Antony Villa Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAAABBCC AADD EFGG EEAA AAAAHHEE AAEEEEEE CCCC EEEE IIAACCCC HHCC CCJK AACC LLAA| Over there above the jetty stands the mansion of the Vardens | A |
| With a tennis ground and terrace and a flagstaff in the gardens | A |
| They are gentlemen and ladies they ve been toffs for generations | A |
| But old Varden s been unlucky lost a lot in speculations | A |
| Troubles gathered fast upon him when the mining bubble busted | B |
| Then the bank suspended payment where his little all he trusted | B |
| And the butcher and the baker sent their bills in when they read it | C |
| Even John the Chow that served him has refused to give him cledit | C |
| - | |
| And the daughters of the Vardens they are beautiful as Graces | A |
| But the balcony s deserted and they rarely show their faces | A |
| And the swells of their acquaintance never seem to venture near them | D |
| And the bailiff says they seldom have a cup of tea to cheer them | D |
| - | |
| They were butterflies I always was a common caterpillar | E |
| But I m sorry for the ladies over there in Tony Villa | F |
| Shut up there in Tony Villa with the bailiff and their trouble | G |
| And the dried up reservoir where my tears were seems to bubble | G |
| - | |
| Mrs Rooney thinks it nothing when she sends a brat to borry | E |
| Just a pinch of tea and sugar till the grocer comes temorry | E |
| But it s dif rent with the Vardens they would starve to death as soon as | A |
| Knuckle down You know they weren t raised exactly like the Rooneys | A |
| - | |
| - | |
| There is gossip in the boxes and the drawing rooms and gardens | A |
| Have you heard of Varden s failure Have you heard about the Vardens | A |
| And no doubt each toney mother on the Point across the water s | A |
| Mighty glad about the downfall of the rivals of her daughters | A |
| Tho the poets and the writers say that man to man s inhuman | H |
| I m inclined to think it s nothing to what woman is to woman | H |
| More especially the ladies save perhaps a fellow s mother | E |
| And I think that men are better they are kinder to each other | E |
| - | |
| - | |
| There s a youngster by the jetty gathering cinders from the ashes | A |
| He was known as Master Varden ere the great financial crashes | A |
| And his manner shows the dif rence twixt the nurs ry and gutter | E |
| But I ve seen him at the grocer s buying half a pound of butter | E |
| And his mother fights her trouble in the house across the water | E |
| She is just as proud as Varden though she was a cocky s daughter | E |
| And at times I think I see her with the flick ring firelight o er her | E |
| Sitting pale and straight and quiet gazing vacantly before her | E |
| - | |
| There s a slight and girlish figure Varden s youngest daughter Nettie | C |
| On the terrace after sunset when the boat is near the jetty | C |
| She is good and pure and pretty and her rivals don t deny it | C |
| Though they say that Nettie Varden takes in sewing on the quiet | C |
| - | |
| How her sister graced the circle all unconscious of a lover | E |
| In the seedy god who watched her from the gallery above her | E |
| Shade of Poverty was on him and the light of Wealth upon her | E |
| But perhaps he loved her better than the swells attending on her | E |
| - | |
| - | |
| There s a white man s heart in Varden spite of all the blue blood in him | I |
| There are working men who wouldn t stand and hear a word agin him | I |
| But his name was never printed by the side of his donations | A |
| Save on hearts that have in this world very humble circulations | A |
| He was never stiff or hoggish he was affable and jolly | C |
| And he d always say Good morning to the deck hand on the Polly | C |
| He would barrack with the newsboys on the Quay across the ferry | C |
| And he d very often tip em coming home a trifle merry | C |
| - | |
| But his chin is getting higher and his features daily harden | H |
| He will not give up possession there s a lot of fight in Varden | H |
| And the way he steps the gangway oh you couldn t but admire it | C |
| Just as proud as ever hero walked the plank aboard a pirate | C |
| - | |
| He will think about the hardships that his girls were never useter | C |
| And it must be mighty heavy on the thoroughbred old rooster | C |
| But he ll never strike his colours and I tell a lying tale if | J |
| Varden s pride don t kill him sooner than the bankers or the bailiff | K |
| - | |
| You remember when we often had to go without our dinners | A |
| In the days when Pride and Hunger fought a finish out within us | A |
| And how Pride would come up groggy Hunger whooping loud and louder | C |
| And the swells are proud as we are they are just as proud and prouder | C |
| - | |
| Yes the toffs have grit in spite of all our sneering and our scorning | L |
| What s the crowd What s that God help us Varden shot himself this morning | L |
| There ll be gossip in the circle in the drawing rooms and gardens | A |
| But I m sorry for the family yes I m sorry for the Vardens | A |
Henry Lawson
(1)
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