The Borough. Letter V: The Election Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFDDGGDDDD HIJJDDKKLMHNOODDDMPP OOQQEERRSSRRTTUUKKUU VVWWDDDDUUUUXXUUDDYY UUZZUUA2A2DDB2B2DDDD C2C2DDDDHHD2MDDUUUUD DDDE2E2F2F2NHDDUUDDD DG2MUUKKQQUUDDDDH2MI 2MUMJ2MDDA2MG2MUMK2M UUHMMDDDI2MDDL2L2UI2| YES our Election's past and we've been free | A |
| Somewhat as madmen without keepers be | A |
| And such desire of Freedom has been shown | B |
| That both the parties wish'd her all their own | B |
| All our free smiths and cobblers in the town | C |
| Were loth to lay such pleasant freedom down | C |
| To put the bludgeon and cockade aside | D |
| And let us pass unhurt and undefied | D |
| True you might then your party's sign produce | E |
| And so escape with only half th' abuse | E |
| With half the danger as you walk'd along | F |
| With rage and threat'ning but from half the throng | F |
| This you might do and not your fortune mend | D |
| For where you lost a foe you gain'd a friend | D |
| And to distress you vex you and expose | G |
| Election friends are worse than any foes | G |
| The party curse is with the canvass past | D |
| But party friendship for jour grief will last | D |
| Friends of all kinds the civil and the rude | D |
| Who humbly wish or boldly dare t'intrude | D |
| These beg or take a liberty to come | H |
| Friends should be free and make your house their home | I |
| They know that warmly you their cause espouse | J |
| And come to make their boastings and their bows | J |
| You scorn their manners you their words mistrust | D |
| But you must hear them and they know you must | D |
| One plainly sees a friendship firm and true | K |
| Between the noble candidate and you | K |
| So humbly begs and states at large the case | L |
| 'You'll think of Bobby and the little place ' | M |
| Stifling his shame by drink a wretch will come | H |
| And prate your wife and daughter from the room | N |
| In pain you hear him and at heart despise | O |
| Yet with heroic mind your pangs disguise | O |
| And still in patience to the sot attend | D |
| To show what man can bear to serve a friend | D |
| One enters hungry not to be denied | D |
| And takes his place and jokes 'We're of a side ' | M |
| Yet worse the proser who upon the strength | P |
| Of his one vote has tales of three hours' length | P |
| This sorry rogue you bear yet with surprise | O |
| Start at his oaths and sicken at his lies | O |
| Then comes there one and tells in friendly way | Q |
| What the opponents in their anger say | Q |
| All that through life has vex'd you all abuse | E |
| Will this kind friend in pure regard produce | E |
| And having through your own offences run | R |
| Adds as appendage what your friends have done | R |
| Has any female cousin made a trip | S |
| To Gretna Green or more vexatious slip | S |
| Has your wife's brother or your uncle's son | R |
| Done aught amiss or is he thought t'have done | R |
| Is there of all your kindred some who lack | T |
| Vision direct or have a gibbous back | T |
| From your unlucky name may quips and puns | U |
| Be made by these upbraiding Goths and Huns | U |
| To some great public character have you | K |
| Assigned the fame to worth and talents due | K |
| Proud of your praise In this in any case | U |
| Where the brute spirit may affix disgrace | U |
| These friends will smiling bring it and the while | V |
| You silent sit and practise for a smile | V |
| Vain of their power and of their value sure | W |
| They nearly guess the tortures you endure | W |
| Nor spare one pang for they perceive your heart | D |
| Goes with the cause you'd die before you'd start | D |
| Do what they may they're sure you'll not offend | D |
| Men who have pledged their honours to your friend | D |
| Those friends indeed who start as in a race | U |
| May love the sport and laugh at this disgrace | U |
| They have in view the glory and the prize | U |
| Nor heed the dirty steps by which they rise | U |
| But we their poor associates lose the fame | X |
| Though more than partners in the toil and shame | X |
| Were this the whole and did the time produce | U |
| But shame and toil but riot and abuse | U |
| We might be then from serious griefs exempt | D |
| And view the whole with pity and contempt | D |
| Alas but here the vilest passions rule | Y |
| It is Seduction's is Temptation's school | Y |
| Where vices mingle in the oddest ways | U |
| The grossest slander and the dirtiest praise | U |
| Flattery enough to make the vainest sick | Z |
| And clumsy stratagem and scoundrel trick | Z |
| Nay more your anger and contempt to cause | U |
| These while they fish for profit claim applause | U |
| Bribed bought and bound they banish shame and fear | A2 |
| Tell you they're staunch and have a soul sincere | A2 |
| Then talk of honour and if doubt's express'd | D |
| Show where it lies and smite upon the breast | D |
| Among these worthies some at first declare | B2 |
| For whom they vote he then has most to spare | B2 |
| Others hang off when coming to the post | D |
| Is spurring time and then he'll spare the most | D |
| While some demurring wait and find at last | D |
| The bidding languish and the market past | D |
| These will affect all bribery to condemn | C2 |
| And be it Satan laughs he laughs at them | C2 |
| Some too are pious One desired the Lord | D |
| To teach him where 'to drop his little word | D |
| To lend his vote where it will profit best | D |
| Promotion came not from the east or west | D |
| But as their freedom had promoted some | H |
| He should be glad to know which way 'twould come | H |
| It was a naughty world and where to sell | D2 |
| His precious charge was more than he could tell ' | M |
| 'But you succeeded ' True at mighty cost | D |
| And our good friend I fear will think he's lost | D |
| Inns horses chaises dinners balls and notes | U |
| What fill'd their purses and what drench'd their throats | U |
| The private pension and indulgent lease | U |
| Have all been granted to these friends who fleece | U |
| Friends who will hang like burs upon his coat | D |
| And boundless judge the value of a vote | D |
| And though the terrors of the time be pass'd | D |
| There still remain the scatterings of the blast | D |
| The boughs are parted that entwined before | E2 |
| And ancient harmony exists no more | E2 |
| The gusts of wrath our peaceful seats deform | F2 |
| And sadly flows the sighing of the storm | F2 |
| Those who have gain'd are sorry for the gloom | N |
| But they who lost unwilling peace should come | H |
| There open envy here suppress'd delight | D |
| Yet live till time shall better thoughts excite | D |
| And so prepare us by a six years' truce | U |
| Again for riot insult and abuse | U |
| Our worthy Mayor on the victorious part | D |
| Cries out for peace and cries with all his heart | D |
| He civil creature ever does his best | D |
| To banish wrath from every voter's breast | D |
| 'For where ' says he with reason strong and plain | G2 |
| 'Where is the profit what will anger gain ' | M |
| His short stout person he is wont to brace | U |
| In good brown broad cloth edg'd with two inch lace | U |
| When in his seat and still the coat seems new | K |
| Preserved by common use of seaman's blue | K |
| He was a fisher from his earliest day | Q |
| And placed his nets within the Borough's bay | Q |
| Where by his skates his herrings and his soles | U |
| He lived nor dream'd of Corporation Doles | U |
| But toiling saved and saving never ceased | D |
| Till he had box'd up twelvescore pounds at least | D |
| He knew not money's power but judged it best | D |
| Safe in his trunk to let his treasure rest | D |
| Yet to a friend complain'd 'Sad charge to keep | H2 |
| So many pounds and then I cannot sleep ' | M |
| 'Then put it out ' replied the friend 'What give | I2 |
| My money up why then I could not live ' | M |
| 'Nay but for interest place it in his hands | U |
| Who'll give you mortgage on his house or lands ' | M |
| 'Oh but ' said Daniel 'that's a dangerous plan | J2 |
| He may be robb'd like any other man ' | M |
| 'Still he is bound and you may be at rest | D |
| More safe the money than within your chest | D |
| And you'll receive from all deductions clear | A2 |
| Five pounds for every hundred every year ' | M |
| 'What good in that ' quoth Daniel 'for 'tis plain | G2 |
| If part I take there can but part remain ' | M |
| 'What you my friend so skill'd in gainful things | U |
| Have you to learn what Interest money brings ' | M |
| 'Not so ' said Daniel 'perfectly I know | K2 |
| He's the most interest who has most to show ' | M |
| 'True and he'll show the more the more he lends | U |
| Thus he his weight and consequence extends | U |
| For they who borrow must restore each sum | H |
| And pay for use What Daniel art thou dumb ' | M |
| For much amazed was that good man 'Indeed ' | M |
| Said he with gladd'ning eye 'will money breed | D |
| How have I lived I grieve with all my heart | D |
| For my late knowledge in this precious art | D |
| Five pounds for every hundred will he give | I2 |
| And then the hundred I begin to live ' | M |
| So he began and other means he found | D |
| As he went on to multiply a pound | D |
| Though blind so long to Interest all allow | L2 |
| That no man better understands it now | L2 |
| Him in our Body Corporate we chose | U |
| And once among us he abov | I2 |
George Crabbe
(1)
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About The Borough. Letter V: The Election
The Borough. Letter V: The Election is a poem by George Crabbe. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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