The Bushfire - An Allegory Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDBEFGFHF IJKJLJ MNONPN QRSRNR TQUQVQ WXYZA2X B2C2QC2D2C2 E2NNNNN F2YG2YAY NNH2NB2N FI2J2I2HI2 C2K2L2K2GK2 RM2N2M2G2M2 O2P2L2P2Q2Q2 GQ2B2Q2QQ2 YQ2Q2Q2R2Q2 NQ2Q2Q2S2Q2 Q2Q2T2Q2QQ2 VQ2B2Q2ZQ2 VU2Q2V2Q2V2 W2G2X2G2Q2G2Q2G2 H2 Q2NQ2NGN Y2Q2NQ2Q2Q2 NQ2GQ2W2Q2'Twas on the famous Empire run | A |
Whose sun does never set | B |
Whose grass and water so they say | C |
Have never failed them yet | B |
They carry many million sheep | D |
Through seasons dry and wet | B |
They call the homestead Albion House | E |
And then along with that | F |
There's Welshman's Gully Scotchman's Hill | G |
And Paddymelon Flat | F |
And all these places are renowned | H |
For making jumbacks fat | F |
- | |
And the out paddocks holy frost | I |
There wouldn't be no sense | J |
For me to try and tell you half | K |
They really are immense | J |
A man might ride for days and weeks | L |
And never strike a fence | J |
- | |
But still for years they never had | M |
Been known a sheep to lose | N |
Old Billy Gladstone managed it | O |
And you can bet your shoes | N |
He'd scores of supers under him | P |
And droves of jackaroos | N |
- | |
Old Billy had an eagle eye | Q |
And kept his wits about | R |
If any chaps got trespassing | S |
He quickly cleared 'em out | R |
And coves that used to work a cross | N |
They hated him no doubt | R |
- | |
But still he managed it in style | T |
Until the times got dry | Q |
And Billy gave the supers word | U |
To see and mind their eye | Q |
If any paddocks gets a fire | V |
I'll know the reason why | Q |
- | |
Now on this point old Bill was sure | W |
Because for many a year | X |
Whenever times got dry at all | Y |
As sure as you are here | Z |
The Paddymelon Flat got burnt | A2 |
Which Bill thought rather queer | X |
- | |
He sent his smartest supers there | B2 |
To try and keep things right | C2 |
No use The grass was always dry | Q |
They'd go to sleep at night | C2 |
And when they woke they'd go and find | D2 |
The whole concern alight | C2 |
- | |
One morning it was very hot | E2 |
The sun rose in a haze | N |
Old Bill was cutting down some trees | N |
One of his little ways | N |
A black boy came hot foot to say | N |
The Flat was in a blaze | N |
- | |
Old Bill he swears a fearful oath | F2 |
And lets the tommy fall | Y |
Says he 'll take this business up | G2 |
And fix it once for all | Y |
If this goes on the cursed run | A |
Will send us to the wall | Y |
- | |
So he withdrew his trespass suits | N |
He'd one with Dutchy's boss | N |
In prosecutions criminal | H2 |
He entered nolle pros | N |
But these were neither here nor there | B2 |
They always meant a loss | N |
- | |
And off to Paddymelon Flat | F |
He started double quick | I2 |
Drayloads of men with lots of grog | J2 |
Lest heat should make them sick | I2 |
And all the strangers came around | H |
To see him do the trick | I2 |
- | |
And there the fire was flaming bright | C2 |
For miles and miles it spread | K2 |
And many a sheep and horse and cow | L2 |
Were numbered with the dead | K2 |
The super came to meet Old Bill | G |
And this is what he said | K2 |
- | |
No use to try to beat it out | R |
'Twill dry you up like toast | M2 |
I've done as much as man can do | N2 |
Although I never boast | M2 |
I think you'd better chuck it up | G2 |
And let the jumbucks roast | M2 |
- | |
Then Bill said just two words You're sacked | O2 |
And pitches off his coat | P2 |
And wrenches down a blue gum bough | L2 |
And clears his manly throat | P2 |
And into it like threshing wheat | Q2 |
Right sturdily he smote | Q2 |
- | |
And beat the blazing grass until | G |
His shirt was dripping wet | Q2 |
And all the people watched him there | B2 |
To see what luck he'd get | Q2 |
Gosh don't he make the cinders fly | Q |
And Golly don't he sweat | Q2 |
- | |
But though they worked like Trojans all | Y |
The fire still went ahead | Q2 |
So far as you could see around | Q2 |
The very skies were red | Q2 |
Sometimes the flames would start afresh | R2 |
Just where they thought it dead | Q2 |
- | |
His men too quarreled 'mongst themselves | N |
And some coves gave it best | Q2 |
And some said Light a fire in front | Q2 |
And burn from east to west | Q2 |
But Bill he still kept sloggin' in | S2 |
And never took no rest | Q2 |
- | |
Then through the crowd a cornstalk kid | Q2 |
Come ridin' to the spot | Q2 |
Says he to Bill Now take a spell | T2 |
You're lookin' very 'ot | Q2 |
And if you'll only listen why | Q |
I'll tell you what is what | Q2 |
- | |
These coves as set your grass on fire | V |
There ain't no mortal doubt | Q2 |
I've seen 'em ridin' here and there | B2 |
And pokin' round about | Q2 |
It ain't no use your workin' here | Z |
Until you finds them out | Q2 |
- | |
See yonder where you beat the fire | V |
It's blazin' up again | U2 |
And fires are starting right and left | Q2 |
On Tipperary Plain | V2 |
Beating them out is useless quite | Q2 |
Unless Heaven sends the rain | V2 |
- | |
Then Bill he turns upon the boy | W2 |
Oh hold your tongue you pup | G2 |
But a cinder blew across the creek | X2 |
While Bill stopped for a sup | G2 |
And fired the Albion paddocks too | Q2 |
It was a bitter cup | G2 |
Old Bill's heart was broke at last | Q2 |
He had to chuck it up | G2 |
- | |
- | |
Moral | H2 |
- | |
The run is England's Empire great | Q2 |
The fire is the distress | N |
That burns the stock they represent | Q2 |
Prosperity you'll guess | N |
And the blue gum bough is the Home Rule Bill | G |
That's making such a mess | N |
- | |
And Ireland green of course I mean | Y2 |
By Paddymelon Flat | Q2 |
All men can see the fire of course | N |
Spreads on at such a bat | Q2 |
But who are setting it alight | Q2 |
I cannot tell you that | Q2 |
- | |
But this I think all men will see | N |
And hold it very true | Q2 |
Don't quarrel with effects until | G |
The cause is brought to view | Q2 |
What is the cause That cornstalk boy | W2 |
He seemed to think he knew | Q2 |
Banjo Paterson
(1)
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