The Beggar And The Angel Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AA BB CC DA EF AG H II DD JJ KK LL MM N O PP Q O R MA S O GG TT UU OO VA MM O WW XY WW MM U ZZ A2A2 B2B2 OO C2C2 D2D2 E2E2 OO F2 E2E2 MM C2 OO OOAn angel burdened with self pity | A |
Came out of heaven to a modern city | A |
- | |
He saw a beggar on the street | B |
Where the tides of traffic meet | B |
- | |
A pair of brass bound hickory pegs | C |
Brought him his pence instead of legs | C |
- | |
A murky dog by him did lie | D |
Poodle in part his ancestry | A |
- | |
The angel stood and thought upon | E |
This poodle haunted beggar man | F |
- | |
'My life is grown a bore ' said he | A |
'One long round of sciamachy | G |
- | |
I think I'll do a little good | H |
By way of change from angelhood ' | - |
- | |
He drew near to the beggar grim | I |
And gravely thus accosted him | I |
- | |
'How would you like my friend to fly | D |
All day through the translucent sky | D |
- | |
To knock at the door of the red leaven | J |
And even to enter the orthodox heaven | J |
- | |
If you would care to know this joy | K |
I will surrender my employ | K |
- | |
And take your ills collect your pelf | L |
An humble beggar like yourself | L |
- | |
For ages you these joys may know | M |
While I shall suffer here below | M |
- | |
And in the end we both may gain | N |
Access of pleasure from my pain ' | - |
- | |
The stationary vagrant said | O |
'I do not mind so go ahead ' | - |
- | |
The angel told the heavenly charm | P |
He felt a wing on either arm | P |
- | |
'Good day ' he said 'this floating's queer | Q |
If I should want to change next year ' | - |
- | |
'Pull out that feather ' the angel said | O |
'The one half black and the other half red ' | - |
- | |
The cripple cried 'Before you're through | R |
You may get fagged and if you do ' | - |
- | |
The angel superciliously | M |
'My transformed friend don't think of me | A |
- | |
I shall be happy day and night | S |
In doing what I think is right ' | - |
- | |
'So so ' the feathered beggar said | O |
'Good bye I am just overhead ' | - |
- | |
- | |
- | |
The angel when he grasped the dish | G |
Began to criticize his wish | G |
- | |
The seat was hard as granite rocks | T |
His real legs were in the box | T |
- | |
His knees were cramped his shins were sore | U |
The lying pegs stuck out before | U |
- | |
In vain he clinked the dish and whined | O |
The passers by seemed deaf and blind | O |
- | |
As pious looking as Saint Denis | V |
An urchin stole his catch penny | A |
- | |
And even the beggar's drab fleeced poodle | M |
Began to know him for a noodle | M |
- | |
'It has an uncelestial scent | O |
The clothing of this mendicant ' | - |
- | |
He cried 'That trickling down my spine | W |
Is anything but hyaline | W |
- | |
This day is like a thousand years | X |
I'd give an age of sighs and tears | Y |
- | |
To see with his confectioned grin | W |
One cherub sitting on his chin | W |
- | |
That cripple was by far too sly | M |
I wish he'd tumble from the sky | M |
- | |
That things might be as they were before | U |
I really cannot stand much more ' | - |
- | |
- | |
- | |
The beggar in the angel's guise | Z |
Rose far above the smoky skies | Z |
- | |
But being a beggar never saw | A2 |
The charm of the compelling law | A2 |
- | |
That turned the swinging universe | B2 |
'Twas gloomy as an empty purse | B2 |
- | |
Often with heaven in his head | O |
He blundered on a planet dead | O |
- | |
And when with an immortal fuss | C2 |
He singed his wings at Sirius | C2 |
- | |
He plucked the feather with his teeth | D2 |
The charm was potent and beneath | D2 |
- | |
He saw the turmoil of the way | E2 |
Grown wilder at the close of day | E2 |
- | |
With the sad poodle can in hand | O |
The angel still at the old stand | O |
- | |
'My friend ' said the angel hemming and humming | F2 |
'Truly I thought you were never coming ' | - |
- | |
'That's an unhandsome thing to say | E2 |
Seeing I've only been gone a day | E2 |
- | |
But there's nothing in all your brazen sky | M |
To match the cock of that poodle's eye | M |
- | |
Take your dish and give me my wings | C2 |
'Tis but a fair exchange of things ' | - |
- | |
- | |
- | |
The beggar felt his garment's rot | O |
The horn ridge of each callous spot | O |
- | |
He clinked his can and was content | O |
His poverty was permanent | O |
Duncan Campbell Scott
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about The Beggar And The Angel poem by Duncan Campbell Scott
Best Poems of Duncan Campbell Scott