The Borough. Letter Ix: Amusements Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAABBCCDEFFGGEEHHIIJ JKLMMNOPPQQRRSSTTUUL LLAAVVLLMMWWKKX WWYYZZWWA2A2B2B2WWTT SSWWLLC2C2VVLLD2D2XX E2E2K F2F2WWG2G2H2H2WWI2I2 ZLJ2J2LLI2I2WWQQI2I2 J2J2I2I2I2I2TTI2I2PP LLLLI2 MMI2I2WWI2I2I2I2I2I2 I2LK2 I2I2WWI2I2WWL2L2I2I2 WWI2I2I2I2WWI2I2L WWM2M2N2N2WOF our Amusements ask you We amuse | A |
Ourselves and friends with seaside walks and views | A |
Or take a morning ride a novel or the news | A |
Or seeking nothing glide about the street | B |
And so engaged with various parties meet | B |
Awhile we stop discourse of wind and tide | C |
Bathing and books the raffle and the ride | C |
Thus with the aid which shops and sailing give | D |
Life passes on 'tis labour but we live | E |
When evening comes our invalids awake | F |
Nerves cease to tremble heads forbear to ache | F |
Then cheerful meals the sunken spirits raise | G |
Cards or the dance wine visiting or plays | G |
Soon as the season comes and crowds arrive | E |
To their superior rooms the wealthy drive | E |
Others look round for lodging snug and small | H |
Such is their taste they've hatred to a hall | H |
Hence one his fav'rite habitation gets | I |
The brick floor'd parlour which the butcher lets | I |
Where through his single light he may regard | J |
The various business of a common yard | J |
Bounded by backs of buildings form'd of clay | K |
By stable sties and coops et caetera | L |
The needy vain themselves awhile to shun | M |
For dissipation to these dog holes run | M |
Where each assuming petty pomp appears | N |
And quite forgets the shopboard and the shears | O |
For them are cheap amusements they may slip | P |
Beyond the town and take a private dip | P |
When they may urge that to be safe they mean | Q |
They've heard there's danger in a light machine | Q |
They too can gratis move the quays about | R |
And gather kind replies to every doubt | R |
There they a pacing lounging tribe may view | S |
The stranger's guides who've little else to do | S |
The Borough's placemen where no more they gain | T |
Than keeps them idle civil poor and vain | T |
Then may the poorest with the wealthy look | U |
On ocean glorious page of Nature's book | U |
May see its varying views in every hour | L |
All softness now then rising with all power | L |
As sleeping to invite or threat'ning to devour | L |
'Tis this which gives us all our choicest views | A |
Its waters heal us and its shores amuse | A |
See those fair nymphs upon that rising strand | V |
Yon long salt lake has parted from the land | V |
Well pleased to press that path so clean so pure | L |
To seem in danger yet to feel secure | L |
Trifling with terror while they strive to shun | M |
The curling billows laughing as they run | M |
They know the neck that joins the shore and sea | W |
Or ah how changed that fearless laugh would be | W |
Observe how various Parties take their way | K |
By seaside walks or make the sand hills gay | K |
There group'd are laughing maids and sighing | X |
- | |
swains | W |
And some apart who feel unpitied pains | W |
Pains from diseases pains which those who feel | Y |
To the physician not the fair reveal | Y |
For nymphs propitious to the lover's sigh | Z |
Leave these poor patients to complain and die | Z |
Lo where on that huge anchor sadly leans | W |
That sick tall figure lost in other scenes | W |
He late from India's clime impatient sail'd | A2 |
There as his fortune grew his spirits fail'd | A2 |
For each delight in search of wealth he went | B2 |
For ease alone the wealth acquired is spent | B2 |
And spent in vain enrich'd aggrieved he sees | W |
The envied poor possess'd of joy and ease | W |
And now he flies from place to place to gain | T |
Strength for enjoyment and still flies in vain | T |
Mark with what sadness of that pleasant crew | S |
Boist'rous in mirth he takes a transient view | S |
And fixing then his eye upon the sea | W |
Thinks what has been and what must shortly be | W |
Is it not strange that man should health destroy | L |
For joys that come when he is dead to joy | L |
Now is it pleasant in the Summer eve | C2 |
When a broad shore retiring waters leave | C2 |
Awhile to wait upon the firm fair sand | V |
When all is calm at sea all still at land | V |
And there the ocean's produce to explore | L |
As floating by or rolling on the shore | L |
Those living jellies which the flesh inflame | D2 |
Fierce as a nettle and from that its name | D2 |
Some in huge masses some that you may bring | X |
In the small compass of a lady's ring | X |
Figured by hand divine there's not a gem | E2 |
Wrought by man's art to be compared to them | E2 |
Soft brilliant tender through the wave they | K |
- | |
glow | F2 |
And make the moonbeam brighter where they flow | F2 |
Involved in sea wrack here you find a race | W |
Which science doubting knows not where to place | W |
On shell or stone is dropp'd the embryo seed | G2 |
And quickly vegetates a vital breed | G2 |
While thus with pleasing wonder you inspect | H2 |
Treasures the vulgar in their scorn reject | H2 |
See as they float along th' entangled weeds | W |
Slowly approach upborne on bladdery beads | W |
Wait till they land and you shall then behold | I2 |
The fiery sparks those tangled fronds infold | I2 |
Myriads of living points th' unaided eye | Z |
Can but the fire and not the form descry | L |
And now your view upon the ocean turn | J2 |
And there the splendour of the waves discern | J2 |
Cast but a stone or strike them with an oar | L |
And you shall flames within the deep explore | L |
Or scoop the stream phosphoric as you stand | I2 |
And the cold flames shall flash along your hand | I2 |
When lost in wonder you shall walk and gaze | W |
On weeds that sparkle and on waves that blaze | W |
The ocean too has Winter views serene | Q |
When all you see through densest fog is seen | Q |
When you can hear the fishers near at hand | I2 |
Distinctly speak yet see not where they stand | I2 |
Or sometimes them and not their boat discern | J2 |
Or half conceal'd some figure at the stern | J2 |
The view's all bounded and from side to side | I2 |
Your utmost prospect but a few ells wide | I2 |
Boys who on shore to sea the pebble cast | I2 |
Will hear it strike against the viewless mast | I2 |
While the stern boatman growls his fierce disdain | T |
At whom he knows not whom he threats in vain | T |
Tis pleasant then to view the nets float past | I2 |
Net after net till you have seen the last | I2 |
And as you wait till all beyond you slip | P |
A boat comes gliding from an anchor'd ship | P |
Breaking the silence with the dipping oar | L |
And their own tones as labouring for the shore | L |
Those measured tones which with the scene agree | L |
And give a sadness to serenity | L |
All scenes like these the tender Maid should | I2 |
- | |
shun | M |
Nor to a misty beach in autumn run | M |
Much should she guard against the evening cold | I2 |
And her slight shape with fleecy warmth infold | I2 |
This she admits but not with so much ease | W |
Gives up the night walk when th' attendants please | W |
Her have I seen pale vapour'd through the day | I2 |
With crowded parties at the midnight play | I2 |
Faint in the morn no powers could she exert | I2 |
At night with Pam delighted and alert | I2 |
In a small shop she's raffled with a crowd | I2 |
Breath'd the thick air and cough'd and laugh'd | I2 |
- | |
aloud | I2 |
She who will tremble if her eye explore | L |
'The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on | K2 |
- | |
floor ' | - |
Whom the kind doctor charged with shaking head | I2 |
At early hour to quit the beaux for bed | I2 |
She has contemning fear gone down the dance | W |
Till she perceived the rosy morn advance | W |
Then has she wonder'd fainting o'er her tea | I2 |
Her drops and julep should so useless be | I2 |
Ah sure her joys must ravish every sense | W |
Who buys a portion at such vast expense | W |
Among those joys 'tis one at eve to sail | L2 |
On the broad River with a favourite gale | L2 |
When no rough waves upon the bosom ride | I2 |
But the keel cuts nor rises on the tide | I2 |
Safe from the stream the nearer gunwale stands | W |
Where playful children trail their idle hands | W |
Or strive to catch long grassy leaves that float | I2 |
On either side of the impeded boat | I2 |
What time the moon arising shows the mud | I2 |
A shining border to the silver flood | I2 |
When by her dubious light the meanest views | W |
Chalk stones and stakes obtain the richest hues | W |
And when the cattle as they gazing stand | I2 |
Seem nobler objects than when view'd from land | I2 |
Then anchor'd vessels in the way appear | L |
And sea boys greet them as they pass 'What cheer ' | - |
The sleeping shell ducks at the sound arise | W |
And utter loud their unharmonious cries | W |
Fluttering they move their weedy beds among | M2 |
Or instant diving hide their plumeless young | M2 |
Along the wall returning from the town | N2 |
The weary rustic homeward wanders down | N2 |
Who stops | W |
George Crabbe
(1)
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