The Spelling Bee At Angels Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDE FFGGAA HHIIJJ KKLLB MMNNOO PNNQQ BBRRSNN TTUURR VVWWNN XXYYKK ZZRRRA2A2 BBRRTT TTNNBB TTRRAAReported By Truthful James | A |
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Waltz in waltz in ye little kids and gather round my knee | B |
And drop them books and first pot hooks and hear a yarn from me | B |
I kin not sling a fairy tale of Jinnys fierce and wild | C |
For I hold it is unchristian to deceive a simple child | C |
But as from school yer driftin' by I thowt ye'd like to hear | D |
Of a Spelling Bee at Angels that we organized last year | E |
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It warn't made up of gentle kids of pretty kids like you | F |
But gents ez hed their reg'lar growth and some enough for two | F |
There woz Lanky Jim of Sutter's Fork and Bilson of Lagrange | G |
And Pistol Bob who wore that day a knife by way of change | G |
You start you little kids you think these are not pretty names | A |
But each had a man behind it and my name is Truthful James | A |
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There was Poker Dick from Whisky Flat and Smith of Shooter's Bend | H |
And Brown of Calaveras which I want no better friend | H |
Three fingered Jack yes pretty dears three fingers YOU have five | I |
Clapp cut off two it's sing'lar too that Clapp ain't now alive | I |
'Twas very wrong indeed my dears and Clapp was much to blame | J |
Likewise was Jack in after years for shootin' of that same | J |
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The nights was kinder lengthenin' out the rains had jest begun | K |
When all the camp came up to Pete's to have their usual fun | K |
But we all sot kinder sad like around the bar room stove | L |
Till Smith got up permiskiss like and this remark he hove | L |
Thar's a new game down in Frisco that ez far ez I can see | B |
Beats euchre poker and van toon they calls the 'Spellin' Bee ' | - |
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Then Brown of Calaveras simply hitched his chair and spake | M |
Poker is good enough for me and Lanky Jim sez Shake | M |
And Bob allowed he warn't proud but he must say right thar | N |
That the man who tackled euchre hed his education squar | N |
This brought up Lenny Fairchild the schoolmaster who said | O |
He knew the game and he would give instructions on that head | O |
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For instance take some simple word sez he like 'separate ' | - |
Now who can spell it Dog my skin ef thar was one in eight | P |
This set the boys all wild at once The chairs was put in row | N |
And at the head was Lanky Jim and at the foot was Joe | N |
And high upon the bar itself the schoolmaster was raised | Q |
And the bar keep put his glasses down and sat and silent gazed | Q |
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The first word out was parallel and seven let it be | B |
Till Joe waltzed in his double l betwixt the a and e | B |
For since he drilled them Mexicans in San Jacinto's fight | R |
Thar warn't no prouder man got up than Pistol Joe that night | R |
Till rhythm came He tried to smile then said they had him | S |
there | N |
And Lanky Jim with one long stride got up and took his chair | N |
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O little kids my pretty kids 'twas touchin' to survey | T |
These bearded men with weppings on like schoolboys at their play | T |
They'd laugh with glee and shout to see each other lead the van | U |
And Bob sat up as monitor with a cue for a rattan | U |
Till the Chair gave out incinerate and Brown said he'd be durned | R |
If any such blamed word as that in school was ever learned | R |
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When phthisis came they all sprang up and vowed the man who rung | V |
Another blamed Greek word on them be taken out and hung | V |
As they sat down again I saw in Bilson's eye a flash | W |
And Brown of Calaveras was a twistin' his mustache | W |
And when at last Brown slipped on gneiss and Bilson took his chair | N |
He dropped some casual words about some folks who dyed their hair | N |
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And then the Chair grew very white and the Chair said he'd adjourn | X |
But Poker Dick remarked that HE would wait and get his turn | X |
Then with a tremblin' voice and hand and with a wanderin' eye | Y |
The Chair next offered eider duck and Dick began with I | Y |
And Bilson smiled then Bilson shrieked Just how the fight begun | K |
I never knowed for Bilson dropped and Dick he moved up one | K |
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Then certain gents arose and said they'd business down in camp | Z |
And ez the road was rather dark and ez the night was damp | Z |
They'd here got up Three fingered Jack and locked the door and | R |
yelled | R |
No not one mother's son goes out till that thar word is spelled | R |
But while the words were on his lips he groaned and sank in pain | A2 |
And sank with Webster on his chest and Worcester on his brain | A2 |
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Below the bar dodged Poker Dick and tried to look ez he | B |
Was huntin' up authorities thet no one else could see | B |
And Brown got down behind the stove allowin' he was cold | R |
Till it upsot and down his legs the cinders freely rolled | R |
And several gents called Order till in his simple way | T |
Poor Smith began with O r Or and he was dragged away | T |
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O little kids my pretty kids down on your knees and pray | T |
You've got your eddication in a peaceful sort of way | T |
And bear in mind thar may be sharps ez slings their spellin' square | N |
But likewise slings their bowie knives without a thought or care | N |
You wants to know the rest my dears Thet's all In me you see | B |
The only gent that lived to tell about the Spellin' Bee | B |
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He ceased and passed that truthful man the children went their way | T |
With downcast heads and downcast hearts but not to sport or play | T |
For when at eve the lamps were lit and supperless to bed | R |
Each child was sent with tasks undone and lessons all unsaid | R |
No man might know the awful woe that thrilled their youthful frames | A |
As they dreamed of Angels Spelling Bee and thought of Truthful James | A |
Bret Harte
(1)
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