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 C| HOME 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
(1)
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Bedfordshire Ballad. - Iv is a poem by Edward Woodley Bowling. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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