The Borough. Letter I Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHIJJKL MMNNOPQQFFRRSSTTMMUU PPBBVVWWSSXXSYMMZZEE A2B2YYC2C2YSD2D2E2E2 F2F2BBG2G2H2H2MMI2I2 SSJ2J2SSSSK2K2L2L2I2 I2M2M2N2N2RRC2C2SSBB O2O2P2P2D2D2SSQQQ2Q2 R2R2S2S2FFC2C2T2T2N2 U2SSS2S2T2T2V2V2SSRR BBW2W2CCX2X2FL2Y2Y2Z 2Z2A3A3SSB3B3T2T2RRS 2S2BBC3S'DESCRIBE the Borough' though our idle tribe | A |
May love description can we so describe | A |
That you shall fairly streets and buildings trace | B |
And all that gives distinction to a place | B |
This cannot be yet moved by your request | C |
A part I paint let Fancy form the rest | C |
Cities and towns the various haunts of men | D |
Require the pencil they defy the pen | D |
Could he who sang so well the Grecian fleet | E |
So well have sung of alley lane or street | E |
Can measured lines these various buildings show | F |
The Town Hall Turning or the Prospect Row | F |
Can I the seats of wealth and want explore | G |
And lengthen out my lays from door to door | G |
Then let thy Fancy aid me I repair | H |
From this tall mansion of our last year's Mayor | I |
Till we the outskirts of the Borough reach | J |
And these half buried buildings next the beach | J |
Where hang at open doors the net and cork | K |
While squalid sea dames mend the meshy work | L |
Till comes the hour when fishing through the tide | M |
The weary husband throws his freight aside | M |
A living mass which now demands the wife | N |
Th' alternate labours of their humble life | N |
Can scenes like these withdraw thee from thy wood | O |
Thy upland forest or thy valley's flood | P |
Seek then thy garden's shrubby bound and look | Q |
As it steals by upon the bordering brook | Q |
That winding streamlet limpid lingering slow | F |
Where the reeds whisper when the zephyrs blow | F |
Where in the midst upon a throne of green | R |
Sits the large Lily as the water's queen | R |
And makes the current forced awhile to stay | S |
Murmur and bubble as it shoots away | S |
Draw then the strongest contrast to that stream | T |
And our broad river will before thee seem | T |
With ceaseless motion comes and goes the tide | M |
Flowing it fills the channel vast and wide | M |
Then back to sea with strong majestic sweep | U |
It rolls in ebb yet terrible and deep | U |
Here Samphire banks and Saltwort bound the flood | P |
There stakes and sea weeds withering on the mud | P |
And higher up a ridge of all things base | B |
Which some strong tide has roll'd upon the place | B |
Thy gentle river boasts its pigmy boat | V |
Urged on by pains half grounded half afloat | V |
While at her stern an angler takes his stand | W |
And marks the fish he purposes to land | W |
From that clear space where in the cheerful ray | S |
Of the warm sun the scaly people play | S |
Far other craft our prouder river shows | X |
Hoys pinks and sloops brigs brigantines and snows | X |
Nor angler we on our wide stream descry | S |
But one poor dredger where his oysters lie | Y |
He cold and wet and driving with the tide | M |
Beats his weak arms against his tarry side | M |
Then drains the remnant of diluted gin | Z |
To aid the warmth that languishes within | Z |
Renewing oft his poor attempts to beat | E |
His tingling fingers into gathering heat | E |
He shall again be seen when evening comes | A2 |
And social parties crowd their favourite rooms | B2 |
Where on the table pipes and papers lie | Y |
The steaming bowl or foaming tankard by | Y |
'Tis then with all these comforts spread around | C2 |
They hear the painful dredger's welcome sound | C2 |
And few themselves the savoury boon deny | Y |
The food that feeds the living luxury | S |
Yon is our Quay those smaller hoys from town | D2 |
Its various ware for country use bring down | D2 |
Those laden waggons in return impart | E2 |
The country produce to the city mart | E2 |
Hark to the clamour in that miry road | F2 |
Bounded and narrow'd by yon vessel's load | F2 |
The lumbering wealth she empties round the place | B |
Package and parcel hogshead chest and case | B |
While the loud seaman and the angry hind | G2 |
Mingling in business bellow to the wind | G2 |
Near these a crew amphibious in the docks | H2 |
Rear for the sea those castles on the stocks | H2 |
See the long keel which soon the waves must hide | M |
See the strong ribs which form the roomy side | M |
Bolts yielding slowly to the sturdiest stroke | I2 |
And planks which curve and crackle in the smoke | I2 |
Around the whole rise cloudy wreaths and far | S |
Bear the warm pungence of o'er boiling tar | S |
Dabbling on shore half naked sea boys crowd | J2 |
Swim round a ship or swing upon the shroud | J2 |
Or in a boat purloin'd with paddles play | S |
And grow familiar with the watery way | S |
Young though they be they feel whose sons they are | S |
They know what British seamen do and dare | S |
Proud of that fame they raise and they enjoy | K2 |
The rustic wonder of the village boy | K2 |
Before you bid these busy scenes adieu | L2 |
Behold the wealth that lies in public view | L2 |
Those far extended heaps of coal and coke | I2 |
Where fresh fill'd lime kilns breathe their stifling smoke | I2 |
This shall pass off and you behold instead | M2 |
The night fire gleaming on its chalky bed | M2 |
When from the Lighthouse brighter beams will rise | N2 |
To show the shipman where the shallow lies | N2 |
Thy walks are ever pleasant every scene | R |
Is rich in beauty lively or serene | R |
Rich is that varied view with woods around | C2 |
Seen from the seat within the shrubb'ry bound | C2 |
Where shines the distant lake and where appear | S |
From ruins bolting unmolested deer | S |
Lively the village green the inn the place | B |
Where the good widow schools her infant race | B |
Shops whence are heard the hammer and the saw | O2 |
And village pleasures unreproved by law | O2 |
Then how serene when in your favourite room | P2 |
Gales from your jasmines soothe the evening gloom | P2 |
When from your upland paddock you look down | D2 |
And just perceive the smoke which hides the town | D2 |
When weary peasants at the close of day | S |
Walk to their cots and part upon the way | S |
When cattle slowly cross the shallow brook | Q |
And shepherds pen their folds and rest upon their crook | Q |
We prune our hedges prime our slender trees | Q2 |
And nothing looks untutor'd and at ease | Q2 |
On the wide heath or in the flowery vale | R2 |
We scent the vapours of the sea born gale | R2 |
Broad beaten paths lead on from stile to stile | S2 |
And sewers from streets the road side banks defile | S2 |
Our guarded fields a sense of danger show | F |
Where garden crops with corn and clover grow | F |
Fences are form'd of wreck and placed around | C2 |
With tenters tipp'd a strong repulsive bound | C2 |
Wide and deep ditches by the gardens run | T2 |
And there in ambush lie the trap and gun | T2 |
Or yon broad board which guards each tempting prize | N2 |
'Like a tall bully lifts its head and lies ' | U2 |
There stands a cottage with an open door | S |
Its garden undefended blooms before | S |
Her wheel is still and overturn'd her stool | S2 |
While the lone Widow seeks the neighb'ring pool | S2 |
This gives us hope all views of town to shun | T2 |
No here are tokens of the Sailor son | T2 |
That old blue jacket and that shirt of check | V2 |
And silken kerchief for the seaman's neck | V2 |
Sea spoils and shells from many a distant shore | S |
And furry robe from frozen Labrador | S |
Our busy streets and sylvan walks between | R |
Fen marshes bog and heath all intervene | R |
Here pits of crag with spongy plashy base | B |
To some enrich th' uncultivated space | B |
For there are blossoms rare and curious rush | W2 |
The gale's rich balm and sun dew's crimson blush | W2 |
Whose velvet leaf with radiant beauty dress'd | C |
Forms a gay pillow for the plover's breast | C |
Not distant far a house commodious made | X2 |
Lonely yet public stands for Sunday trade | X2 |
Thither for this day free gay parties go | F |
Their tea house walk their tippling rendezvous | L2 |
There humble couples sit in corner bowers | Y2 |
Or gaily ramble for th' allotted hours | Y2 |
Sailors and lasses from the town attend | Z2 |
The servant lover the apprentice friend | Z2 |
With all the idle social tribes who seek | A3 |
And find their humble pleasures once a week | A3 |
Turn to the watery world but who to thee | S |
A wonder yet unview'd shall paint the Sea | S |
Various and vast sublime in all its forms | B3 |
When lull'd by zephyrs or when roused by storms | B3 |
Its colours changing when from clouds and sun | T2 |
Shades after shades upon the surface run | T2 |
Embrown'd and horrid now and now serene | R |
In limpid blue and evanescent green | R |
And oft the foggy banks on ocean lie | S2 |
Lift the fair sail and cheat th' experienced eye | S2 |
Be it the summer noon a sandy space | B |
The ebbing tide has left upon its place | B |
Then just the hot and stony beach above | C3 |
Light twinkling stre | S |
George Crabbe
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
<< Tale Iv Poem
Next Poem
Write your comment about The Borough. Letter I poem by George Crabbe
Best Poems of George Crabbe