Mr. What's-his-name Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABB CCDD EEFF AAGG HHII JJKK LLMM AANN LLEE OOPP QJRR HHSS TTUU MME CCAAThey called him Mr What's his name | A |
From where he was or why he came | A |
Or when or what he found to do | B |
Nobody in the city knew | B |
- | |
He lived it seemed shut up alone | C |
In a low hovel of his own | C |
There cooked his meals and made his bed | D |
Careless of all his neighbors said | D |
- | |
His neighbors too said many things | E |
Expressive of grave wonderings | E |
Since none of them had ever been | F |
Within his doors or peered therein | F |
- | |
In fact grown watchful they became | A |
Assured that Mr What's his name | A |
Was up to something wrong indeed | G |
Small doubt of it we all agreed | G |
- | |
At night were heard strange noises there | H |
When honest people everywhere | H |
Had long retired and his light | I |
Was often seen to burn all night | I |
- | |
He left his house but seldom then | J |
Would always hurry back again | J |
As though he feared some stranger's knock | K |
Finding him gone might burst the lock | K |
- | |
Beside he carried every day | L |
At the one hour he went away | L |
A basket with the contents hid | M |
Beneath its woven willow lid | M |
- | |
And so we grew to greatly blame | A |
This wary Mr What's his name | A |
And look on him with such distrust | N |
His actions seemed to sanction just | N |
- | |
But when he died he died one day | L |
Dropped in the street while on his way | L |
To that old wretched hut of his | E |
You'll think it strange perhaps it is | E |
- | |
But when we lifted him and past | O |
The threshold of his home at last | O |
No man of all the crowd but stepped | P |
With reverence Aye quailed and wept | P |
- | |
What was it Just a shriek of pain | Q |
I pray to never hear again | J |
A withered woman old and bowed | R |
That fell and crawled and cried aloud | R |
- | |
And kissed the dead man's matted hair | H |
Lifted his face and kissed him there | H |
Called to him as she clutched his hand | S |
In words no one could understand | S |
- | |
Insane Yes Well we searching found | T |
An unsigned letter in a round | T |
Free hand within the dead man's breast | U |
'Look to my mother I'm at rest | U |
- | |
You'll find my money safely hid | M |
Under the lining of the lid | M |
Of my work basket It is hers | E |
And God will bless her ministers ' | - |
- | |
And some day though he died unknown | C |
If through the City by the Throne | C |
I walk all cleansed of earthly shame | A |
I'll ask for Mr What's his name | A |
James Whitcomb Riley
(1)
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Ms what’s her name: My favorite poem that my mother read to me as a child
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