The Life Of Lincoln West Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABC DEFGHIJJKLEMNCOP QLJJJR STJOOULVW XEIJYZA2Q B2YOC2C2 JYYJJIJD2JIIE2EC2C2F 2IERIC2OG2 H2SI2KJJ2YK2IOL2O M2YYYJ WN2 IYIEO2YP2 YJL2Q2UOOP2OYEO SDR2O YYJ2S2WT2JE JQ2IU2V2JJOW2UX2 X2UX2IM2Y2O Q

Ugliest little boyA
that everyone ever sawB
That is what everyone saidC
-
Even to his mother it was apparentD
when the blue aproned nurse came into theE
northeast end of the maternity wardF
bearing his squeals and plump bottomG
looped up in a scant receiving blanketH
bending to pass the bundle carefullyI
into the waiting mother hands that thisJ
was no cute little ugliness no sly baby waywardnessJ
that was going to inch awayK
as would baby fat baby curl andL
baby spot rash The pendulous lip theE
branching ears the eyes so wide and wildM
the vague unvibrant brown of the skinN
and most disturbing the great headC
These components of That Look bespokeO
the sure fibre The deep grainP
-
His father could not bear the sight of himQ
His mother high piled her pretty dyed hair andL
put him among her hairpins and sweetheartsJ
dance slippers torn paper rosesJ
He was not less than theseJ
he was not moreR
-
As the little Lincoln grewS
uglily upward and out he beganT
to understand that something wasJ
wrong His little ways of tryingO
to please his father the bringingO
of matches the jumping aside atU
warning sound of oh so large andL
rushing stride the smile that gaveV
and gave and gave UnsuccessfulW
-
Even Christmases and Easters were spoiledX
He would be sitting at theE
family feasting table reallyI
delighting in the displays of mashed potatoesJ
and the rich goldenY
fat crust of the ham or the festiveZ
fowl when he would look up and findA2
somebody feeling indignant about himQ
-
What a pity what a pity No loveB2
for one so loving The little LincolnY
loved Everybody Ants The changingO
caterpillar His much missing motherC2
His kindergarten teacherC2
-
His kindergarten teacher whoseJ
concern for him was composed of oneY
part sympathy and two parts repulsionY
The others ran up with their little drawingsJ
He ran up with hisJ
SheI
tried to be as pleasant with him asJ
with others but it was difficultD2
For she was all pretty all daintinessJ
all tiny vanilla with blue eyes and fluffyI
sun hair One afternoon sheI
saw him in the hall looking bleak againstE2
the wall It was strange because theE
bell had long since rung and no otherC2
child was in sight Pity flooded herC2
She buttoned her gloves and suggestedF2
cheerfully that she walk him home SheI
started out bravely holding him by theE
hand But she had not walked far beforeR
she regretted it The little monkeyI
Must everyone look And clutching herC2
hand like that Literally pinchingO
itG2
-
At seven the little Lincoln lovedH2
the brother and sister whoS
moved next door Handsome WellI2
dressed Charitable often to him TheyK
enjoyed him because he wasJ
resourceful made upJ2
games told stories But whenY
their More Acceptable friends came they turnedK2
their handsome backs on him HeI
hated himself for his feelingO
of well being when with them despiteL2
EverythingO
-
He spent much time looking at himselfM2
in mirrors What could be doneY
But there was noY
shrinking his head There was noY
binding his earsJ
-
Don t touch me cried the littleW
fairy like being in the playgroundN2
-
Her name was Nerissa The manyI
children were playing tag but whenY
he caught her she recoiled jerked freeI
and ran It was like all theE
rainbow that ever was going offO2
forever all all the sparklings inY
the sunset westP2
-
One day while he was yet sevenY
a thing happened In the down town moviesJ
with his mother a whiteL2
man in the seat beside him whisperedQ2
loudly to a companion and pointed atU
the little LincO
THERE That s the kind I ve been wantingO
to show you One of the bestP2
examples of the specie Not likeO
those diluted Negroes you see so much of onY
the streets these days but theE
real thingO
-
Black ugly and odd YouS
can see the savagery The bluntD
blankness That is the realR2
thingO
-
His mother her hair had never looked soY
red around the dark brownY
velvet of her face jumped upJ2
shrieked Go to She did not finishS2
She yanked to his feet the littleW
Lincoln who was sitting thereT2
staring in fascination at his assessor At the author of hisJ
new ideaE
-
All the way home he was happy Of courseJ
he had not liked the wordQ2
uglyI
But after all should he notU2
be used to that by now What hadV2
struck him among words and meaningsJ
he could little understand was the phraseJ
the real thingO
He didn t know quite whyW2
but he liked thatU
He liked that very muchX2
-
When he was hurt too muchX2
stared atU
too muchX2
left alone heI
thought about that He told himselfM2
After all I mY2
the real thingO
-
It comforted himQ

Gwendolyn Brooks



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