Brother Bruin Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAAABBAACCDDD DDEEE FFGHIIIJJJJKKLLMNNGG OPQQAAARRIISSDDAATT| A dancing Bear grotesque and funny | A |
| Earned for his master heaps of money | A |
| Gruff yet good natured fond of honey | A |
| And cheerful if the day was sunny | A |
| Past hedge and ditch past pond and wood | B |
| He tramped and on some common stood | B |
| There cottage children circling gaily | A |
| He in their midmost footed daily | A |
| Pandean pipes and drum and muzzle | C |
| Were quite enough his brain to puzzle | C |
| But like a philosophic bear | D |
| He let alone extraneous care | D |
| And danced contented anywhere | D |
| - | |
| Still year on year and wear and tear | D |
| Age even the gruffest bluffest bear | D |
| A day came when he scarce could prance | E |
| And when his master looked askance | E |
| On dancing Bear who would not dance | E |
| - | |
| To looks succeeded blows hard blows | F |
| Battered his ears and poor old nose | F |
| From bluff and gruff he waxed curmudgeon | G |
| He danced indeed but danced in dudgeon | H |
| Capered in fury fast and faster | I |
| Ah could he once but hug his master | I |
| And perish in one joint disaster | I |
| But deafness blindness weakness growing | J |
| Not fury's self could keep him going | J |
| One dark day when the snow was snowing | J |
| His cup was brimmed to overflowing | J |
| He tottered toppled on one side | K |
| Growled once and shook his head and died | K |
| The master kicked and struck in vain | L |
| The weary drudge had distanced pain | L |
| And never now would wince again | M |
| The master growled he might have howled | N |
| Or coaxed that slave's last growl was growled | N |
| So gnawed by rancor and chagrin | G |
| One thing remained he sold the skin | G |
| - | |
| What next the man did is not worth | O |
| Your notice or my setting forth | P |
| But hearken what befell at last | Q |
| His idle working days gone past | Q |
| And not one friend and not one penny | A |
| Stored up if ever he had any | A |
| Friends but his coppers had been many | A |
| All doors stood shut against him but | R |
| The workhouse door which cannot shut | R |
| There he droned on a grim old sinner | I |
| Toothless and grumbling for his dinner | I |
| Unpitied quite uncared for much | S |
| The rate payers not favoring such | S |
| Hungry and gaunt with time to spare | D |
| Perhaps the hungry gaunt old Bear | D |
| Danced back a haunting memory | A |
| Indeed I hope so for you see | A |
| If once the hard old heart relented | T |
| The hard old man may have repented | T |
Christina Rossetti
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
About Brother Bruin
Brother Bruin is a poem by Christina Rossetti. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
Write your comment about Brother Bruin poem by Christina Rossetti
Best Poems of Christina Rossetti