The Borough. Letter Xxii: Peter Grimes Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Old 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

The Borough. Letter Xxii: Peter Grimes Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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