The Quarter-gunner's Yarn Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABB CCDD EEFF GGHH IIJJ KKLL MMNN OOPP QQRR SSTT UUVV WWXX PPYY ZZA2A2 OOB2B2We lay at St Helen's and easy she rode | A |
With one anchor catted and fresh water stowed | A |
When the barge came alongside like bullocks we roared | B |
For we knew what we carried with Nelson aboard | B |
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Our Captain was Hardy the pride of us all | C |
I'll ask for none better when danger shall call | C |
He was hardy by nature and Hardy by name | D |
And soon by his conduct to honour he came | D |
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The third day the Lizard was under our lee | E |
Where the Ajax and Thunderer joined us at sea | E |
But what with foul weather and tacking about | F |
When we sighted the Fleet we were thirteen days out | F |
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The Captains they all came aboard quick enough | G |
But the news that they brought was as heavy as duff | G |
So backward an enemy never was seen | H |
They were harder to come at than Cheeks the Marine | H |
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The lubbers had hare's lugs where seamen have ears | I |
So we stowed all saluting and smothered our cheers | I |
And to humour their stomachs and tempt them to dine | J |
In the offing we showed them but six of the line | J |
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One morning the topmen reported below | K |
The old Agamemnon escaped from the foe | K |
Says Nelson My lads there'll be honour for some | L |
For we're sure of a battle now Berry has come | L |
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Up hammocks at last cried the bo'sun at dawn | M |
The guns were cast loose and the tompions drawn | M |
The gunner was bustling the shot racks to fill | N |
And All hands to quarters was piped with a will | N |
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We now saw the enemy bearing ahead | O |
And to East of them Cape Traflagar it was said | O |
'Tis a name we remember from father to son | P |
That the days of old England may never be done | P |
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The Victory led to her flag it was due | Q |
Tho' the Temeraires thought themselves Admirals too | Q |
But Lord Nelson he hailed them with masterful grace | R |
Cap'n Harvey I'll thank you to keep in your place | R |
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To begin with we closed the Bucentaure alone | S |
An eighty gun ship and their Admiral's own | S |
We raked her but once and the rest of the day | T |
Like a hospital hulk on the water she lay | T |
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To our battering next the Redoutable struck | U |
But her sharpshooters gave us the worst of the luck | U |
Lord Nelson was wounded most cruel to tell | V |
They've done for me Hardy he cried as he fell | V |
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To the cockpit in silence they carried him past | W |
And sad were the looks that were after him cast | W |
His face with a kerchief he tried to conceal | X |
But we knew him too well from the truck to the keel | X |
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When the Captain reported a victory won | P |
Thank God he kept saying my duty I've done | P |
At last came the moment to kiss him good bye | Y |
And the Captain for once had the salt in his eye | Y |
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Now anchor dear Hardy the Admiral cried | Z |
But before we could make it he fainted and died | Z |
All night in the trough of the sea we were tossed | A2 |
And for want of ground tackle good prizes were lost | A2 |
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Then we hauled down the flag at the fore it was red | O |
And blue at the mizzen was hoisted instead | O |
By Nelson's famed Captain the pride of each tar | B2 |
Who fought in the Victory off Cape Traflagar | B2 |
Henry Newbolt
(1)
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