Josephus Riley Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABCDDC EECF C GGHIJ C KKICLLC MMCNNO PPPCQQOC IIQRRC QQSQI C Q QQFFC NNQCT QQCQQC UUQQIIC VVQQQV PPVQQV

The rum was rich and rareA
There were wagers in the airA
The atmosphere was rosy and the tongues wereB
wagging freeC
But one was in the revelD
Whose occiput was levelD
Plain Josephus Riley from the North CountreeC
-
The conversation's flowE
Was not devoid of blowE
And neither was it wanting in the plain colloquial DC
With a most ingenuous smileF
'This here is not my style '-
Said plain Josephus Riley from the North CountreeC
-
'And I wouldn't be averseG
To emptying my purseG
And laying some small wager with the presentH
companeeI
To cut the matter shortJ
Foot racing is my forte '-
Said plain Josephus Riley from the North CountreeC
-
I think it's on the cardsK
That I can run three hundred yardsK
The match to be decided where you gentlemenI
agreeC
Against your fleetest horseL
The race would prove a sourceL
Of pleasure ' said Josephus from the North CountreeC
-
'To equalise the taskM
This little start I askM
The rider ere he follows must imbibe a cup of teaC
A simple breakfast cupN
He will have to swallow upN
That's me Josephus Riley from the NorthO
Countree '-
-
Then a knowing 'un looked wiseP
Begged to apologiseP
But might he ask what temp'rature the liquid wasP
to beC
Would it come from out the potQ
Milkless steaming boiling hotQ
'Oh not at all ' said Riley from the NorthO
CountreeC
-
'Allow me to explainI
I do observe with painI
This jocular reflection on my native honesteeQ
My bump of truth is hugeR
I'd scorn a subterfuge'R
Said plain Josephus Riley from the North CountreeC
-
Before the parties startQ
I'll take the Judge apartQ
To prove by tasting whether I have tampered withS
the teaQ
And I beg to state againI
Your suspicions give me pain '-
Said plain Josephus Riley from the North CountreeC
-
Then they were all satisfiedQ
That the match was 'boneefied '-
The bond was signed and Riley went to 'preparateQ
the teaQ
But his slow ambiguous smileF
Would have seemed to token guileF
In any man but Riley from the North CountreeC
-
He brought the fatal cupN
By its saucer covered upN
The Judge examined its contents with awful graviteeQ
Then read the papers o'erC
But could not find a flawT
'Wade in Josephus Riley from the North Countree '-
-
Then the wagerer just bowedQ
And passing through the crowdQ
He handed up the beverage unto the wagereeC
And off across the flatQ
Springing gaily pit a patQ
Went plain Josephus Riley from the North CountreeC
-
But behind him what a yellU
Of execration fellU
From lips that lent themselves to shapes of greatQ
profaniteeQ
For the people of that townI
Were done a lovely brownI
By plain Josephus Riley from the North CountreeC
-
And here's the reason whyV
The tea was simply DRYV
You might eat it but to drink it was impossibiliteeQ
But curious to stateQ
Men did not appreciateQ
This hum'rous innovation from the North CountreeV
-
You'll understand of courseP
That wager was a sourceP
Of very little profit to the hapless wagereeV
And dating from that dayQ
I much regret to sayQ
Men look askance at Riley from the North CountreeV

Barcroft Henry Thomas Boake



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