The Hoary Precedent Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABCDBEFCCGHHHII HHBHHBHH JJAHHAKK L MMNOP AABNNBQ HHRSTRAA| Mr Pericles M P | A |
| In four sixty nine B C | A |
| Outed Cimon at a general election | B |
| Premier Cimon thuswise ex ed | C |
| Was quite naturally vexed | D |
| And he made an angry speech in this connection | B |
| He remarked in peroration as he grabbed his coat and hat | E |
| 'You're a Socialist you rotter You'd no precedent for that ' | F |
| Mr Pericles is dead | C |
| Thoroughly I've heard it said | C |
| And his words and acts may now be safely quoted | G |
| By our statesmen eminent | H |
| Who on mouldy precedent | H |
| If it's old enough and dead enough have doted | H |
| For precedent I'd have you note is most peculiar stuff | I |
| It's absolutely useless if it isn't dead enough | I |
| - | |
| In my youth I ever held | H |
| Grave respect for all the eld | H |
| And I found in history a strong attraction | B |
| So whene'er a scheme I planned | H |
| Eagerly the tomes I scanned | H |
| That I might find precedent for ev'ry action | B |
| Yet despite my zealous labour and the piles of books I read | H |
| In the things that truly mattered I seemed not to forge ahead | H |
| - | |
| - | |
| As I nursed my bulging brow | J |
| Said I 'This is wrong somehow | J |
| Precedent as we all know is something holy | A |
| Something we should not neglect | H |
| To regard with great respect | H |
| And I feel I'm safe in following it solely | A |
| But had we done it from the start I grasp at least this much | K |
| We would still be munching apples that we didn't oughter touch | K |
| - | |
| 'Well this problem is immense ' | - |
| In my experience | L |
| I reflected 'How have we progressed I wonder ' | - |
| Then the obvious reply | M |
| Hit me squarely in the eye | M |
| It is by ignoring precedent by thunder | N |
| 'Tis men who fix the precedents that lead the nations on | O |
| And not the folk who pin their faith to leaders dead and gone | P |
| - | |
| Mr Pericles M P | A |
| You're the sort of man for me | A |
| Though I understand you are a Dago alien | B |
| 'Spite your moral character | N |
| O'er the Styx I greet you sir | N |
| You're the sort we need to day in things Australian | B |
| For we're moved to ask the question of our statesmen now and then | Q |
| 'Does this job of fixing precedents belong to ancient men ' | - |
| - | |
| Mr Pericles deceased | H |
| 'Spite his deadness has increased | H |
| My respect for all the world's originators | R |
| If we must have precedents | S |
| My ideal he represents | T |
| For I'm done with copyists and imitators | R |
| And after this my reference is Pericles M P | A |
| He acted without precedent that's precedent for me | A |
Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis
(1)
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