The Borough. Letter Xxii: Peter Grimes Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAABBCCDDEE FFGGHHEEIJKKLLMMNNOO PP JJCCJJ QQJJRRSSSTT JJUUJJVV WWJJXX JJYYZA2JJB2C2JJD2D2 JJE2E2CCNNMM F2F2G2G2RR JJJJJJJ JJH2H2AA CCMMJJOORR JJ JJI2I2JJJJ FFJ2J2K2K2JJJJ JJL2L2JJNNJ2J2TTJJJ JJ M2M2JJ JJJJN2N2 JJJJNOld Peter Grimes made fishing his employ | A |
His wife he cabin'd with him and his boy | A |
And seem'd that life laborious to enjoy | A |
To town came quiet Peter with his fish | B |
And had of all a civil word and wish | B |
He left his trade upon the sabbath day | C |
And took young Peter in his hand to pray | C |
But soon the stubborn boy from care broke loose | D |
At first refused then added his abuse | D |
His father's love he scorn'd his power defied | E |
But being drunk wept sorely when he died | E |
- | |
Yes then he wept and to his mind there came | F |
Much of his conduct and he felt the shame | F |
How he had oft the good old man reviled | G |
And never paid the duty of a child | G |
How when the father in his Bible read | H |
He in contempt and anger left the shed | H |
It is the word of life the parent cried | E |
This is the life itself the boy replied | E |
And while old Peter in amazement stood | I |
Gave the hot spirit to his boiling blood | J |
How he with oath and furious speech began | K |
To prove his freedom and assert the man | K |
And when the parent check'd his impious rage | L |
How he had cursed the tyranny of age | L |
Nay once had dealt the sacrilegious blow | M |
On his bare head and laid his parent low | M |
The father groan'd If thou art old said he | N |
And hast a son thou wilt remember me | N |
Thy mother left me in a happy time | O |
Thou kill'dst not her Heav'n spares the double crime | O |
- | |
On an inn settle in his maudlin grief | P |
This he revolved and drank for his relief | P |
- | |
Now lived the youth in freedom but debarr'd | J |
From constant pleasure and he thought it hard | J |
Hard that he could not every wish obey | C |
But must awhile relinquish ale and play | C |
Hard that he could not to his cards attend | J |
But must acquire the money he would spend | J |
- | |
With greedy eye he look'd on all he saw | Q |
He knew not justice and he laugh'd at law | Q |
On all he mark'd he stretch'd his ready hand | J |
He fish'd by water and he filch'd by land | J |
Oft in the night has Peter dropp'd his oar | R |
Fled from his boat and sought for prey on shore | R |
Oft up the hedge row glided on his back | S |
Bearing the orchard's produce in a sack | S |
Or farm yard load tugg'd fiercely from the stack | S |
And as these wrongs to greater numbers rose | T |
The more he look'd on all men as his foes | T |
- | |
He built a mud wall'd hovel where he kept | J |
His various wealth and there he oft times slept | J |
But no success could please his cruel soul | U |
He wish'd for one to trouble and control | U |
He wanted some obedient boy to stand | J |
And bear the blow of his outrageous hand | J |
And hoped to find in some propitious hour | V |
A feeling creature subject to his power | V |
- | |
Peter had heard there were in London then | W |
Still have they being workhouse clearing men | W |
Who undisturb'd by feelings just or kind | J |
Would parish boys to needy tradesmen bind | J |
They in their want a trifling sum would take | X |
And toiling slaves of piteous orphans make | X |
- | |
Such Peter sought and when a lad was found | J |
The sum was dealt him and the slave was bound | J |
Some few in town observed in Peter's trap | Y |
A boy with jacket blue and woollen cap | Y |
But none inquired how Peter used the rope | Z |
Or what the bruise that made the stripling stoop | A2 |
None could the ridges on his back behold | J |
None sought his shiv'ring in the winter's cold | J |
None put the question Peter dost thou give | B2 |
The boy his food What man the lad must live | C2 |
Consider Peter let the child have bread | J |
He'll serve thee better if he's stroked and fed | J |
None reason'd thus and some on hearing cries | D2 |
Said calmly Grimes is at his exercise | D2 |
- | |
Pinn'd beaten cold pinch'd threaten'd and abused | J |
His efforts punish'd and his food refused | J |
Awake tormented soon aroused from sleep | E2 |
Struck if he wept and yet compell'd to weep | E2 |
The trembling boy dropp'd down and strove to pray | C |
Received a blow and trembling turn'd away | C |
Or sobb'd and hid his piteous face while he | N |
The savage master grinn'd in horrid glee | N |
He'd now the power he ever loved to show | M |
A feeling being subject to his blow | M |
- | |
Thus lived the lad in hunger peril pain | F2 |
His tears despised his supplications vain | F2 |
Compell'd by fear to lie by need to steal | G2 |
His bed uneasy and unbless'd his meal | G2 |
For three sad years the boy his tortures bore | R |
And then his pains and trials were no more | R |
- | |
How died he Peter when the people said | J |
He growl'd I found him lifeless in his bed | J |
Then tried for softer tone and sigh'd Poor Sam is dead | J |
Yet murmurs were there and some questions ask'd | J |
How he was fed how punish'd and how task'd | J |
Much they suspected but they little proved | J |
And Peter pass'd untroubled and unmoved | J |
- | |
Another boy with equal ease was found | J |
The money granted and the victim bound | J |
And what his fate One night it chanced he fell | H2 |
From the boat's mast and perish'd in her well | H2 |
Where fish were living kept and where the boy | A |
So reason'd men could not himself destroy | A |
- | |
Yes so it was said Peter in his play | C |
For he was idle both by night and day | C |
He climb'd the main mast and then fell below | M |
Then show'd his corpse and pointed to the blow | M |
What said the jury they were long in doubt | J |
But sturdy Peter faced the matter out | J |
So they dismiss'd him saying at the time | O |
Keep fast your hatchway when you've boys who climb | O |
This hit the conscience and he colour'd more | R |
Than for the closest questions put before | R |
- | |
Thus all his fears the verdict set aside | J |
And at the slave shop Peter still applied | J |
- | |
Then came a boy of manners soft and mild | J |
Our seamen's wives with grief beheld the child | J |
All thought the poor themselves that he was one | I2 |
Of gentle blood some noble sinner's son | I2 |
Who had belike deceived some humble maid | J |
Whom he had first seduced and then betray'd | J |
However this he seem'd a gracious lad | J |
In grief submissive and with patience sad | J |
- | |
Passive he labour'd till his slender frame | F |
Bent with his loads and he at length was lame | F |
Strange that a frame so weak could bear so long | J2 |
The grossest insult and the foulest wrong | J2 |
But there were causes in the town they gave | K2 |
Fire food and comfort to the gentle slave | K2 |
And though stern Peter with a cruel hand | J |
And knotted rope enforced the rude command | J |
Yet he considered what he'd lately felt | J |
And his vile blows with selfish pity dealt | J |
- | |
One day such draughts the cruel fisher made | J |
He could not vend them in his borough trade | J |
But sail'd for London mart the boy was ill | L2 |
But ever humbled to his master's will | L2 |
And on the river where they smoothly sail'd | J |
He strove with terror and awhile prevail'd | J |
But new to danger on the angry sea | N |
He clung affrighten'd to his master's knee | N |
The boat grew leaky and the wind was strong | J2 |
Rough was the passage and the time was long | J2 |
His liquor fail'd and Peter's wrath arose | T |
No more is known the rest we must suppose | T |
Or learn of Peter Peter says he spied | J |
The stripling's danger and for harbour tried | J |
Meantime the fish and then th' apprentice died | J |
- | |
The pitying women raised a clamour round | J |
And weeping said Thou hast thy 'prentice drown'd | J |
- | |
Now the stern man was summon'd to the hall | M2 |
To tell his tale before the burghers all | M2 |
He gave th' account profess'd the lad he loved | J |
And kept his brazen features all unmoved | J |
- | |
The mayor himself with tone severe replied | J |
Henceforth with thee shall never boy abide | J |
Hire thee a freeman whom thou durst not beat | J |
But who in thy despite will sleep and eat | J |
Free thou art now again shouldst thou appear | N2 |
Thou'lt find thy sentence like thy soul severe | N2 |
- | |
Alas for Peter not a helping hand | J |
So was he hated could he now command | J |
Alone he row'd his boat alone he cast | J |
His nets beside or made his anchor fast | J |
T | N |
George Crabbe
(2)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about The Borough. Letter Xxii: Peter Grimes poem by George Crabbe
Lars Christensen: Text is incomplete
Best Poems of George Crabbe