The Noble Patron. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AA BBCCDDEEAAFFGG HHAAII CCBAJJAAAAKKLL MMNNCCHHOOAA OOPGQQ HHRASSTT UUHHVVWW XXMMYYEEZZA2A2B2B2 MMC2C2HH B2B2ZZB2B2D2D2E2E2 HHF2F2G2G2H2H2 I2I2 B2B2HHAANN AAAA NNHHWWAA J2J2K2K2XXAA L2L2XXM2 M2Ce sont les amours | A |
Qui font les beaux jours | A |
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What is a Patron JOHNSON knew | B |
And well that lifelike portrait drew | B |
He is a Patron who looks down | C |
With careless eye on men who drown | C |
But if they chance to reach the land | D |
Encumbers them with helping hand | D |
Ah happy we whose artless rhyme | E |
No longer now must creep to climb | E |
Ah happy we of later days | A |
Who 'scape those Caudine Forks of praise | A |
Whose votive page may dare commend | F |
A Brother or a private Friend | F |
Not so it fared with scribbling man | G |
As POPE says under my Queen ANNE | G |
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DICK DOVECOT this was long be sure | H |
Ere he attained his Wiltshire cure | H |
And settled down like humbler folks | A |
To cowslip wine and country jokes | A |
Once hoped as who will not for fame | I |
And dreamed of honours and a Name | I |
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A fresh cheek'd lad he came to Town | C |
In homespun hose and russet brown | C |
But armed at point with every view | B |
Enforced in RAPIN and BOSSU | A |
Besides a stout portfolio ripe | J |
For LINTOT'S or for TONSON'S type | J |
He went the rounds saw all the sights | A |
Dropped in at Wills and Tom's o' nights | A |
Heard BURNET preach saw BICKNELL dance | A |
E'en gained from ADDISON a glance | A |
Nay once to make his bliss complete | K |
He supp'd with STEELE in Bury Street | K |
'Tis true the feast was half by stealth | L |
PRUE was in bed they drank her health | L |
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By this his purse was running low | M |
And he must either print or go | M |
He went to TONSON TONSON said | N |
Well TONSON hummed and shook his head | N |
Deplor'd the times abus'd the Town | C |
But thought at length it might go down | C |
With aid of course of Elzevir | H |
And Prologue to a Prince or Peer | H |
Dick winced at this for adulation | O |
Was scarce that candid youth's vocation | O |
Nor did he deem his rustic lays | A |
Required a Coronet for Bays | A |
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But there the choice was that or none | O |
The Lord was found the thing was done | O |
With HORACE and with TOOKE'S Pantheon | P |
He penn'd his tributary p an | G |
Despatched his gift nor waited long | Q |
The meed of his ingenuous song | Q |
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Ere two days pass'd a hackney chair | H |
Brought a pert spark with languid air | H |
A lace cravat about his throat | R |
Brocaded gown en papillotes | A |
My Lord himself quoth DICK at least | S |
But no 'twas that inferior priest | S |
His Lordship's man He held a card | T |
My Lord it said would see the Bard | T |
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The day arrived DICK went was shown | U |
Into an anteroom alone | U |
A great gilt room with mirrored door | H |
Festoons of flowers and marble floor | H |
Whose lavish splendours made him look | V |
More shabby than a sheepskin book | V |
His own book by the way he spied | W |
On a far table toss'd aside | W |
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DICK waited as they only wait | X |
Who haunt the chambers of the Great | X |
He heard the chairmen come and go | M |
He heard the Porter yawn below | M |
Beyond him in the Grand Saloon | Y |
He heard the silver stroke of noon | Y |
And thought how at this very time | E |
The old church clock at home would chime | E |
Dear heart how plain he saw it all | Z |
The lich gate and the crumbling wall | Z |
The stream the pathway to the wood | A2 |
The bridge where they so oft had stood | A2 |
Then in a trice both church and clock | B2 |
Vanish'd before a shuttlecock | B2 |
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A shuttlecock And following slow | M |
The zigzag of its to and fro | M |
And so intent upon its flight | C2 |
She neither look'd to left nor right | C2 |
Came a tall girl with floating hair | H |
Light as a wood nymph and as fair | H |
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O Dea cert thought poor Dick | B2 |
And thereupon his memories quick | B2 |
Ran back to her who flung the ball | Z |
In HOMER'S page and next to all | Z |
The dancing maids that bards have sung | B2 |
Lastly to One at home as young | B2 |
As fresh as light of foot and glad | D2 |
Who when he went had seem'd so sad | D2 |
O Dea cert Still he stirred | E2 |
Nor hand nor foot nor uttered word | E2 |
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Meanwhile the shuttlecock in air | H |
Went darting gaily here and there | H |
Now crossed a mirror's face and next | F2 |
Shot up amidst the sprawl'd perplex'd | F2 |
Olympus overhead At last | G2 |
Jerk'd sidelong by a random cast | G2 |
The striker miss'd it and it fell | H2 |
Full on the book DICK knew so well | H2 |
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If he had thought to speak or bow | I2 |
Judge if he moved a muscle now | I2 |
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The player paused bent down to look | B2 |
Lifted a cover of the book | B2 |
Pished at the Prologue passed it o'er | H |
Went forward for a page or more | H |
Asem and Asa DICK could trace | A |
Almost the passage and the place | A |
Then for a moment with bent head | N |
Rested upon her hand and read | N |
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DICK thought once more how cousin CIS | A |
Used when she read to lean like this | A |
Used when she read why CIS could say | A |
All he had written any day | A |
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Sudden was heard a hurrying tread | N |
The great doors creaked The reader fled | N |
Forth came a crowd with muffled laughter | H |
A waft of Bergamot and after | H |
His Chaplain smirking at his side | W |
My Lord himself in all his pride | W |
A portly shape in stars and lace | A |
With wine bag cheeks and vacant face | A |
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DICK bowed and smiled The Great Man stared | J2 |
With look half puzzled and half scared | J2 |
Then seemed to recollect turned round | K2 |
And mumbled some imperfect sound | K2 |
A moment more his coach of state | X |
Dipped on its springs beneath his weight | X |
And DICK who followed at his heels | A |
Heard but the din of rolling wheels | A |
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Away too all his dreams had rolled | L2 |
And yet they left him half consoled | L2 |
Fame after all he thought might wait | X |
Would CIS Suppose he were too late | X |
Ten months he'd lost in Town an age | M2 |
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Next day he took the Wiltshire Stage | M2 |
Henry Austin Dobson
(1)
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