The Coming Boat Race Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCCC D EE FFEEGGEEHHBIEEJJKKLL MMEE N OOPPMMNQRRMMSSCCMMMM MMMMEETTMMUUVVMM W| OXFORD CAMBRIDGE R T RAIKES J STILL F CROWDER J R SELWYN W FREEMAN J A BOURKE F WILLAN J FORTESCUE E F HENLEY D F STEVENSON W W WOOD R A KINGLAKE H P SENHOUSE H WATNEY M BROWN W R GRIFFITHS Steerer C R W TOTTENHAM Steerer A FORBES | A |
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| Attend all ye who wish to see the names | B |
| of each stout crew | C |
| Who've come to town from cap and gown to | C |
| fight for their favourite blue | C |
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| OXFORD | D |
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| First TOTTENHAM comes a well known name that cattle driving Cox'en | E |
| Who oft to victory has steer'd his gallant team of Oxon | E |
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| O'er Putney's course so well can he that team in safety goad | F |
| That we ought to call old Father Thames the Oxford Tottenham Road | F |
| Then comes the Stroke a mariner of merit and renown | E |
| Since dark blue are his colours he can never be dun brown | E |
| Ye who would at your leisure his heroic deeds peruse | G |
| Go read Tom Brown at Oxford by the other Tom TOM HUGHES | G |
| Next SENHOUSE short for Senate house but long enough for seven | E |
| Shall to the eight oar'd ship impart a sen at orial leaven | E |
| Then Number Six no truer word was ever said in joke | H |
| In keeping with his name of WOOD has heart and limbs of oak | H |
| The voice of all aquatic men the praise of Five proclaims | B |
| No finer sight can eye delight than HENLEY upon Thames | I |
| Then Number Four who is heaver far than a number of Macmillan | E |
| Though WILLAN'S his name may well exclaim Here I am but I hain't a willan | E |
| Then FREEMAN rows at Number Three in a freer and manly style | J |
| No finer oar was e'er produced by the Tiber Thames or Nile | J |
| Let politicians if they please rob freemen of their vote | K |
| Provided they leave Oxford men a FREEMAN for their boat | K |
| Among the crowd of oarsmen proud no name will fame shout louder | L |
| Than his who sits at Number Two the straight and upright CROWDER | L |
| Then RAIKES rows bow and we must allow that with all the weight that's aft | M |
| The bow oar gives a rakish air to the bows o' the dark blue craft | M |
| This is the crew who've donned dark blue and no stouter team of Oxon | E |
| Has ploughed the waves of old Father Thames or owned a better Cox'en | E |
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| CAMBRIDGE | N |
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| Now don't refuse aquatic Muse the glories to rehearse | O |
| Of the rival crew who've donned light blue to row for better for worse | O |
| They've lost their luck but retain their pluck and whate'er their fate may be | P |
| Light blue may meet one more defeat but disgrace they ne'er will see | P |
| We've seen them row thro' sleet and snow till they sank merses profundo | M |
| HORACE forgive me pulchrior Cami evenit arundo | M |
| First little FORBES our praise absorbs he comes from a learned College | N |
| So Cambridge hopes he will pull his ropes with scientific knowledge | Q |
| May he shun the charge of swinging barge more straight than an archer's arrow | R |
| May he steer his eight as he sits sedate in the stern of his vessel narrow | R |
| Then comes the Stroke with a heart of oak who has stood to his flag like twenty | M |
| While some stood aloof and were not proof against dolce far niente | M |
| So let us pray that GRIFFITHS may to the banks of Cam recall | S |
| The swing and style lost for a while since the days of JONES and HALL | S |
| Then WATNEY comes and a pluckier seven ne'er rowed in a Cambridge crew | C |
| His long straight swing is just the thing which an oarsman loves to view | C |
| Then comes KINGLAKE of a massive make who in spite of failures past | M |
| Like a sailor true has nailed light blue as his colours to the mast | M |
| The Consul bold in days of old was thanked by the Patres hoary | M |
| When in spite of luck he displayed his pluck on the field of Cannae gory | M |
| So whate'er the fate of the Cambridge eight let Cambridge men agree | M |
| Their voice to raise in their Captain's praise with thrice and three times three | M |
| Then Number Five is all alive and for hard work always ready | M |
| As to and fro his broad back doth go like a pendulum strong and steady | M |
| Then FORTESCUE doth pull it through without delay or dawdlin' | E |
| Right proud I trow as they see him row are the merry men of Magdalen | E |
| Then comes a name well known to fame the great and gallant BOURKE | T |
| Who ne'er was known fatigue to own or neglect his share of work | T |
| New zeal and life to each new stroke stout SELWYN doth impart | M |
| And ever with fresh vigour like Antaeus forward start | M |
| Then last but not the least of all to row the boat along | U |
| They've got a bow whom all allow to be both STILL and strong | U |
| No crew can quail or ever fail to labour with a will | V |
| When so much strength and spirits are supplied them by their STILL | V |
| We've done our task to you who ask the probable result | M |
| We more will speak if you next week our Prophet will consult | M |
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| Cf Pickwick Here I am but I hain't a willan FAT BOY | W |
Edward Woodley Bowling
(1)
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About The Coming Boat Race
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