The Auction Sale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBCACADEEFEEEGHIJEK I LMNOHPEPEEEE QEQQEEERSEETECC EUVVWEEEEVVWIWCXCX YQYEVETCIEI CVZCEA2EEEEEZB2C2D2 EA2QE2EQ VEVF2EG2ED2EQCH2QWCC QWQI2QWH2IH2 VJ2FEK2OOK2D2EVVL2A2 M2M2EVA2XVEEQN2IEI ED2D2O2D2VD2 QQWHP2Q2WP2QA2R2QER2 EE A2OES2EER2ET2T2QVEVR OT2VU2MT2 T2VEEET2EEEEEEWV2EA2 WWW A2QT2EQT2T2EW2QOWithin the great grey flapping tent | A |
The damp crowd stood or stamped about | B |
And some came in and some went out | B |
To drink the moist November air | C |
None fainted though a few looked spent | A |
And eyed some empty unbought chair | C |
It was getting on And all had meant | A |
Not to go home with empty hands | D |
But full of gain at little cost | E |
Of mirror vase or vinaigrette | E |
Yet often after certain sales | F |
Some looked relieved that they had lost | E |
Others at having won upset | E |
Two men from London sat apart | E |
Both from the rest and each from each | G |
One man in grey and one in brown | H |
And each ignored the others face | I |
And both ignored the endless stream | J |
Of bed and bedside cabinet | E |
Gazing intent upon the floor | K |
And they were strangers in that place | I |
- | |
- | |
Two other men competing now | L |
Locals whom everybody knew | M |
In shillings genially strove | N |
For some small thing in ormolu | O |
Neither was eager one looked down | H |
Blankly at eighty four and then | P |
Rallied again at eighty eight | E |
And took it off at four pounds ten | P |
The loser grimly shook his fist | E |
But friendly there was nothing meant | E |
Little gained was little missed | E |
And there was smiling in the tent | E |
- | |
- | |
The auctioneer paused to drink | Q |
And wiped his lips and looked about | E |
Engaged in whispered colloquoy | Q |
The clerk who frowned and seemed to think | Q |
And murmured Why not do it next | E |
The auctioneer though full of doubt | E |
Unacquiescent rather vexed | E |
At last agreed and at his sign | R |
Two ministrants came softly forth | S |
And lifted in an ashen shroud | E |
Something extremely carefully packed | E |
Which might have been some sort of frame | T |
And was a picture frame in fact | E |
They steadied it gently and with care | C |
And held it covered standing there | C |
- | |
- | |
The auctioneer again looked round | E |
And smiled uneasily at friends | U |
And said Well friends I have to say | V |
Something I have not said to day | V |
There's a reserve upon this number | W |
It is a picture which though unsigned | E |
Is thought to be of a superior kind | E |
So I am sure you gentlemen will not mind | E |
If I tell you at once before we start | E |
That what I have been asked to say | V |
Is as I have said to say | V |
There's a reserve upon this number | W |
There was a rustle in that place | I |
And some awoke as though from slumber | W |
And some disturbance fluttered there | C |
And as if summoned to begin | X |
Those who had stepped outside for air | C |
Retrieved themselves and stepped back in | X |
- | |
- | |
The ministrants two local boys | Y |
Experienced in this sort of work | Q |
And careful not to make too much noise | Y |
Reached forward to unhook the shroud | E |
Which slowly opening fell away | V |
And on the public gaze released | E |
The prospect of a great gold frame | T |
That through the reluctant leaden air | C |
Flashed a mature unsullied grace | I |
Into the faces of the crowd | E |
And there was silence in that place | I |
- | |
i Effulgent in the Paduan air | C |
Ardent to yield the Venus lay | V |
Naked upon the sunwarmed earth | Z |
Bronze and bright and crisp her hair | C |
By the right hand of Mars caressed | E |
Who sunk beside her on his knee | A2 |
His mouth towards her mouth inclined | E |
His left hand near her silken breast | E |
Flowers about them sprang and twined | E |
Accomplished Cupids leaped and sported | E |
And three with dimpled arms enlaced | E |
And brimming gaze of stifled mirth | Z |
Looked wisely on at Mars's nape | B2 |
While others played with horns and pikes | C2 |
Or smaller objects of like shape i | D2 |
- | |
And there was silence in the tent | E |
They gazed in silence silently | A2 |
The wind dropped down no longer shook | Q |
The flapping sides and gaping holes | E2 |
And some moved back and others went | E |
Closer to get a better look | Q |
- | |
i In ritual amorous delay | V |
Venus deposed her sheltering hand | E |
Where her bright belly's aureate day | V |
Melted down to dusk about her groin | F2 |
And as from words that Mars had said | E |
Into that hidden subtle ear | G2 |
She turned away her shining head | E |
i | D2 |
The auctioneer cleared his throat | E |
And said I am sure I'm right in feeling | Q |
You will not feel it is at all unfair | C |
For what when all is said and done | H2 |
Is a work of very artistic painting | Q |
And not to be classed with common lumber | W |
And anyway extremely rare | C |
You will not feel it at all unfair | C |
If I mention again before proceeding | Q |
There's a reserve upon this number | W |
Someone was heard to say with meaning | Q |
What did I hear him say reserve | I2 |
Meaning of course a different meaning | Q |
This was a man from Sturminster | W |
Renowned for a quiet sense of fun | H2 |
And there was laughter in that place | I |
Though not of course from everyone | H2 |
- | |
i A calm and gentle mile away | V |
Among the trees a river ran | J2 |
Boated with blue and scarlet sails | F |
A towered auburn city stood | E |
Beyond them on the burnished heights | K2 |
And afar off and over all | O |
The azure day for mile on mile | O |
Unrolled towards the Dolomites | K2 |
i | D2 |
The auctioneer said | E |
I very much fear I have to say | V |
I'm afraid we cannot look all day | V |
The reserve is seven hundred pounds | L2 |
Will anyone offer me seven fifty | A2 |
Seven thirty Twenty five | M2 |
Thank you sir Seven twenty five | M2 |
It was the man in brown who nodded | E |
Soon to be joined by him in grey | V |
The bidding started quietly | A2 |
No one from locally joined in | X |
Left to the men from London way | V |
The auctioneer took proper pride | E |
And knew the proper way to guide | E |
By pause by silence and by tapping | Q |
The bidding toward a proper price | N2 |
And each of the two with unmoved face | I |
Would nod and pause and nod and wait | E |
And there was tension in that place | I |
- | |
i And still within the Paduan field | E |
The silent summenr scene stood by | D2 |
The sails the hill tops and the sky | D2 |
And the bright warmth of Venus' glance | O2 |
That had for centuries caught the eye | D2 |
Of whosoever looked that way | V |
And now caught theirs on this far day i | D2 |
- | |
Two people only did not look | Q |
They were the men so calmly nodding | Q |
Intently staring at the floor | W |
Though one of them the one in brown | H |
Would sometimes slowly lift his gaze | P2 |
And stare up towards the canvas roof | Q2 |
Whereat a few men standing near | W |
Inquiring eyes would also raise | P2 |
To try and see what he was seeing | Q |
The bidding mounted steadily | A2 |
With silent nod or murmured yes | R2 |
And passed the fifteen hundred mark | Q |
And well beyond and far beyond | E |
A nodding strife without success | R2 |
Till suddenly with one soft word | E |
Something unusual occurred | E |
- | |
The auctioneer had asked politely | A2 |
With querying look and quiet smile | O |
Come then may I say two thousand | E |
There was the customary pause | S2 |
When suddenly with one soft word | E |
Another voice was strangely heard | E |
To join in saying plainly Yes | R2 |
Not their voices but a third | E |
Everyone turned in some surprise | T2 |
To look and see and recognise | T2 |
A young man who some time ago | Q |
Had taken a farm out Stalbridge way | V |
A very pleasant young man but quiet | E |
Though always a friendly word to say | V |
Though no one in the dealing line | R |
But quiet and rather unsuccessful | O |
And often seen about the place | T2 |
At outings or on market day | V |
And very polite and inoffensive | U2 |
And quiet as anyone would tell you | M |
But not from round here in any case | T2 |
- | |
The auctioneer in some surprise | T2 |
Said Please sir did I hear you say | V |
Yes to two thousand Is that bid | E |
Twenty hundred am I bid | E |
The two were silent and the third | E |
The young man answered plainly Yes | T2 |
Yes Two thousand Yes I did | E |
Meaning that he had said that word | E |
Ah yes Yes thank you sir concurred | E |
The auctioneer surprised but glad | E |
To know that he had rightly heard | E |
And added Well then I may proceed | E |
I am bid two thousand for this picture | W |
Any advance upon that sum | V2 |
Any advance upon two thousand | E |
May I say two thousand twenty | A2 |
Twenty Thirty Thank you sir | W |
May I say forty Thank you sir | W |
Fifty You sir Thank you sir | W |
- | |
And now instead of two the three | A2 |
Competed in the bargaining | Q |
There was amazement in that place | T2 |
But still it gave as someone said | E |
A sort of interest to the thing | Q |
The young man nodded with the others | T2 |
And it was seen his nice young face | T2 |
Had lost its flush and now was white | E |
And those who stood quite near to him | W2 |
Said later of course they did not speak | Q |
Whil | O |
Henry Reed
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about The Auction Sale poem by Henry Reed
Best Poems of Henry Reed