,
8 Glancing on the shivered oak; 1 Explanatory

8.4 shivered] "shattered by lightning." J. Bradshaw, 1891.

"shattered by lightning."

The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray: English and Latin. Edited with an introduction, life, notes and a bibliography by John Bradshaw. The Aldine edition of the British poets series. London: George Bell and sons, 1891, 262.

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9 Did the sword of Conan mow
10 The crimson harvest of the foe. 1 Explanatory

10.2 crimson] "See the "Fatal Sisters," 36, [...]" J. Bradshaw, 1891.

"See the "Fatal Sisters," 36, and "Triumphs of Owen," 29."

The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray: English and Latin. Edited with an introduction, life, notes and a bibliography by John Bradshaw. The Aldine edition of the British poets series. London: George Bell and sons, 1891, 262.

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Works cited

  • The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray: English and Latin. Edited with an introduction, life, notes and a bibliography by John Bradshaw. The Aldine edition of the British poets series. London: George Bell and sons, 1891.

Spelling has been modernized throughout, except in case of conscious archaisms. Contractions, italics and initial capitalization have been largely eliminated, except where of real import. Obvious errors have been silently corrected, punctuation has been supplied. The editor would like to express his gratitude to the library staff of the Göttingen State and University Library (SUB Göttingen) for their invaluable assistance.

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Editions in the Digital Library

  • 1775: The Poems of Mr. Gray. To which are prefixed Memoirs of his Life and Writings by W[illiam]. Mason. York, 1775.
  • 1800: The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray. London, 1800.
  • 1800: The Poems of Gray. A new edition. London, 1800.
  • 1814: The Works of Thomas Gray, Vol. I. Ed. Thomas James Mathias. London, 1814.
  • 1816: The Works of Thomas Gray, Vol. I. Ed. John Mitford. London, 1816.
  • 1826: The Poetical Works of Thomas Gray. London, 1826.
  • 1836: The Works of Thomas Gray, Volume I. Ed. John Mitford. London, 1836.