Tale Xxi Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDDEEAAFFGGHHIIGG AAJJKLMMNNO PPQQRRSSTTC UU VWWUU BBXXYYZZVVA2A2B2B2KL C2C2IID2D2A2A2E2E2F2 F2G2H2 G2GGI2I2J2J2K2K2I2I2 I2L2L2M2M2IIN2N2O2O2 BBBH2H2CCYYP2 YCCYYYYYYCCYYQ2Q2YYK 2 YYYYBBR Q2R2YYYYCCYYE2E2AAYY YYYYYYYS2S2BBYYRRYYE 2The Learned Boy | A |
- | |
An honest man was Farmer Jones and true | B |
He did by all as all by him should do | B |
Grave cautious careful fond of gain was he | C |
Yet famed for rustic hospitality | C |
Left with his children in a widow'd state | D |
The quiet man submitted to his fate | D |
Though prudent matrons waited for his call | E |
With cool forbearance he avoided all | E |
Though each profess'd a pure maternal joy | A |
By kind attention to his feeble boy | A |
And though a friendly Widow knew no rest | F |
Whilst neighbour Jones was lonely and distress'd | F |
Nay though the maidens spoke in tender tone | G |
Their hearts' concern to see him left alone | G |
Jones still persisted in that cheerless life | H |
As if 'twere sin to take a second wife | H |
Oh 'tis a precious thing when wives are dead | I |
To find such numbers who will serve instead | I |
And in whatever state a man be thrown | G |
'Tis that precisely they would wish their own | G |
Left the departed infants then their joy | A |
Is to sustain each lovely girl and boy | A |
Whatever calling his whatever trade | J |
To that their chief attention has been paid | J |
His happy taste in all things they approve | K |
His friends they honour and his food they love | L |
His wish for order prudence in affairs | M |
An equal temper thank their stars are theirs | M |
In fact it seem'd to be a thing decreed | N |
And fix'd as fate that marriage must succeed | N |
Yet some like Jones with stubborn hearts and | O |
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hard | P |
Can hear such claims and show them no regard | P |
Soon as our Farmer like a general found | Q |
By what strong foes he was encompass'd round | Q |
Engage he dared not and he could not fly | R |
But saw his hope in gentle parley lie | R |
With looks of kindness then and trembling heart | S |
He met the foe and art opposed to art | S |
Now spoke that foe insidious gentle tones | T |
And gentle looks assumed for Farmer Jones | T |
'Three girls ' the Widow cried 'a lively three | C |
To govern well indeed it cannot be ' | - |
'Yes ' he replied 'it calls for pains and care | U |
But I must bear it ' 'Sir you cannot bear | U |
Your son is weak and asks a mother's eye ' | - |
'That my kind friend a father's may supply ' | - |
'Such growing griefs your very soul will tease ' | - |
'To grieve another would not give me ease | V |
I have a mother ' 'She poor ancient soul | W |
Can she the spirits of the young control | W |
Can she thy peace promote partake thy care | U |
Procure thy comforts and thy sorrows share | U |
Age is itself impatient uncontroll'd ' | - |
But wives like mothers must at length be old ' | - |
Thou hast shrewd servants they are evils sore ' | - |
Yet a shrewd mistress might afflict me more ' | - |
Wilt thou not be a weary wailing man ' | - |
Alas and I must bear it as I can ' | - |
Resisted thus the Widow soon withdrew | B |
That in his pride the Hero might pursue | B |
And off his wonted guard in some retreat | X |
Find from a foe prepared entire defeat | X |
But he was prudent for he knew in flight | Y |
These Parthian warriors turn again and fight | Y |
He but at freedom not at glory aim'd | Z |
And only safety by his caution claim'd | Z |
Thus when a great and powerful state decrees | V |
Upon a small one in its love to seize | V |
It vows in kindness to protect defend | A2 |
And be the fond ally the faithful friend | A2 |
It therefore wills that humbler state to place | B2 |
Its hopes of safety in a fond embrace | B2 |
Then must that humbler state its wisdom prove | K |
By kind rejection of such pressing love | L |
Must dread such dangerous friendship to commence | C2 |
And stand collected in its own defence | C2 |
Our Farmer thus the proffer'd kindness fled | I |
And shunn'd the love that into bondage led | I |
The Widow failing fresh besiegers came | D2 |
To share the fate of this retiring dame | D2 |
And each foresaw a thousand ills attend | A2 |
The man that fled from so discreet a friend | A2 |
And pray'd kind soul that no event might make | E2 |
The harden'd heart of Farmer Jones to ache | E2 |
But he still govern'd with resistless hand | F2 |
And where he could not guide he would command | F2 |
With steady view in course direct he steer'd | G2 |
And his fair daughters loved him though they | H2 |
- | |
fear'd | G2 |
Each had her school and as his wealth was known | G |
Each had in time a household of her own | G |
The Boy indeed was at the Grandam's side | I2 |
Humour'd and train'd her trouble and her pride | I2 |
Companions dear with speech and spirits mild | J2 |
The childish widow and the vapourish child | J2 |
This nature prompts minds uninform'd and weak | K2 |
In such alliance ease and comfort seek | K2 |
Push'd by the levity of youth aside | I2 |
The cares of man his humour or his pride | I2 |
They feel in their defenceless state allied | I2 |
The child is pleased to meet regard from age | L2 |
The old are pleased e'en children to engage | L2 |
And all their wisdom scorn'd by proud mankind | M2 |
They love to pour into the ductile mind | M2 |
By its own weakness into error led | I |
And by fond age with prejudices fed | I |
The Father thankful for the good he had | N2 |
Yet saw with pain a whining timid Lad | N2 |
Whom he instructing led through cultured fields | O2 |
To show what Man performs what Nature yields | O2 |
But Stephen listless wander'd from the view | B |
From beasts he fled for butterflies he flew | B |
And idly gazed about in search of something new | B |
The lambs indeed he loved and wish'd to play | H2 |
With things so mild so harmless and so gay | H2 |
Best pleased the weakest of the flock to see | C |
With whom he felt a sickly sympathy | C |
Meantime the Dame was anxious day and night | Y |
To guide the notions of her babe aright | Y |
And on the favourite mind to throw her glimmering | P2 |
- | |
light | Y |
Her Bible stories she impress'd betimes | C |
And fill'd his head with hymns and holy rhymes | C |
On powers unseen the good and ill she dwelt | Y |
And the poor Boy mysterious terrors felt | Y |
From frightful dreams he waking sobb'd in dread | Y |
Till the good lady came to guard his bed | Y |
The Father wish'd such errors to correct | Y |
But let them pass in duty and respect | Y |
But more it grieved his worthy mind to see | C |
That Stephen never would a farmer be | C |
In vain he tried the shiftless Lad to guide | Y |
And yet 'twas time that something should be tried | Y |
He at the village school perchance might gain | Q2 |
All that such mind could gather and retain | Q2 |
Yet the good Dame affirm'd her favourite child | Y |
Was apt and studious though sedate and mild | Y |
'That he on many a learned point could speak | K2 |
And that his body not his mind was weak ' | - |
The Father doubted but to school was sent | Y |
The timid Stephen weeping as he went | Y |
There the rude lads compell'd the child to fight | Y |
And sent him bleeding to his home at night | Y |
At this the Grandam more indulgent grew | B |
And bade her Darling 'shun the beastly crew | B |
Whom Satan ruled and who were sure to lie | R |
Howling in torments when they came to die ' | - |
This was such comfort that in high disdain | Q2 |
He told their fate and felt their blows again | R2 |
Yet if the Boy had not a hero's heart | Y |
Within the school he play'd a better part | Y |
He wrote a clean fine hand and at his slate | Y |
With more success than many a hero sate | Y |
He thought not much indeed but what depends | C |
On pains and care was at his fingers' ends | C |
This had his Father's praise who now espied | Y |
A spark of merit with a blaze of pride | Y |
And though a farmer he would never make | E2 |
He might a pen with some advantage take | E2 |
And as a clerk that instrument employ | A |
So well adapted to a timid boy | A |
A London Cousin soon a place obtain'd | Y |
Easy but humble little could be gain'd | Y |
The time arrived when youth and age must part | Y |
Tears in each eye and sorrow in each heart | Y |
The careful Father bade his Son attend | Y |
To all his duties and obey his Friend | Y |
To keep his church and there behave aright | Y |
As one existing in his Maker's sight | Y |
Till acts to habits led and duty to delight | Y |
'Then try my boy as quickly as you can | S2 |
T'assume the looks and spirit of a man | S2 |
I say be honest faithful civil true | B |
And this you may and yet have courage too | B |
Heroic men their country's boast and pride | Y |
Have fear'd their God and nothing fear'd beside | Y |
While others daring yet imbecile fly | R |
The power of man and that of God defy | R |
Be manly then though mild for sure as fate | Y |
Thou art my Stephen too effeminate | Y |
Here take my purse and make | E2 |
George Crabbe
(1)
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