Metempsychosis Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDE F G GHIGJKILMNIGOPQIIRGS G G FGFG G GTEUVWXFKY F I G ZIIIIA2B2GC2 F D2E2G G W F F2G2KG G A F GGH2I2GJ2K2GGL2GM2N2 O2 G P2WN2Q2R2GZS2T2 GGG FU2 V2 G W2G H2 GW2GW2X2GWG Y2 Z2A3O2W2GKGGB3PL2GKC 3GGW2B3SG Y2T2 G RGGGE2 W2 D3E3 A3GF3L2W2 L2 W2W2W2W2GW2GW2GGW2GL 2W2 W2G W2 L2L2W2 W2 GGW2 G GGGG GGW2 GH2GH2 E2GE2GDRAMATIS PERSONAE | A |
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ST JOHN a Presidential Candidate | B |
MCDONALD a Defeated Aspirant | C |
MRS HAYES an Ex President | D |
PITTS STEVENS a Water Nymph | E |
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Scene A Small Lake in the Alleghany Mountains | F |
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ST JOHN | G |
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Hours I've immersed my muzzle in this tarn | G |
And quaffing copious potations tried | H |
To suck it dry but ever as I pumped | I |
Its waters into my distended skin | G |
The labor of my zeal extruded them | J |
In perspiration from my pores and so | K |
Rilling the marginal declivity | I |
They fell again into their source Ah me | L |
Could I but find within these ancient hills | M |
Some long extinct volcano by the rains | N |
Of countless ages in its crater brimmed | I |
Like a full goblet I would lay me down | G |
Prone on the outer slope and o'er its edge | O |
Arching my neck I'd siphon out its store | P |
And flood the valleys with my sweat for aye | Q |
So should I be accounted as a god | I |
Even as Father Nilus is What's that | I |
Methought I heard some sawyer draw his file | R |
With jarring stridulous cacophany | G |
Across his notchy blade to set its teeth | S |
And mine on edge Ha there it goes again | G |
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Song within | G |
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Cold water's the milk of the mountains | F |
And Nature's our wet nurse O then | G |
Glue thou thy blue lips to her fountains | F |
Forever and ever amen | G |
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ST JOHN | G |
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Why surely there's congenial company | G |
Aloof the spirit I suppose that guards | T |
This sacred spot perchance some water nymph | E |
Who laving in the crystal flood her limbs | U |
Has taken cold and so with raucous voice | V |
Afflicts the sensitive membrane of mine ear | W |
The while she sings my sentiments | X |
Enter Pitts Stevens | F |
Hello | K |
What fiend is this | Y |
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PITTS STEVENS | F |
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'Tis I be not afraid | I |
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ST JOHN | G |
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And who thou antiquated crone art thou | Z |
I ne'er forget a face but names I can't | I |
So well remember I have seen thee oft | I |
When in the middle season of the night | I |
Curved with a cucumber or knotted hard | I |
With an eclectic pie I've striven to keep | A2 |
My head and heels asunder thou has come | B2 |
With sociable familiarity | G |
Into my dream but not alas to bless | C2 |
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PITTS STEVENS | F |
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My name's Pitts Stevens age just seventeen years | D2 |
Talking teetotaler professional | E2 |
Beauty | G |
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ST JOHN | G |
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What dost them here | W |
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PITTS STEVENS | F |
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I'm come fair sir | F2 |
With paint and brush to blazon on these rocks | G2 |
The merits of my master's nostrum so | K |
Paints rapidly | G |
'McDonald's Vinegar Bitters ' | - |
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ST JOHN | G |
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What are they | A |
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PITTS STEVENS | F |
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A woman suffering from widowhood | G |
Took a full bottle and was cured A man | G |
There was a murderer the doctors all | H2 |
Had given him up he'd but an hour to live | I2 |
He swallowed half a glassful He is dead | G |
But not of Vinegar Bitters A wee babe | J2 |
Lay sick and cried for it The mother gave | K2 |
That innocent a spoonful and it smoothed | G |
Its pathway to the tomb 'Tis warranted | G |
To cause a boy to strike his father make | L2 |
A pig squeal start the hair upon a stone | G |
Or play the fiddle for a country dance | M2 |
Enter McDonald reading a Sunday school book | N2 |
Good morrow sir I trust you're well | O2 |
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MCDONALD | G |
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H'lo Pitts | P2 |
Observe good friends I have a volume here | W |
Myself am author of a noble book | N2 |
To train the infant mind delightful task | Q2 |
It tells how one Samantha Brown age six | R2 |
A gutter bunking slave to rum was saved | G |
By Vinegar Bitters went to church and now | Z |
Has an account at the Pacific Bank | S2 |
I'll read the whole work to you | T2 |
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ST JOHN | G |
Heaven forbid | G |
I've elsewhere an engagement | G |
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PITTS STEVENS | F |
I am deaf | U2 |
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MCDONALD reading regardless | V2 |
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'Once on a time there lived' | G |
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Enter Mrs Hayes | W2 |
Behold our queen | G |
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ALL | H2 |
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Her eyes upon the ground | G |
Before her feet she low'rs | W2 |
Walking in thought profound | G |
As 'twere upon all fours | W2 |
Her visage is austere | X2 |
Her gait a high parade | G |
At every step you hear | W |
The sloshing lemonade | G |
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MRS HAYES to herself | Y2 |
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Once sitting in the White House hard at work | Z2 |
Signing State papers Rutherford was there | A3 |
Knitting some hose a sudden glory fell | O2 |
Upon my paper I looked up and saw | W2 |
An angel holding in his hand a rod | G |
Wherewith he struck me Smarting with the blow | K |
I rose and cuffing Rutherford inquired | G |
'Wherefore this chastisement ' The angel said | G |
'Four years you have been President and still | B3 |
There's rum ' then flew to Heaven Contrite I swore | P |
Such oath as lady Methodist might take | L2 |
My second term should medicine my first | G |
The people would not have it that way so | K |
I seek some candidate who'll take my soul | C3 |
My spirit of reform fresh from my breast | G |
And give me his instead and thus equipped | G |
With my imperious and fiery essence | W2 |
Drive the Drink Demon from the land and fill | B3 |
The people up with water till their teeth | S |
Are all afloat | G |
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St John discovers himself | Y2 |
What you | T2 |
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ST JOHN | G |
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Aye Madam I'll | R |
Swap souls with you and lead the cold sea green | G |
Amphibians of Prohibition on | G |
Pallid of nose and webbed of foot swim bladdered | G |
Gifted with gills invincible | E2 |
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MRS HAYES | W2 |
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Enough | D3 |
Stand forth and consummate the interchange | E3 |
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While McDonald and Pitts Stevens modestly turn their | A3 |
backs the latter blushing a delicate shrimp pink St John and | G |
Mrs Hayes effect an exchange of immortal parts When the | F3 |
transfer is complete McDonald turns and advances uncorking | L2 |
a bottle of Vinegar Bitters | W2 |
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MCDONALD chanting | L2 |
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Nectar compounded of simples | W2 |
Cocted in Stygian shades | W2 |
Acids of wrinkles and pimples | W2 |
From faces of ancient maids | W2 |
Acrid precipitates sunken | G |
From tempers of scolding wives | W2 |
Whose husbands uncommonly drunken | G |
Are commonly found in dives | W2 |
With this I baptize and appoint thee | G |
to St John | G |
To marshal the vinophobe ranks | W2 |
In the name of Dambosh I anoint thee | G |
pours the liquid down St John's back | L2 |
As King of aquatical cranks | W2 |
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The liquid blisters the royal back and His Majesty starts | W2 |
on a dead run energetically exclaiming Exit St John | G |
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MRS HAYES | W2 |
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My soul My soul I'll never get it back | L2 |
Unless I follow nimbly on his track | L2 |
Exit Mrs Hayes | W2 |
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PITTS STEVENS | W2 |
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O my he's such a beautiful young man | G |
I'll follow too and catch him if I can | G |
Exit Pitts Stevens | W2 |
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MCDONALD | G |
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He scarce is visible his dust so great | G |
Methinks for so obscure a candidate | G |
He runs quite well But as for Prohibition | G |
I mean myself to hold the first position | G |
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Produces a pocket flask topes a cruel quantity of double distilled | G |
thunder and lightning out of it smiles so grimly as to | G |
darken all the stage and sings | W2 |
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Though fortunes vary let all be merry | G |
And then if e'er a disaster befall | H2 |
At Styx's ferry is Charon's wherry | G |
In easy call | H2 |
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Upon a ripple of golden tipple | E2 |
That tipsy ship'll convey you best | G |
To king and cripple the bottle's the nipple | E2 |
Of Nature's breast | G |
Ambrose Bierce
(1)
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