The Mate's Story Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BC DDEEFFGHIIJJ KLLAAMMNNOOBBCCPPLLQ QRSAANNGGLLAATTBBUUV VFFF WLLLPPXYZZK FFA2A2OOB2B2 C2C2ZZD2D2E2E2| Mari Magno | A |
| or | - |
| Tales on Board | B |
| The Mate's Story | C |
| - | |
| - | |
| 'I've often wondered how it is at times | D |
| Good people do what are as bad as crimes | D |
| A common person would have been ashamed | E |
| To do what once a family far famed | E |
| For their religious ways was known to do | F |
| Small harm befell small thanks to them were due | F |
| They from abroad perhaps it cost them less | G |
| Had brought a young French girl as governess | H |
| A pretty youthful thing as e'er you saw | I |
| She taught the children how to play and draw | I |
| Of course the language of her native land | J |
| English she scarcely learnt to understand | J |
| After a time they wanted her no more | - |
| She must go home but how to send her o'er | K |
| Far in the south of France she lived and they | L |
| In Ireland there was more than they could say | L |
| A monthly steamer as they chanced to know | A |
| From Liverpool went over to Bordeaux | A |
| And would they thought exactly meet the case | M |
| They wrote and got a friend to take a place | M |
| And from her salary paid her money down | N |
| A trading steamer from the sea port town | N |
| Near which they lived across the Channel plied | O |
| And this they said a passage would provide | O |
| With pigs and with the Irish reaping horde | B |
| This pretty tender girl was put on board | B |
| And a rough time of it no doubt had she | C |
| Tossing about upon the Irish Sea | C |
| Arrived at last and set ashore she found | P |
| The steamer gone for which she had been bound | P |
| The pious people in their careless way | L |
| Had made some loose mistake about the day | L |
| She stood the passengers with whom she crossed | Q |
| Went off and she remained as one that 's lost | Q |
| Think of the hapless creature standing here | R |
| Alone beside her boxes on the pier | S |
| Whither to turn and where to try and go | A |
| She knew not nay the language did not know | A |
| So young a girl so pretty too set down | N |
| Here in the midst of a great sea port town | N |
| What might have happened one may sadly guess | G |
| Had not the captain seeing her distress | G |
| Made out the cause and told her she could stay | L |
| On board the vessel till the following day | L |
| Next day he said the steamer to Bordeaux | A |
| Was gone no doubt next month the next would go | A |
| For this her passage money she had paid | T |
| But some arrangement could he thought be made | T |
| If only she could manage to afford | B |
| To wait a month and pay for bed and board | B |
| She sadly shook her head well after all | U |
| 'Twas a bad town and mischief might befall | U |
| Would she go back Indeed 'twas but a shame | V |
| To take her back to those from whom she came | V |
| 'There's one thing Miss ' said he 'that you can do | F |
| It's speaking somewhat sudden like it's true | F |
| But if you'll marry me I'll marry you | F |
| May be you won't but if you will you can ' | - |
| This captain was a young and decent man | W |
| And I suppose she saw no better way | L |
| Marry they did and married live this day | L |
| Another friend these previous nights away | L |
| An officer of engineers and round | P |
| By Halifax to far Bermuda bound | P |
| Joined us this night a rover he had been | X |
| Many strange sights and many climes had seen | Y |
| And much of various life his comment was 'twas well | Z |
| There was no further incident to tell | Z |
| He'd been afraid that ere the tale was o'er | K |
| 'Twould prove the captain had a wife before | - |
| The poor French girl was luckier than she knew | F |
| Soldiers and sailors had so often two | F |
| And it was something too for men who went | A2 |
| From port to port to be with two content | A2 |
| In every place the marriage rite supplied | O |
| A decent spouse to whom you were not tied | O |
| Of course the women would at times suspect | B2 |
| But felt their reputations were not wrecked | B2 |
| - | |
| One after night we took ourselves to task | C2 |
| For our neglect who had forborne to ask | C2 |
| The clergyman who told his tale so well | Z |
| Another tale for our behalf to tell | Z |
| He to a second had himself confessed | D2 |
| Now when to hear it eagerly we pressed | D2 |
| He put us off but ere the night was done | E2 |
| Told us his second and his sadder one | E2 |
Arthur Hugh Clough
(1)
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