The Psoriad Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAB CCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJKKLL MMEENNOOEEPPQQ RRSSKKKOOQQQQOOOODDO ORT JJQQUUOOKKO VVQQOOOOOOUUJWKK| The King of Scotland years and years ago | A |
| Convened his courtiers in a gallant row | A |
| And thus addressed them | B |
| - | |
| 'Gentle sirs from you | C |
| Abundant counsel I have had and true | C |
| What laws to make to serve the public weal | D |
| What laws of Nature's making to repeal | D |
| What old religion is the only true one | E |
| And what the greater merit of some new one | E |
| What friends of yours my favor have forgot | F |
| Which of your enemies against me plot | F |
| In harvests ample to augment my treasures | G |
| Behold the fruits of your sagacious measures | G |
| The punctual planets to their periods just | H |
| Attest your wisdom and approve my trust | H |
| Lo the reward your shining virtues bring | I |
| The grateful placemen bless their useful king | I |
| But while you quaff the nectar of my favor | J |
| I mean somewhat to modify its flavor | J |
| By just infusing a peculiar dash | K |
| Of tonic bitter in the calabash | K |
| And should you too abstemious disdain it | L |
| Egad I'll hold your noses till you drain it | L |
| - | |
| 'You know you dogs your master long has felt | M |
| A keen distemper in the royal pelt | M |
| A testy superficial irritation | E |
| Brought home I fancy from some foreign nation | E |
| For this a thousand simples you've prescribed | N |
| Unguents external draughts to be imbibed | N |
| You've plundered Scotland of its plants the seas | O |
| You've ravished and despoiled the Hebrides | O |
| To brew me remedies which in probation | E |
| Were sovereign only in their application | E |
| In vain and eke in pain have I applied | P |
| Your flattering unctions to my soul and hide | P |
| Physic and hope have been my daily food | Q |
| I've swallowed treacle by the holy rood | Q |
| - | |
| 'Your wisdom which sufficed to guide the year | R |
| And tame the seasons in their mad career | R |
| When set to higher purposes has failed me | S |
| And added anguish to the ills that ailed me | S |
| Nor that alone but each ambitious leech | K |
| His rivals' skill has labored to impeach | K |
| By hints equivocal in secret speech | K |
| For years to conquer our respective broils | O |
| We've plied each other with pacific oils | O |
| In vain your turbulence is unallayed | Q |
| My flame unquenched your rioting unstayed | Q |
| My life so wretched from your strife to save it | Q |
| That death were welcome did I dare to brave it | Q |
| With zeal inspired by your intemperate pranks | O |
| My subjects muster in contending ranks | O |
| Those fling their banners to the startled breeze | O |
| To champion some royal ointment these | O |
| The standard of some royal purge display | D |
| And 'neath that ensign wage a wasteful fray | D |
| Brave tongues are thundering from sea to sea | O |
| Torrents of sweat roll reeking o'er the lea | O |
| My people perish in their martial fear | R |
| And rival bagpipes cleave the royal ear | T |
| - | |
| 'Now caitiffs tremble for this very hour | J |
| Your injured sovereign shall assert his power | J |
| Behold this lotion carefully compound | Q |
| Of all the poisons you for me have found | Q |
| Of biting washes such as tan the skin | U |
| And drastic drinks to vex the parts within | U |
| What aggravates an ailment will produce | O |
| I mean to rub you with this dreadful juice | O |
| Divided counsels you no more shall hatch | K |
| At last you shall unanimously scratch | K |
| Kneel villains kneel and doff your shirts God bless us | O |
| They'll seem when you resume them robes of Nessus ' | - |
| - | |
| The sovereign ceased and sealing what he spoke | V |
| From Arthur's Seat confirming thunders broke | V |
| The conscious culprits to their fate resigned | Q |
| Sank to their knees all piously inclined | Q |
| This act from high Ben Lomond where she floats | O |
| The thrifty goddess Caledonia notes | O |
| Glibly as nimble sixpence down she tilts | O |
| Headlong and ravishes away their kilts | O |
| Tears off each plaid and all their shirts discloses | O |
| Removes each shirt and their broad backs exposes | O |
| The king advanced then cursing fled amain | U |
| Dashing the phial to the stony plain | U |
| Where't straight became a fountain brimming o'er | J |
| Whence Father Tweed derives his liquid store | W |
| For lo already on each back sans stitch | K |
| The red sign manual of the Rosy Witch | K |
Ambrose Bierce
(1)
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