Little Jack Janitor Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCDEE FFGGHHII D EEJKLLMMN OOGG PP GG GQQLLP RR SSTTG CCG G EEG AA PP UUVWGGX GGYYZZAAA2A2ZZ B2B2AAZZ C2 AG D2D2 P ZZE2 F2F2 AAG2 EH2H2I2 G J2J2K2EP PL2L2J2 M2N2ZZO2O2P2 AAAAC2C2 Q2Q2 Q2Q2AAQ2Q2R2 GGAnd there in that ripe Summer night once more | A |
A wintry coolness through the open door | A |
And window seemed to touch each glowing face | B |
Refreshingly and for a fleeting space | B |
The quickened fancy through the fragrant air | C |
Saw snowflakes whirling where the roseleaves were | D |
And sounds of veriest jingling bells again | E |
Were heard in tinkling spoons and glasses then | E |
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Thus Uncle Mart's old poem sounded young | F |
And crisp and fresh and clear as when first sung | F |
Away back in the wakening of Spring | G |
When his rhyme and the robin chorusing | G |
Rumored in duo fanfare of the soon | H |
Invading johnny jump ups with platoon | H |
On platoon of sweet williams marshaled fine | I |
To bloomed blarings of the trumpet vine | I |
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The poet turned to whisperingly confer | D |
A moment with 'The Noted Traveler ' | - |
Then left the room tripped up the stairs and then | E |
An instant later reappeared again | E |
Bearing a little lacquered box or chest | J |
Which as all marked with curious interest | K |
He gave to the old Traveler who in | L |
One hand upheld it pulling back his thin | L |
Black lustre coat sleeves saying he had sent | M |
Up for his 'Magic Box ' and that he meant | M |
To test it there especially to show | N |
The Children 'It is empty now you know ' | - |
He humped it with his knuckles so they heard | O |
The hollow sound 'But lest it be inferred | O |
It is not really empty I will ask | G |
Little Jack Janitor whose pleasant task | G |
It is to keep it ship shape ' | - |
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Then he tried | P |
And rapped the little drawer in the side | P |
And called out sharply 'Are you in there Jack ' | - |
And then a little squeaky voice came back | G |
' Of course I'm in here ain't you got the key | G |
Turned on me ' | - |
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Then the Traveler leisurely | G |
Felt through his pockets and at last took out | Q |
The smallest key they ever heard about | Q |
It wasn't any longer than a pin | L |
And this at last he managed to fit in | L |
The little keyhole turned it and then cried | P |
'Is everything swept out clean there inside ' | - |
' Open the drawer and see Don't talk to much | R |
Or else ' the little voice squeaked ' talk in Dutch | R |
You age me asking questions ' | - |
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Then the man | S |
Looked hurt so that the little folks began | S |
To feel so sorry for him he put down | T |
His face against the box and had to frown | T |
'Come sir ' he called 'no impudence to me | G |
You've swept out clean ' | - |
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' Open the drawer and see ' | - |
And so he drew the drawer out Nothing there | C |
But just the empty drawer stark and bare | C |
He shoved it back again with a shark click | G |
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' Ouch ' yelled the little voice ' un snap it quick | G |
You've got my nose pinched in the crack ' | - |
- | |
And then | E |
The frightened man drew out the drawer again | E |
The little voice exclaiming ' Jeemi nee | G |
Say what you want but please don't murder me ' | - |
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'Well then ' the man said as he closed the drawer | A |
With care 'I want some cotton batting for | A |
My supper Have you got it ' | - |
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And inside | P |
All muffled like the little voice replied | P |
' Open the drawer and see ' | - |
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And sure enough | U |
He drew it out filled with the cotton stuff | U |
He then asked for a candle to be brought | V |
And held for him and tuft by tuft he caught | W |
And lit the cotton and while blazing took | G |
It in his mouth and ate it with a look | G |
Of purest satisfaction | X |
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'Now ' said he | G |
'I've eaten the drawer empty let me see | G |
What this is in my mouth ' And with both hands | Y |
He began drawing from his lips long strands | Y |
Of narrow silken ribbons every hue | Z |
And tint and crisp they were and bright and new | Z |
As if just purchased at some Fancy Store | A |
'And now Bub bring your cap ' he said 'before | A |
Something might happen ' And he stuffed the cap | A2 |
Full of the ribbons ' There my little chap | A2 |
Hold tight to them ' he said 'and take them to | Z |
The ladies there for they know what to do | Z |
With all such rainbow finery ' | - |
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He smiled | B2 |
Half sadly as it seemed to see the child | B2 |
Open his cap first to his mother There | A |
Was not a ribbon in it anywhere | A |
' Jack Janitor ' the man said sternly through | Z |
The Magic Box 'Jack Janitor did you | Z |
Conceal those ribbons anywhere ' | - |
- | |
' Well yes ' | - |
The little voice piped ' but you'd never guess | C2 |
The place I hid 'em if you'd guess a year ' | - |
- | |
'Well won't you tell me ' | - |
- | |
' Not until you clear | A |
Your mean old conscience ' said the voice ' and make | G |
Me first do something for the Children's sake ' | - |
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'Well then fill up the drawer ' the Traveler said | D2 |
'With whitest white on earth and reddest red | D2 |
Your terms accepted Are you satisfied ' | - |
- | |
' Open the drawer and see ' the voice replied | P |
- | |
' Why bless my soul ' the man said as he drew | Z |
The contents of the drawer into view | Z |
'It's level full of candy Pass it 'round | E2 |
Jack Janitor shan't steal that I'll be bound ' | - |
He raised and crunched a stick of it and smacked | F2 |
His lips 'Yes that is candy for a fact | F2 |
And it's all yours ' | - |
- | |
And how the children there | A |
Lit into it O never anywhere | A |
Was such a feast of sweetness | G2 |
- | |
'And now then ' | - |
The man said as the empty drawer again | E |
Slid to its place he bending over it | H2 |
'Now then Jack Janitor before we quit | H2 |
Our entertainment for the evening tell | I2 |
Us where you hid the ribbons can't you ' | - |
- | |
' Well ' | - |
The squeaky little voice drawled sleepily | G |
' Under your old hat maybe Look and see ' | - |
- | |
All carefully the man took off his hat | J2 |
But there was not a ribbon under that | J2 |
He shook his heavy hair and all in vain | K2 |
The old white hat then put it on again | E |
'Now tell me honest Jack where did you hide | P |
The ribbons ' | - |
- | |
' Under your hat ' the voice replied | P |
' Mind I said 'under' and not 'in' it Won't | L2 |
You ever take the hint on earth or don't | L2 |
You want to show folks where the ribbons at | J2 |
Law but I'm sleepy Under unner your hat ' | - |
- | |
Again the old man carefully took off | M2 |
The empty hat with an embarrassed cough | N2 |
Saying all gravely to the children 'You | Z |
Must promise not to laugh you'll all want to | Z |
When you see where Jack Janitor has dared | O2 |
To hide those ribbons when he might have spared | O2 |
My feelings But no matter Know the worst | P2 |
Here are the ribbons as I feared at first ' | - |
And quick as snap of thumb and finger there | A |
The old man's head had not a sign of hair | A |
And in his lap a wig of iron gray | A |
Lay stuffed with all that glittering array | A |
Of ribbons 'Take 'em to the ladies Yes | C2 |
Good night to everybody and God bless | C2 |
The Children ' | - |
- | |
In a whisper no one missed | Q2 |
The Hired Man yawned 'He's a vantrilloquist' | Q2 |
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So gloried all the night Each trundle bed | Q2 |
And pallet was enchanted each child head | Q2 |
Was packed with happy dreams And long before | A |
The dawn's first far off rooster crowed the snore | A |
Of Uncle Mart was stilled as round him pressed | Q2 |
The bare arms of the wakeful little guest | Q2 |
That he had carried home with him | R2 |
- | |
'I think ' | - |
An awed voice said ' No I don't want a dwink | G |
Lay still I think 'The Noted Traveler' he | G |
'S the inscrutibul est man I ever see ' | - |
James Whitcomb Riley
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