The Beggar's Soliloquy Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCDEFE A GHGHIJIJ A KLKLMNMN N OPOPQRQR N STSTUVUV N WXWXYKYK N ZA2ZB2C2D2C2D2 N E2F2E2F2G2NG2N F2 NH2NH2I2DI2D F2 J2NJ2NK2F2K2F2 N L2M2L2M2NN2NN2 N N2NN2NN2BN2B N O2P2O2P2Q2N2Q2N2 N R2S2T2S2N2GN2N

IA
-
Now this to my notion is pleasant cheerB
To lie all alone on a ragged heathC
Where your nose isn't sniffing for bones or beerB
But a peat fire smells like a garden beneathC
The cottagers bustle about the doorD
And the girl at the window ties her stringsE
She's a dish for a man who's a mind to be poorF
Lord women are such expensive thingsE
-
IIA
-
We don't marry beggars says she why noG
It seems that to make 'em is what you doH
And as I can cook and scour and sewG
I needn't pay half my victuals for youH
A man for himself should be able to scratchI
But tickling's a luxury love indeedJ
Love burns as long as the lucifer matchI
Wedlock's the candle Now that's my creedJ
-
IIIA
-
The church bells sound water like over the wheatK
And up the long path troop pair after pairL
The man's well brushed and the woman looks neatK
It's man and woman everywhereL
Unless like me you lie here flatM
With a donkey for friend you must have a wifeN
She pulls out your hair but she brushes your hatM
Appearances make the best half of lifeN
-
IVN
-
You nice little madam you know you're niceO
I remember hearing a parson sayP
You're a plateful of vanity pepper'd with viceO
You chap at the gate thinks t' other wayP
On his waistcoat you read both his head and his heartQ
There's a whole week's wages there figured in goldR
Yes when you turn round you may well give a startQ
It's fun to a fellow who's getting oldR
-
VN
-
Now that's a good craft weaving waistcoats and flowersS
And selling of ribbons and scenting of lardT
It gives you a house to get in from the showersS
And food when your appetite jockeys you hardT
You live a respectable man but I askU
If it's worth the trouble You use your toolsV
And spend your time and what's your taskU
Why to make a slide for a couple of foolsV
-
VIN
-
You can't match the colour o' these heath moundsW
Nor better that peat fire's agreeable smellX
I'm clothed like with natural sights and soundsW
To myself I'm in tune I hope you're as wellX
You jolly old cot though you don't own coalY
It's a generous pot that's boiled with peatK
Let the Lord Mayor o' London roast oxen wholeY
His smoke at least don't smell so sweetK
-
VIIN
-
I'm not a low Radical hating the lawsZ
Who'd the aristocracy rebukeA2
I talk o' the Lord Mayor o' London becauseZ
I once was on intimate terms with his cookB2
I served him a turn and got pensioned on scrapsC2
And Lord Sir didn't I envy his placeD2
Till Death knock'd him down with the softest of tapsC2
And I knew what was meant by a tallowy faceD2
-
VIIIN
-
On the contrary I'm Conservative quiteE2
There's beggars in Scripture 'mongst Gentiles and JewsF2
It's nonsense trying to set things rightE2
For if people will give why who'll refuseF2
That stopping old custom wakes my spleenG2
The poor and the rich both in giving agreeN
Your tight fisted shopman's the Radical meanG2
There's nothing in common 'twixt him and meN
-
IXF2
-
He says I'm no use but I won't replyN
You're lucky not being of use to himH2
On week days he's playing at Spider and FlyN
And on Sundays he sings about CherubimH2
Nailing shillings to counters is his chief workI2
He nods now and then at the name on his doorD
But judge of us two at a bow and a smirkI2
I think I'm his match and I'm honest that's moreD
-
XF2
-
No use well I mayn't be You ring a pig's snoutJ2
And then call the animal glutton Now heN
Mr Shopman he's nought but a pipe and a spoutJ2
Who won't let the goods o' this world pass freeN
This blazing blue weather all round the brown cropK2
He can't enjoy all but cash he hatesF2
He's only a snail that crawls under his shopK2
Though he has got the ear o' the magistratesF2
-
XIN
-
Now giving and taking's a proper exchangeL2
Like question and answer you're both contentM2
But buying and selling seems always strangeL2
You're hostile and that's the thing that's meantM2
It's man against man you're almost brutesN
There's here no thanks and there's there no prideN2
If Charity's Christian don't blame my pursuitsN
I carry a touchstone by which you're triedN2
-
XIIN
-
'Take it ' says she 'it's all I've got'N2
I remember a girl in London streetsN
She stood by a coffee stall nice and hotN2
My belly was like a lamb that bleatsN
Says I to myself as her shilling I seizedN2
You haven't a character here my dearB
But for making a rascal like me so pleasedN2
I'll give you one in a better sphereB
-
XIIIN
-
And that's where it is she made me feelO2
I was a rascal but people who scornP2
And tell a poor patch breech he isn't genteelO2
Why they make him kick up and he treads on a cornP2
It isn't liking it's curst ill luckQ2
Drives half of us into the begging tradeN2
If for taking to water you praise a duckQ2
For taking to beer why a man upbraidN2
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XIVN
-
The sermon's over they're out of the porchR2
And it's time for me to move a legS2
But in general people who come from churchT2
And have called themselves sinners hate chaps to begS2
I'll wager they'll all of 'em dine to dayN2
I was easy half a minute agoG
If that isn't pig that's baking awayN2
May I perish we're never contented heighoN

George Meredith



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