Jack's Last Muster Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCB CDED FFCF CGHIG JCFCF CKFK FLMNL NLOPL HQEQ FKRK CBECB ECECSE CTCT MUSU HFSF VFMF WXYX ZZEHE A2ZZZ B2C2D2C2 ZE2NF2E2 G2HF2NZTF2 H2I2ZHI2 J2I2EI2 EMHM

The first flush of grey light the herald of daylightA
Is dimly outlining the musterer's campB
Where over the sleeping the stealthily creepingC
Breath of the morning lies chilly and dampB
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As blankets forsaking 'twixt sleeping and wakingC
The black boys turn out to the manager's callD
Whose order of course is Be after the horsesE
And take all sorts of care you unhobble them allD
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Then each with a bridle provokingly idleF
They saunter away his commands to fulfilF
Where cheerily chiming the musical rhymingC
From equine bell ringers comes over the hillF
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But now the dull dawning gives place to the morningC
The sun springing up in a glorious floodG
Of golden shot fire mounts higher and higherH
Till the crests of the sandhills are stained with hisI
bloodG
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Now the hobble chains' jingling with the thud of hoofsJ
minglingC
Though distant sound near the cool air is so stillF
As urged by their whooping the horses come troopingC
In front of the boys round the point of the hillF
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What searching and rushing for bridles and brushingC
Of saddle marks tight'ning of breastplate and girthK
And what a strange jumble of laughter and grumbleF
Some comrade's misfortune the subject of mirthK
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I recollect well how that morning Jack BellF
Had an argument over the age of a mareL
That C O B gray one the dam of that bay oneM
Which Brown the storekeeper calls the young LadyN
ClareL
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How Tomboy and Vanity caused much profanityN
Scamping away with their tales in the airL
Till after a chase at a deuce of a paceO
They ran back in the mob and we collared themP
thereL
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Then the laugh and the banter as gaily we canterH
With a pause for the nags at a miniature lakeQ
Where the yellowtop catches the sunlight in patchesE
And lies like a mirror of gold in our wakeQ
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Oh the rush and the rattle of fast fleeing cattleF
Whose hoofs beat a mad rataplan on the earthK
Their hot headed flight in Who would not delight inR
The gallop that seems to hold all that life is worthK
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And over the rolling plains slowly patrollingC
To the sound of the cattle's monotonous trampB
Till we hear the sharp pealing of stockwhipsE
revealingC
The fact that our comrades have put on the campB
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From the spot where they're drafting the wind risesE
waftingC
The dust till it hides man and beast from our gazeE
Till suddenly lifting and easterly driftingC
We catch a short glimpse of the scene through theS
hazeE
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What a blending and blurring of swiftly recurringC
Colour and movement that pass on their wayT
An intricate weaving of sights and sounds leavingC
An eager desire to take part in the frayT
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A dusty procession in circling successionM
Of bullocks that bellow in impotent rageU
A bright panorama a soul stirring dramaS
The sky for its background the earth for its stageU
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How well I remember that twelfth of NovemberH
When Jack and his little mare Vanity fellF
On the Diamantina there never was seen aS
Pair who could cut out a beast half so wellF
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And yet in one second Death's finger had beckonedV
And horse and bold rider had answered the callF
Brooking no hesitation without preparationM
That sooner or later must come to us allF
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Thrice a big curly horned Cobb bullock had scornedW
To meekly acknowledge the ruling of fateX
Thrice Jack with a clout of his whip cut him outY
But each time the beast galloped back to his mateX
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Once more he came blund'ring along with JackZ
thund'ringZ
Beside him his spurs in poor Vanity's flanksE
As from some cause or other forsaking its motherH
A little white calf trotted out from the ranksE
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'Twas useless I knew it yet I turned to pursue itA2
At the same time I gave a loud warning to JackZ
It was all unavailing I saw him come sailingZ
Along as the weaner ran into his trackZ
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Little Vanity tried to turn off on one sideB2
Then altered her mind and attempted to leapC2
The pace was too fast that jump was her lastD2
For she and her rider fell all in a heapC2
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I was quickly down kneeling beside him and feelingZ
With tremulous hand for the throb of his heartE2
The mare is she dead were the first words heN
saidF2
As he suddenly opened his eyes with a startE2
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He spoke to the creature his hand could just reachG2
herH
Gently caressing her lean Arab headF2
She acknowledged his praising with eyes quicklyN
glazingZ
A whinny a struggle and there she layT
deadF2
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I sat there and nursed his head for we durstH2
Not remove him we knew where he fell he would dieI2
As I watched his life flicker his breath growingZ
thickerH
I'd have given the world to be able to cryI2
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Roughvoiced sunburnt men far away beyond kenJ2
Of civilisation our comrades stood nighI2
All true hearted mourners and sadly forlorn asE
He gave them a handshake and bade them goodbyeI2
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In my loving embrace there he finished life's raceE
And nobly and gamely that long course was runM
Though a man and a sinner he weighed out a winnerH
And God the Great Judge will declare he has wonM

Barcroft Henry Thomas Boake



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