Why Washington Retreated Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDDBEDE BFGHBDDD BIDJBKDK BLMLDDBD BGDGNDOD BDBDGPQP BRSRTBUB BEVEWXGX BYZYA2A2B2A2| A | |
| - | |
| Said Congress to George Washington | B |
| To set this country free | C |
| You'll have to whip the Britishers | D |
| And chase them o'er the sea | D |
| Oh very well said Washington | B |
| I'll do the best I can | E |
| I'll slam and bang those Britishers | D |
| And whip them to a man | E |
| - | |
| - | |
| - | |
| Said Congress to George Washington | B |
| The people all complain | F |
| Why don't you fight You but retreat | G |
| And then retreat again | H |
| That can't be helped said Washington | B |
| As you will quite agree | D |
| When you see how the novelists | D |
| Have mixed up things for me | D |
| - | |
| Said Congress to George Washington | B |
| Pray make your meaning clear | I |
| Said Washington Why certainly | D |
| But pray excuse this tear | J |
| Of course we know said Washington | B |
| The object of this war | K |
| It is to furnish novelists | D |
| With patriotic lore | K |
| - | |
| Said Congress to George Washington | B |
| Yes yes but pray proceed | L |
| Said Washington My part in it | M |
| Is difficult indeed | L |
| For every hero in the books | D |
| Must sometime meet with me | D |
| And every sweet faced heroine | B |
| I must kiss gallantly | D |
| - | |
| Said Congress to George Washington | B |
| But why must you retreat | G |
| Said Washington One moment please | D |
| My story to complete | G |
| These hero folk are scattered through | N |
| The whole United States | D |
| At every little country town | O |
| A man or maiden waits | D |
| - | |
| To Congress said George Washington | B |
| At Harlem I must be | D |
| On such a day to chat with one | B |
| And then I'll have to flee | D |
| With haste to Jersey there to meet | G |
| Another Here's a list | P |
| Of sixty seven heroes and | Q |
| There may be some I've missed | P |
| - | |
| To Congress said George Washington | B |
| Since I must meet them all | R |
| And if I don't you know how flat | S |
| The novels all will fall | R |
| I cannot take much time to fight | T |
| I must be on the run | B |
| Or some historic novelist | U |
| Will surely be undone | B |
| - | |
| Said Congress to George Washington | B |
| You are a noble man | E |
| Your thoughtfulness is notable | V |
| And we approve your plan | E |
| A battle won pads very well | W |
| A novel that is thin | X |
| But it is better to retreat | G |
| Than miss one man and win | X |
| - | |
| Said Congress to George Washington | B |
| Kiss every pretty maid | Y |
| But do it in a courtly way | Z |
| And in a manner staid | Y |
| And some day when your sword is sheathed | A2 |
| And all our banners furled | A2 |
| A crop of novels will spring up | B2 |
| That shall appal the world | A2 |
Ellis Parker Butler
(1)
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