Bedfordshire Ballad. - Iv Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCC DDEF GGC HHII JJKK CCCC CCLL MMNN CCJJ OOPP KKCC CCQQ RRLL RRSA TTUU CCRR CCRR KKAA RRRR VVKK CCKK KKJJ KKRR SARR KKWW CCRR RRKK CHOME SWEET HOME | A |
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I'm a Bedfordshire Chap and Bill Stumps is my name | B |
And to tell it don't give me no manner of shame | B |
For a man as works honest and hard for his livin' | C |
When he tells you his name needn't feel no misgivin' | C |
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And works's what I live by At dawn o' the day | D |
While some folks is snorin' I'm up and away | D |
When I stops for my Bavor 'twould dew your heart good | E |
To see how I relish the taste o' my food | F |
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I'm fond o' my hoein' and ploughin' and drill | G |
And my hosses all knows me and works with a will | G |
I'm fond o' my 'chinin' and thackin' and drainin' | C |
For when work's to be done 'taint no use a complainin ' | - |
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I whistles a tune if the mornins be dark | H |
When I goes home o' nights I sings sweet as a lark | H |
And you'll travel some distance afore you can find | I |
A chap more contented and happy in mind | I |
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And I'll tell ye the reason I've got a good wife | J |
The joy o' my heart and the pride o' my life | J |
She ain't made o' gold nor ain't much of a beauty | K |
But she's allers a tryin' to dew of her duty | K |
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And a tidier home there ain't none in the town | C |
Than mine and my Polly's I'll lay you a crown | C |
If it ain't quite a palace I'm sure 'tis as clean | C |
And I'm King o' my cottage and Polly's the Queen | C |
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But things wasn't allers as lively as now | C |
There's thirty good years since I fust went to plough | C |
I wor then but a lad and a bad'un I fear | L |
Just a trifle tew partial to baccy and beer | L |
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So my maister he very soon gone me the sack | M |
And my faither he gone me the stick to my back | M |
But I cared for his bangins and blows not a rap | N |
I wor sich a queer onaccountable chap | N |
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To make a long story as short as I can | C |
When I'd done as a boy I became a young man | C |
And as happens to most men at that time o' life | J |
I axed a young 'ooman if she'd be my wife | J |
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And Poll she consented O how my heart beat | O |
When she gone me her hand smilin' wonderful sweet | O |
I could hear my heart beatin' just like a Church bell | P |
Till I thought as my weskit 'ud bust pretty well | P |
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But worn't I main happy and well nigh a crazy | K |
When I heard her her say Yes blushin' sweet as a daisy | K |
We was axed in the church no one dared to say nay | C |
So The Rector he spliced us one fine soommer day | C |
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My Poll wor a steady young gal and a good 'un | C |
For washin' and scrubbin' and makin' a pudden | C |
Not one o them gossiping gals wot I hate | Q |
But a quoietish 'ooman wi' brains in her pate | Q |
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But soom how or other things didn't go right | R |
There wasn't atwixt us no manner o' spite | R |
But I stayed out o' Saturdays nights and I fear | L |
Spent more nor I'd ought on my baccy and beer | L |
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And Poll she look'd sadly but didn't say nought | R |
She was one as 'ud allers say less than she thought | R |
But I know'd what she thought so a cloud kind o' come | S |
And darkened the sun as once shone in our home | A |
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But it come to a pass 'twas the fifth o' November | T |
The day and the year I shall allers remember | T |
Twas midnight and past when I come to my door | U |
Scarce able to stan' well I won't say no more | U |
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Next mornin' my head it wor well nigh a splitten | C |
And I stagger'd and stagger'd as weak as a kitten | C |
But the wust of it all wor the dressin' I got | R |
From Polly oh worn't it main spicy and hot | R |
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What she said I won't tell you but you married men | C |
As knows wot it is to be pecked by a hen | C |
Wot I means yer to guess pretty plainish 'ull find | R |
When I tells you she gone me a bit of her mind | R |
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And now I'm as sober as sober can be | K |
And me and my Poll as we sits down to tea | K |
Don't care very far of an evenin' to roam | A |
We're allers so jolly contented at home | A |
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I wears no blue ribbon outside o' my coat | R |
For a pint o' good ale seems to freshen my throat | R |
But offer me more and I'm bound to refuse it | R |
For my Poll's got a tongue and her knows how to use it | R |
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So I takes just a pint when there's coppers to spare | V |
A pint wi' your dinner ain't no great affair | V |
But the time' o' the day as suits Polly and me | K |
Is when we sits down of an evenin' to tea | K |
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For the young 'uns sits round us all smilin' and clean | C |
And Sally knits stockings wot's fit for the Queen | C |
Little Bill reads a book and Jemima she sews | K |
And how happy our home is the parish all knows | K |
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Now young men and maids if ye'll listen to me | K |
I'll give you some counsel all gratis and free | K |
Young men if you want to be happy in life | J |
Remember Bill Stumps and look out for a wife | J |
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Not one o' them husseys as gossips and chatters | K |
And is allers o' mindin' of other folk's matters | K |
But one as 'ull work and be gentle and kind | R |
And as knows when to gi'e you a bit of her mind | R |
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Young maids who are willing young wives to become | S |
Remember the sweetest of places is home | A |
But remember no husband 'ull find his home sweet | R |
If it ain't bright and cheerful and tidy and neat | R |
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If all's of a mullock and dirty and dusty | K |
When he pops home to dinner he'll turn rayther crusty | K |
But be tidy and careful in cookin' his grub | W |
And I'll bet what you like he wont go to the Pub | W |
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So send off the young'uns to school afore nine | C |
And when they and faither come home for to dine | C |
Don't gi'e 'em cold taters and bacon half fried | R |
But a meal as 'ull cheer 'em and warm their inside | R |
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And don't let the children go roamin' o' night | R |
But keep 'em at home for their faither's delight | R |
And I hope you may all be as happy and jolly | K |
In your Bedfordshire homes as Bill Stumps and his Polly | K |
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Bedfordshire for Luncheon | C |
Edward Woodley Bowling
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