Hippodromania; Or, Whiffs From The Pipe Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDCDEDEF GHGGHIJIJ KLMLNONO PQPQRARS TUTUVUVU DDDWDDDDD FXFXYZYZA2B2A2B2 C2D2 SDSD E2QE2QSDSD F2FF2FDG2DG2 DZDZH2ZH2Z YDYDI2JI2J RZRZZD2ZD2 J2JJ2JK2L2K2L2 M2ZM2ZZN2ZN2 F2ZF2ZFJFO2 DDFDDDFXP2XP2Q2R2Q2R 2DS2FS2DSDST2YT2YU2Z U2Z AQ2 Q2N2V2W2 YQ2X2Q2 R2ZQ2Z Y2DS ZZZ2Z A3ZZZ G2DZD DZU2Z B3DFC3

Part IA
Visions in the SmokeB
Rest and be thankful On the vergeC
Of the tall cliff rugged and greyD
But whose granite base the breakers surgeC
And shiver their frothy sprayD
Outstretched I gaze on the eddying wreathE
That gathers and flits awayD
With the surf beneath and between my teethE
The stem of the 'ancient clay'F
-
With the anodyne cloud on my listless eyesG
With its spell on my dreamy brainH
As I watch the circling vapours riseG
From the brown bowl up to the sullen skiesG
My vision becomes more plainH
Till a dim kaleidoscope succeedsI
Through the smoke rack drifting and veeringJ
Like ghostly riders on phantom steedsI
To a shadowy goal careeringJ
-
In their own generation the wise may sneerK
They hold our sports in derisionL
Perchance to sophist or sage or seerM
Were allotted a graver visionL
Yet if man of all the Creator plann'dN
His noblest work is reckonedO
Of the works of His hand by sea or by landN
The horse may at least rank secondO
-
Did they quail those steeds of the squadrons lightP
Did they flinch from the battle's roarQ
When they burst on the guns of the MuscoviteP
By the echoing Black Sea shoreQ
On on to the cannon's mouth they strideR
With never a swerve nor a shyA
Oh the minutes of yonder maddening rideR
Long years of pleasure outvieS
-
No slave but a comrade staunch in thisT
Is the horse for he takes his shareU
Not in peril alone but in feverish blissT
And in longing to do and dareU
Where bullets whistle and round shot whizV
Hoofs trample and blades flash bareU
God send me an ending as fair as hisV
Who died in his stirrups thereU
-
The wind has slumbered throughout the dayD
Now a fitful gust springs over the bayD
My wandering thoughts no longer strayD
I'll fix my overcoat buttonsW
Secure my old hat as best I mayD
And a shocking bad one it is by the wayD
Blow a denser cloud from my stunted clayD
And then friend BELL as the Frenchmen sayD
We'll 'go back again to our muttons'D
-
There's a lull in the tumult on yonder hillF
And the clamour has grown less loudX
Though the Babel of tongues is never stillF
With the presence of such a crowdX
The bell has rung With their riders upY
At the starting post they musterZ
The racers stripp'd for the 'Melbourne Cup'Y
All gloss and polish and lustreZ
And the course is seen with its emerald sheenA2
By the bright spring tide renew'dB2
Like a ribbon of green stretched out betweenA2
The ranks of the multitudeB2
-
The flag is lowered 'They're off ' 'They come '-
The squadron is sweeping onC2
A sway in the crowd a murmuring humD2
'They're here ' 'They're past ' 'They're gone '-
They came with the rush of the southern surfS
On the bar of the storm girt bayD
And like muffled drums on the sounding turfS
Their hoof strokes echo awayD
-
The rose and black draws clear of the ruckE2
And the murmur swells to a roarQ
As the brave old colours that never were struckE2
Are seen with the lead once moreQ
Though the feathery ferns and grasses waveS
O'er the sod where Lantern sleepsD
Though the turf is green on Fisherman's graveS
The stable its prestige keepsD
-
Six lengths in front she scours alongF2
She's bringing the field to troubleF
She's tailing them off she's running strongF2
She shakes her head and pulls doubleF
Now Minstrel falters and Exile flagsD
The Barb finds the pace too hotG2
And Toryboy loiters and Playboy lagsD
And the BOLT of Ben Bolt is shotG2
-
That she never may be caught this dayD
Is the worst that the public wish herZ
She won't be caught she comes right awayD
Hurrah for Seagull and FisherZ
See Strop falls back though his reins are slackH2
Sultana begins to tireZ
And the top weight tells on the Sydney crackH2
And the pace on 'the Gippsland flyer'Z
-
The rowels as round the turn they sweepY
Just graze Tim Whiffler's flanksD
Like the hunted deer that flies through the sheepY
He strides through the beaten ranksD
Daughter of Omen prove your birthI2
The colt will take lots of chokingJ
The hot breath steams at your saddle girthI2
From his scarlet nostril smokingJ
-
The shouts of the Ring for a space subsideR
And slackens the bookmaker's roarZ
Now Davis rally now Carter rideR
As man never rode beforeZ
When Sparrowhawk's backers cease to cheerZ
When Yattendon's friends are dumbD2
When hushed is the clamour for VolunteerZ
Alone in the race they comeD2
-
They're neck and neck they're head and headJ2
They're stroke for stroke in the runningJ
The whalebone whistles the steel is redJ2
No shirking as yet nor shunningJ
One effort Seagull the blood you boastK2
Should struggle when nerves are strainedL2
With a rush on the post by a neck at the mostK2
The verdict for Tim is gainedL2
-
Tim Whiffler wins Is blood aloneM2
The sine qua non for a flyerZ
The breed of his dam is a myth unknownM2
And we've doubts respecting his sireZ
Yet few if any those proud names areZ
On the pages of peerage or studN2
In whose 'scutcheon lurks no sinister barZ
No taint of the base black bloodN2
-
Aye Shorthouse laugh laugh loud and longF2
For pedigree you're a stickerZ
You may be right I may be wrongF2
Wiseacres both Let's liquorZ
Our common descent we may each recallF
To a lady of old caught trippingJ
The fair one in fig leaves who d d us allF
For a bite at a golden pippinO2
-
When first on this rocky ledge I layD
There was scarce a ripple in yonder bayD
The air was serenely stillF
Each column that sailed from my swarthy clayD
Hung loitering long ere it passed awayD
Though the skies wore a tinge of leaden greyD
And the atmosphere was chillF
But the red sun sank to his evening shroudX
Where the western billows are roll'dP2
Behind a curtain of sable cloudX
With a fringe of scarlet and goldP2
There's a misty glare in the yellow moonQ2
And the drift is scudding fastR2
There'll be storm and rattle and tempest soonQ2
When the heavens are overcastR2
The neutral tint of the sullen seaD
Is fleck'd with the snowy foamS2
And the distant gale sighs drearilieF
As the wanderer sighs for his homeS2
The white sea horses toss their manesD
On the bar of the southern reefS
And the breakers moan and by Jove it rainsD
I thought I should come to griefS
Though it can't well damage my shabby hatT2
Though my coat looks best when it's dampY
Since the shaking I got no matter where atT2
I've a mortal dread of the crampY
My matches are wet my pipe's put outU2
And the wind blows colder and strongerZ
I'll be stiff and sore and sorry no doubtU2
If I lie here any longerZ
-
-
-
Part IIA
The Fields of ColeraineQ2
-
-
On the fields of Col'raine there'll be labour in vainQ2
Before the Great Western is endedN2
The nags will have toil'd and the silks will be soil'dV2
And the rails will require to be mendedW2
-
For the gullies are deep and the uplands are steepY
And mud will of purls be the tokenQ2
And the tough stringy bark that invites us to larkX2
With impunity may not be brokenQ2
-
Though Ballarat's fast and they say he can lastR2
And that may be granted hereafterZ
Yet the judge's decision to the Border divisionQ2
Will bring neither shouting nor laughterZ
-
And Blueskin I've heard that he goes like a birdY2
And I'm told that to back him would pay meD
He's a good bit of stuff but not quite good enoughS
'Non licuit credere famae '-
-
Alfred ought to be there we all of us swearZ
By the blood of King Alfred his sireZ
He's not the real jam by the blood of his damZ2
So I sha'n't put him down as a flyerZ
-
Now Hynam my boy I wish you great joyA3
I know that when fresh you can jump sirZ
But you'll scarce be in clover when you're ridden all overZ
And punished from shoulder to rump sirZ
-
Archer goes like a shot they can put on their potG2
And boil it to cover expensesD
Their pot will boil over the run of his doverZ
He'll never earn over big fencesD
-
There's a horse in the race with a blaze on his faceD
And we know he can gallop a dockerZ
He's proved himself stout of his speed there's no doubtU2
And his jumping's according to CockerZ
-
When Hynam's outstripp'd and when Alfred is whipp'dB3
To keep him in sight of the leadersD
While Blueskin runs true but his backers look blueF
For his rider's at work with theC3

Adam Lindsay Gordon



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