A Good Sport Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEBF GHGH IJH K F GHGH LMNOMG PQ PF RSGG TTUUVVIIWXYYRRNF| I was a little lad and the older boys called to me from the pier | A |
| They called to me 'Be a sport be a sport Leap in and swim ' | B |
| I leaped in and swam though I had never been taught a stroke | C |
| Then I was made a hero and they all shouted | D |
| 'Well done Well done | E |
| Brave boy you are a sport a good sport ' | B |
| And I was very glad | F |
| - | |
| But now I wish I had learned to swim the right way | G |
| Or had never learned at all | H |
| Now I regret that day | G |
| For it led to my fall | H |
| - | |
| I was a youth and I heard the older men talking of the road to wealth | I |
| They talked of bulls and bears of buying on margins | J |
| And they said 'Be a sport my boy plunge in and win or lose it all | H |
| It is the only way to fortune ' | - |
| So I plunged in and won and the older men patted me on the back | K |
| And they said 'You are a sport my boy a good sport ' | - |
| And I was very glad | F |
| - | |
| But now I wish I had lost all I ventured on that day | G |
| Yes wish I had lost it all | H |
| For it was the wrong way | G |
| And pushed me to my fall | H |
| - | |
| I was a young man and the gay world called me to come | L |
| Gay women and gay men called to me crying | M |
| 'Be a sport be a good sport | N |
| Fill our glasses and let us fill yours | O |
| We are young but once let us dance and sing | M |
| And drive the dull hours of night until they stand at bay | G |
| Against the shining bayonets of day ' | - |
| So I filled my glass and I filled their glasses over and over again | P |
| And I sang and danced and drank and drank and danced and sang | Q |
| And I heard them cry 'He is a sport a good sport ' | - |
| As they held their glasses out to be filled again | P |
| And I was very glad | F |
| - | |
| Oh the madness of youth and song and dance and wine | R |
| Of woman's eyes and lips when the night dies in the arms of dawn | S |
| And now I wish I had not gone that way | G |
| Now I wish I had not heard them say | G |
| 'He is a sport a good sport ' | - |
| For I am old who should be young | T |
| The splendid vigour of my youth I flung | T |
| Under the feet of a mad unthinking throng | U |
| My strength went out with wine and dance and song | U |
| Unto the winds of earth I tossed like chaff | V |
| With idle jest and laugh | V |
| The pride of splendid manhood all its wealth | I |
| Of unused power and health | I |
| Its dream of looking into some pure girl's eyes | W |
| And finding there its earthly paradise | X |
| Its hope of virile children free from blight | Y |
| Its thoughts of climbing to some noble height | Y |
| Of great achievement all these gifts divine | R |
| I cast away for song and dance and wine | R |
| Oh I have been a sport a good sport | N |
| But I am very sad | F |
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
(1)
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