The Woes Of Bill Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCD AEAF GHI BJCJ AKA LM NOGO GPCP GQGQ ARNR GNCN C AS AGAG THQ GUCU AGVG CAG BCW AXY ACGCAZCZOnce upon a recent even as I lay in fitful slumber | A |
Weaving dreams and seeing visions vague and utterly absurd | B |
Suddenly I seemed to waken somewhat scared and rather shaken | C |
For I thought my name was mentioned coupled with 'a certain word ' | D |
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'Twas the Adjective that roused me sanguinary and familiar | A |
That embellishes the diction of my fellow countrymen | E |
When they do commune together in regard to crops or weather | A |
Such a word as never never shall defile this pious pen | F |
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Sitting upright on my pillow filled with weird uncanny feelings | G |
Once again I heard distinctly someone calling on my name | H |
And I gazed around me vainly as a voice exclaimed quite plainly | I |
'Strike me up a blessed wattle if it ain't a blessed shame ' | - |
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''Tis some idiotic joker 't's some festive friend ' I muttered | B |
Gazing toward my chamber window where the moonlight faintly gleamed | J |
Then before my bedroom curtain I beheld a shape uncertain | C |
Something vague and dim and doubtful slowly taking form it seemed | J |
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Then all obvious before me stood a figure most familiar | A |
Clad in bushman's boots and breeches and a colored cotton shirt | K |
Said he 'No yer eyes don't fail yer Here's yer cobber BILL AUSTRALIER | A |
An' I've come to ask you plainly if this game ain't blessed dirt ' | - |
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'Pardon BILL ' said I politely 'but I hardly get your meaning ' | - |
'Strewth ' said BILL 'Dead crook I call it ' But I stayed him with a smile | L |
'By your leave my worthy bloke we'll dropp these oaths and terms colloquial | M |
And just talk the matter over in a peaceful friendly style ' | - |
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BILL choked back a warm expletive for my smile was most engaging | N |
And upon my invitation sat beside me on the bed | O |
And omitting decorations fancy oaths and execrations | G |
That his woeful story garnished I shall tell you what he said | O |
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'Now my name is BILL AUSTRALIER just plain BILL without no trimmin's | G |
And you'll tumble that I'm ownin' quite a tidy bit o' land | P |
Land that needs a bit o' workin' an' there ain't no time for shirkin' | C |
An' there ain't no call for loafers on the job I got on hand | P |
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'My selection is extensive right from sea to sea it stretches | G |
An' I'm needin' willin' grafters for the toil there is to do | Q |
So some blokes called politicians speaks for overseers' positions | G |
An' I hands 'em out the billets thinkin' they would see things through | Q |
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''Strewth They ain't signed on minutes 'fore they downs their tools in anger | A |
An' without no word o' warnin' started fightin' tooth an' nail | R |
An' I yelled till I grew husky an' me face with rage went dusky | N |
But me most expensive language wasn't of the least avail | R |
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'Tell yeh I was fair bewildered till a bloke gives me the office | G |
Puts me wise about them factions an' this Party Guv'ment lurk | N |
Seems if one side takes to toilin' then the other aims at spoilin' | C |
Ev'ry blessed job they tackle An' the blighters calls it WORK | N |
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'So I puts it to 'em plainly Sez I 'This here Party scrappin' | C |
In the time for which I'm payin' ain't a fair thing anyway ' | - |
An I calmly asks 'em whether they can't work in peace together | A |
An' consider me a trifle seein' as I find the pay | S |
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'But it weren't no use o' torkin' they just howls and fights the harder | A |
Leaves me pressin' jobs to languish while they plays their party games | G |
Till one push turns out the stronger then I don't chip in no longer | A |
For they done a bit o' graftin' while the others calls 'em names | G |
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'Now this year their contracts finished so I gives 'em all the bullet | T |
Sacks the lot an' advertises for fresh men an' when they came | H |
With near even sides by Heaven to | Q |
They remarks 'The job be jiggered We're too close to play the Game ' | - |
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'Game What game Of all the blighters ' Here BILL'S language grew tremendous | G |
I have never heard a vision curse so much in all my life | U |
'Five an' seventy I'm payin' for to work an' here's them sayin' | C |
That the sides is too near equal an' 'twould only lead to strife | U |
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'Strike me ' BILL again in anger aired his vast vocabulary | A |
Using words against his 'workmen' stronger than the law allows | G |
And his ultimate expletive Fain would I remain secretive | V |
But I may not In his anger BILL described them as FAIR COWS | G |
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'Fair dashed Cows That's wot I call 'em An' I want your straight opinion | C |
Am I boss of this selection that extends from sea to sea | A |
Here's these blinded politicians hangin' on to them positions | G |
An' I want the dead straight griffen Are they workin' points on me ' | - |
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'BILL ' said I and tears were streaming down my whiskers as I answered | B |
'Precedent and rule and custom cannot be ignored you know | C |
This Great System was imported by our fathers' Here BILL snorted | W |
'From the dear old Mother Country and we cannot let it go ' | - |
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'Wot ' yelled BILL 'Still more imported pests upon the job to plague me | A |
Like the rabbits an' the foxes burrs an' thistles an' the rest | X |
Must I ever curse in anguish Must my Big Jobs ever languish | Y |
Can't I clear me blamed selection of this Party Guv'ment pest ' | - |
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'BILL ' I sobbed choked with emotion then in wonder gazed about me | A |
Marked the moonlight white and ghostly faintly gleaming through the pane | C |
Saw mine old familiar trousers Pardon this allusion Wowsers | G |
Hanging on the bedpost sadly But I searched for BILL in vain | C |
Gone had he from out my chamber Yet I sat and pondered deeply | A |
Through that chilly winter even and I ponder deeply still | Z |
Evidence I've none to show men but I ask was it an omen | C |
Did it presage good or evil that strange vanishing of BILL | Z |
Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis
(1)
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