Forsaking All Others Part 1 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDCE FGFGHIHI JIJIKLKL MNMNOIO PQPQ RSRS TUT VWV XYXYLZ LZ L A2 A2A2A2A2A2 B2B2B2B2C2 C2D2D2E2E2 A A2A2B2B2F2F2G2G2A2A2 B2B2H2H2 A2A2I2I2J2J2G2G2 I K2KL2KM2VM2V N2 I IO2 A2A2 TP2 P2AAQ2Q2R2 S2S2T2T2L2U2JJA2A2V2 V2 W2G A2A2 TP2 P2AAQ2Q2R2 S2S2T2T2L2U2JJA2A2V2 V2 W2G X2B2

'NOT that you'll like him ' Nell saidA
'No mystery no romanceB
A fine stern eagle like headA
But he simply reeks of financeB
Started from nothing self madeC
And rather likes you to know itD
And now collects porcelain and jadeC
Or some Seventeenth Century poetE
-
'Married in simpler daysF
A poor little wren of a beingG
Who exists to pray and praiseF
And spends her life agreeingG
Thin and dowdy and paleH
And getting paler and thinnerI
Well the point of this dreary taleH
Is I've asked them both to dinnerI
-
'I'd leave her out like a shotJ
For I'm not so keen about herI
But my dear believe it or notJ
He won't dine out without herI
She has that terrible holdK
That aging wives exert toL
Replace young charms grown oldK
Poor health and impeccable virtueL
-
'Lightly I asked them to dineM
And now I perceive the dangersN
My friends yours and mineM
Are so terribly rude to strangersN
But you dear girl I can trustO
To come and be brilliant and tenderI
Vamp the man if you mustO
But give an impression of splendor '-
-
II-
-
LEE sat before her mirror rouged her lipsP
Set dripping diamond earrings in her earsQ
Polished a little at her finger tipsP
Thought that she did not look her thirty yearsQ
-
Thought 'Poor dear Nellie's ill assorted feastsR
I want to be as helpful as I canS
Among that group of men and gods and beastsR
Why does she think I shall not like this manS
-
She made him sound entrancing strong and crudeT
Successful dominant I who for so longU
Have known a somewhat pitiful servitudeT
To weakness have no terror of the strong '-
Her maid held up her cloak of furry whiteV
And gave her money in a golden purseW
She sighed 'Not even third rate bridge to nightV
Just third rate conversation which is worse '-
-
III-
-
'NELLIE I'm sorry I'm lateX
Edward I honestly amY
Just the malignance of fateX
I always get caught in a jamY
Whenever I'm coming to youL
'Mrs Wayne back of you LeeZ
And Mr Wayne '-
-
'How do you doL
Isn't that cocktail for meZ
-
IV-
-
MENUL
-
CAVIAR cocktails soup of black beanA2
Shad Moet Chandon of-
A saddle of mutton a stuffed aubergineA2
With some creme de menthe jelly of beautiful greenA2
Avocados and lettuce and cold galantineA2
And baba au rhum with a sauce grenadineA2
Coffee and fruit and some excellent fineA2
-
-
V-
-
SOME women hard beautiful women know a wayB2
Of looking up at a man so gentle and gayB2
A magical child like look that seems to sayB2
Let us be happy together for an hour a dayB2
A night or forever Let us yield to the charmC2
-
Lee looked at Wayne and put her hand on his armC2
Under the broadcloth and linen she felt his muscles like steelD2
Feeling she said to herself as a man's arm ought to feelD2
And she glanced at her own hand there so slim and coolE2
With its single cabochon emerald like a deep green poolE2
'Shall we go first ' she asked him 'or let them all go ahead '-
And so they spoke of leading and being ledA
-
And then she told him a story heard she didn't know whenA2
Of an arctic expedition from which two menA2
Had got lost and while they were off and awayB2
They met a dog starving like them and astrayB2
A clever heroic creature who in the endF2
Guided them back and they loved that dog like a friendF2
Loved him and worried about him all the way backG2
What would he do when he met the head of the packG2
The leader of dogs the old dog cruel and sternA2
Who brooked no rival How could this new dog learnA2
Himself a leader and used to his own wild wayB2
How could he learn to be one of the pack and obeyB2
Would he not fight for mastery hopeless they caught their breathH2
Were they not leading this friend they loved to deathH2
-
And now the crisis was on them they saw camp nowA2
Two men in a fragile boat and a dog standing up in the prowA2
They pushed the boat as near as they could to the bankI2
And someone to help them land shoved out a plankI2
The new dog leaped on the plank and the old dog bristling and proudJ2
Made one step to meet him in front of the crowdJ2
And they looked at each other a moment and the old dog lay on his backG2
And the new dog stepped ashore the head of the packG2
'A very interesting story Why did you tell it to me '-
Asked Wayne with his black eyes on herI
'Why do you think ' asked Lee-
-
-
-
VI-
-
-
-
CANDLE light beams flickers and blazesK2
On panelled pine walls fashioned of oldK
Pale pink roses in golden vasesL2
Hothouse grapes in a bowl of goldK
Crystal goblets and plenty of themM2
Flashing their points of rainbow lightV
Tall grave men servants bending above themM2
Everyone talking with all his mightV
-
'Why didn't Archie go with Jessie '-
'My dear she didn't want him of course '-
'Aren't things getting a trifle messy '-
'There's nothing messy about divorce '-
'Algy's a sort of weak Othello '-
'Poor creature Jessie is quite a bird '-
'I hear Nan's doing her room in yellow '-
'Her room I think it's her hair you heard '-
-
'Tom never could resist a title '-
'Well I'm rather a snob myself '-
'The woman is large and rich and vitalN2
And does not mean to be laid on the shelf '-
'Nonsense she's older than Tom's own motherI
And ought to be laid on a couple of shelves '-
While Lee and Wayne just talked to each otherI
Talked to each other about themselvesO2
-
VII-
-
-
NELLIE and Edward left aloneA2
Feeling their house again their ownA2
Stood by the fire 'It seemed to me-
The Great Man fell with a crash for Lee '-
-
'Nellie the dinner was very good '-
-
'Darling so glad you liked your foodT
I'm afraid it's all the fun you hadP2
With Mrs Wayne '-
-
'No not so badP2
I rather liked her The old girl saidA
Good things she's got a tongue in her headA
But why the deuce need she look like thatQ2
She isn't old and she isn't fatQ2
Wayne's probably generous certainly richR2
Why need she dress like a Salem witch '-
-
'Oh I could talk an hour ' said NellS2
'On the psychic basis of dressing wellS2
It isn't a question of pocket booksT2
It isn't a figure it isn't looksT2
It isn't going to first rate placesL2
Believe me the thing has a psychic basisU2
It's caring caring a terrible lotJ
Whether you're right or whether you're notJ
It's being a slave yet now and thenA2
Snapping your fingers at gods and menA2
It's art it's genius it's using your mindV2
What does the Bible say 'that kindV2
Comes not forth but by fasting and prayer '-
Well that's the answer you've got to careW2
And Mrs Wayne clearly has not been caringG
For twenty years about what she was wearing '-
-
-
NELLIE and Edward left aloneA2
Feeling their house again their ownA2
Stood by the fire 'It seemed to me-
The Great Man fell with a crash for Lee '-
-
'Nellie the dinner was very good '-
-
'Darling so glad you liked your foodT
I'm afraid it's all the fun you hadP2
With Mrs Wayne '-
-
'No not so badP2
I rather liked her The old girl saidA
Good things she's got a tongue in her headA
But why the deuce need she look like thatQ2
She isn't old and she isn't fatQ2
Wayne's probably generous certainly richR2
Why need she dress like a Salem witch '-
-
'Oh I could talk an hour ' said NellS2
'On the psychic basis of dressing wellS2
It isn't a question of pocket booksT2
It isn't a figure it isn't looksT2
It isn't going to first rate placesL2
Believe me the thing has a psychic basisU2
It's caring caring a terrible lotJ
Whether you're right or whether you're notJ
It's being a slave yet now and thenA2
Snapping your fingers at gods and menA2
It's art it's genius it's using your mindV2
What does the Bible say 'that kindV2
Comes not forth but by fasting and prayer '-
Well that's the answer you've got to careW2
And Mrs Wayne clearly has not been caringG
For twenty years about what she was wearing '-
-
VII-
-
AT first the Waynes were silent driving homeX2
Park Avenue tilted southwaB2

Alice Duer Miller



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