A Bad Night Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDDDEB FC C G H GGGIBGGBJBDGKLAMNBGO PGGGCDGQRGCSDBT GCB D G UVGWX C B YB H DZGA2B2 G C2 CGDD2 C GAGA GGGG G C G C G C G F GGBG CCDC H E2 GGXF2GGG2 B2GBGG C GG CC GG H2H2 CC G GGHH C I2I2I2 G GGGGCCJ2K2BB GGGG HJ2BI G GGBBDDG BBBBCBG H G D HL2CHL2BG D G D C B H GGG GBBD B AB C ZL2 G G DD G L2L2CL2CCGG BBCL2GCYBBB

DRAMATIS PERSONAEA
-
VILLIAM a SenB
NEEDLESON a SidniducC
SMILER a ScheisterD
KI YI a TraderD
GRIMGHAST a SpaderD
SARALTHIA a Love lorn NymphE
NELLIBRAC a SweetunB
-
A BODY A GHOST AN UNMENTIONABLE THING SKULLSF
HOODOOS ETCC
-
Scene a Cemetery in San FranciscoC
-
Saralthia Nellibrac GrimghastG
-
-
SARALTHIAH
-
The red half moon is dipping to the westG
And the cold fog invades the sleeping landG
Lo how the grinning skulls in the level lightG
Litter the place Methinks that every skullI
Is a most lifelike portrait of my SenB
Drawn by the hand of Death each fleshless pateG
Cursed with a ghastly grin to eyes unrubbedG
With love's magnetic ointment seems to mineB
To smile an amiable smile like hisJ
Whose amiable smile I I aloneB
Am able to distinguish from his leerD
See how the gathering coyotes flitG
Through the lit spaces or with burning eyesK
Star the black shadows with a steadfast gazeL
About my feet the poddy toads at playA
Bulbously comfortable try to hopM
And tumble clumsily with all their wartsN
While pranking lizards sliding up and downB
My limbs as they were public roads impartG
A singularly interesting chillO
The circumstance and passion of the timeP
The cast and manner of the place the spiritG
Of this confederate environmentG
Command the rights we come to celebrateG
Obedient to the Inspired HagC
The seventh daughter of the seventh daughterD
Who rules all destinies from Minna streetG
A dollar a destiny Here at this graveQ
Which for my purposes thou Jack of SpadesR
To GrimghastG
Corrupter than the thing that reeks belowC
Hast opened secretly we'll work the charmS
Now what's the hourD
Distant clock strikes thirteenB
Enough hale forth the stiffT
-
Grimghast by means of a boat hook stands the coffin on endG
in the excavation the lid crumbles exposing the remains of aC
manB
-
Ha Master Mouldybones how fare you sirD
-
THE BODYG
-
Poorly I thank your ladyship I missU
Some certain fingers and an ear or twoV
There's something too gone wrong with my insideG
And my periphery's not what it wasW
How can we serve each other you and IX
-
NELLIBRACC
-
O what a personable manB
-
Blushes bashfully drops her eyes and twists the corner ofY
her apronB
-
SARALTHIAH
-
Yes dearD
A very proper and alluring maleZ
And quite superior to Lubin RroydG
Who has however this distinct advantageA2
He is aliveB2
-
GRIMGHASTG
-
Missus these yer remainsC2
Was the boss singer back in '-
And used to allers git invites to goC
Down to Swellmont and sing at every feedG
In t'other Villiam's time that was aforeD
The gent that you've hooked onto bought the placeD2
-
THE BODY singingC
-
Down among the sainted deadG
Many years I layA
Beetles occupied my headG
Moles explored my clayA
-
There we feasted day and nightG
I and bug and beastG
They provided appetiteG
And I supplied the feastG
-
The raven is a dicky birdG
-
SARALTHIA singingC
-
The jackal is a daisyG
-
NELLIBRAC singingC
-
The wall mouse is a worthy thirdG
-
A SPOOK singingC
-
But mortals all are crazyG
-
CHORUS OF SKULLSF
-
O mortals all are crazyG
Their intellects are hazyG
In the growing moon they shake their shoonB
And trip it in the mazyG
-
But when the moon is waningC
Their senses they're regainingC
They fall to prayer and from their hairD
Remove the straws remainingC
-
SARALTHIAH
-
That's right Rogues Gallery pray keep it upE2
Your song recalls my Villiam's 'Auld Lang Syne '-
What time he came and like an amorous birdG
That struts before the female of its kindG
Warbling to cave her down the bank piped highX
His cracked falsetto out of reach EnoughF2
Now let's to business Nellibrac sweet childG
St Cloacina's future devoteeG
The time is ripe and rotten gut the gripG2
-
Nellibrac brings forward a valise and takes from it fiveB2
articles of clothing which one by one she lays upon the pointsG
of a magic pentagram that has thoughtfully inscribed itself inB
lines of light on the wet grass The Body holds its late lamentedG
noseG
-
NELLIBRAC singingC
-
Fragrant socks by Villiam's toesG
Consecrated to the noseG
-
Shirt that shows the well worn trackC
Of the knuckles of his backC
-
Handkerchief with mottled stainsG
Into which he blew his brainsG
-
Collar crying out for soapH2
Prophet of the future ropeH2
-
An unmentionable thingC
It would sicken me to singC
-
UNMENTIONABLE THING asideG
-
What I unmentionable Just you waitG
In all the family journals of the StateG
You'll sometime see that I'm described at lengthH
With supereditorial grace and strengthH
-
SARALTHIA singingC
-
Throw them in the open tombI2
They will cause his love to bloomI2
With an amatory boomI2
-
CHORUS OF INVISIBLE HOODOOSG
-
Hoodoo hoodoo voudou vetG
Villiam struggles in the netG
By the power and intentG
Of the charm his strength is spentG
By the virtue in each ragC
Blessed by the Inspired HagC
He will be a willing victimJ2
Limp as if a donkey kicked himK2
By this awful incantationB
We decree his animationB
-
By the magic of our artG
Warm the cockles of his heartG
Villiam if alive or deadG
Thou Saralthia shalt wedG
-
They cast the garments into the grave and push over theH
coffin Grimghast fills up the hole Hoodoos gradually becomeJ2
apparent in a phosphorescent light about the grave holding oneB
another's back hair and dancing in a circleI
-
HOODOO SONG AND DANCEG
-
O we're the larrikin hoodoosG
The chirruping lirruping hoodoosG
We mix things up that the Fates ordainB
Bring back the past and the present detainB
Postpone the future and sometimes tetherD
The three and drive them abreast togetherD
We rollicking frolicking hoodoosG
-
To us all things are the same as noneB
And nothing is that is under the sunB
Seven's a dozen and never is thenB
Whether is what and what is whenB
A man is a tree and a cuckoo a cowC
For gold galore and silver enowB
To magical mystical hoodoosG
-
SARALTHIAH
-
What monstrous shadow darkens all the placeG
-
Enter SmylerD
-
Flung like a doom athwart ha thouH
Portentous presence art thou not the sameL2
That stalks with aspect horrible amongC
Small youths and maidens baring snaggy teethH
Champing their tender limbs till crimson spumeL2
Flung from thy lips in cursing God and manB
Incarnadines the landG
-
SMYLERD
-
Thou dammid slutG
-
Exit SmylerD
-
NELLIBRACC
-
O what a pretty manB
-
SARALTHIAH
-
Now who is nextG
Of tramps and casuals this graveyard seemsG
Prolific to a faultG
-
Enter Needleson exhaling prophetically an odor of decayedG
eggs and actually one of unlaundried linen He darts anB
intense regard at an adjacent marble angel and places his openB
hand behind his earD
-
NEEDLESONB
-
HayA
Exit NeedlesonB
-
NELLIBRACC
-
Sweet sweet maleZ
I yearn to play at Copenhagen with himL2
-
Blushes diligently and energeticallyG
-
CHORUS OF SKULLSG
-
Hoodoos hoodoos disappearD
Some dread deity draws nearD
-
Exeunt HoodosG
-
Smitten with a sense of doomL2
The dead are cowering in the tombL2
Seas are calling stars are fallingC
And appalling is the gloomL2
Fragmentary flames are flungC
Through the air the trees amongC
Lo each hill inclines its headG
Earth is bending 'neath his threadG
-
On the contrary enter Villiam on a chip navigating anB
odor of mignonette Saralthia springs forward to put him inB
her pocket but he is instantly retracted by an invisible stringC
She falls headlong breaking her heart Reenter VilliamL2
Needleson Smyler All gather about Saralthia who loudlyG
laments her accident The Spirit of Tar and Feathers risingC
like a black smoke in their midst executes a monstrous wink ofY
graphic and vivid significance then contemplates them with anB
obviously baptismal intention The cross on Lone MountainB
takes fire splendoring the Peninsula Tableau CurtainB

Ambrose Bierce



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