The Swagless Swaggie Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCB DEFE GCHC IJKJ JLJL MNKN OPQP RKSK ONKN TUVU HWAW MXYX GZAZ CAWA A2KIK B2C2WC2 OVD2V E2AGA YKKK F2WAW G2AGA KH2I2H2This happened many years ago | A |
Before the bush was cleared | B |
When every man was six foot high | C |
And wore a flowing beard | B |
- | |
One very hot and windy day | D |
Along the old coach road | E |
Towards Joe Murphy s halfway house | F |
A bearded bushman strode | E |
- | |
He was a huge and heavy man | G |
Well over six foot high | C |
An old slouch hat was on his head | H |
And murder in his eye | C |
- | |
No billy can was in his hand | I |
No heavy swag he bore | J |
But deep and awful were the oaths | K |
That swagless swaggie swore | J |
- | |
At last he reached the shanty door | J |
Into the bar he burst | L |
He dumped his hat upon the floor | J |
And cursed and cursed and cursed | L |
- | |
A neighboring shed had just cut out | M |
The bar was nearly full | N |
Of shearers and of bullockies | K |
Who d come to cart the wool | N |
- | |
They were a rough and ready lot | O |
The bushmen gathered there | P |
But every man was stricken dumb | Q |
To hear the stranger swear | P |
- | |
He cursed the bush he cursed mankind | R |
The whole wide universe | K |
It froze their very blood to hear | S |
That swagless swaggie curse | K |
- | |
Joe Murphy seized an empty pot | O |
And filled it brimming full | N |
The stranger raised it to his lips | K |
And took a mighty pull | N |
- | |
This seemed to cool him down a bit | T |
He finished off the ale | U |
And to the crowd around the bar | V |
He told his awful tale | U |
- | |
I met the Ben Hall gang he said | H |
The blankards stuck me up | W |
They pinched me billy pinched me swag | A |
And pinched me flamin pup | W |
- | |
They turned me pockets inside out | M |
And took me only quid | X |
I never thought they d pinch me pipe | Y |
But swelp me gawd they did | X |
- | |
I spoke to em as man to man | G |
I said I d fight em all | Z |
I would have broke O Mealleys neck | A |
And tanned the hide of Hall | Z |
- | |
They only laughed and said good bye | C |
And rode away to brag | A |
Of how they stuck a swaggie up | W |
And robbed him of his swag | A |
- | |
I never done em any harm | A2 |
I thought em decent chaps | K |
But now I wouldn t raise a hand | I |
To save em from the traps | K |
- | |
I m finished with the bush for good | B2 |
I m off to Wagga town | C2 |
Where they won t stick a swaggie up | W |
Or take a swaggie down | C2 |
- | |
The bushmen were a decent lot | O |
As bushmen mostly are | V |
They filled the stranger up with beer | D2 |
The hat went round the bar | V |
- | |
The shearers threw some blankets in | E2 |
To make another swag | A |
The rousers gave a billy can | G |
And brand new tucker bag | A |
- | |
Joe Murphy gave a meerschaum pipe | Y |
He hadn t smoked for years | K |
The stranger was too full of words | K |
His eyes were dim with tears | K |
- | |
The ringer shouted drinks all round | F2 |
And then to top it up | W |
The babbling brook the shearers cook | A |
Gave him a kelpie pup | W |
- | |
Next day an hour before the dawn | G2 |
The stranger took the track | A |
Complete with pup and billy can | G |
His swag upon his back | A |
- | |
Along the most forsaken roads | K |
Intent on dodging graft | H2 |
He headed for the Great North West | I2 |
And laughed and laughed and laughed | H2 |
Edward Harrington
(1)
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