The Child-world Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDDEECCFFGGHIJJKK GGLLFFMMNNGGOP GFKKQRSSTTLLEEUVWWGG FFXX GGYYAAZZGGF SSA2A2AAAAB2B2FFGG AAC2C2 D2D2E2E2 AAF2F2 C2C2E2E2 AAGGG2G2AAAAH2H2AAI2 I2FFEEAAJ2J2MMK2K2GG F2F2F2F2F2F2B2B2FFF2 F2GGL2L2A Child World yet a wondrous world no less | A |
To those who knew its boundless happiness | B |
A simple old frame house eight rooms in all | C |
Set just one side the center of a small | C |
But very hopeful Indiana town | D |
The upper story looking squarely down | D |
Upon the main street and the main highway | E |
From East to West historic in its day | E |
Known as The National Road old timers all | C |
Who linger yet will happily recall | C |
It as the scheme and handiwork as well | F |
As property of 'Uncle Sam ' and tell | F |
Of its importance 'long and long afore | G |
Railroads wuz ever dreamp ' of ' Furthermore | G |
The reminiscent first Inhabitants | H |
Will make that old road blossom with romance | I |
Of snowy caravans in long parade | J |
Of covered vehicles of every grade | J |
From ox cart of most primitive design | K |
To Conestoga wagons with their fine | K |
Deep chested six horse teams in heavy gear | G |
High names and chiming bells to childish ear | G |
And eye entrancing as the glittering train | L |
Of some sun smitten pageant of old Spain | L |
And in like spirit haply they will tell | F |
You of the roadside forests and the yell | F |
Of 'wolfs' and 'painters ' in the long night ride | M |
And 'screechin' catamounts' on every side | M |
Of stagecoach days highwaymen and strange crimes | N |
And yet unriddled mysteries of the times | N |
Called 'Good Old ' 'And why 'Good Old' ' once a rare | G |
Old chronicler was asked who brushed the hair | G |
Out of his twinkling eyes and said 'Well John | O |
They're 'good old times' because they're dead and gone ' | P |
- | |
The old home site was portioned into three | G |
Distinctive lots The front one natively | F |
Facing to southward broad and gaudy fine | K |
With lilac dahlia rose and flowering vine | K |
The dwelling stood in and behind that and | Q |
Upon the alley north and south left hand | R |
The old wood house half trimly stacked with wood | S |
And half a work shop where a workbench stood | S |
Steadfastly through all seasons Over it | T |
Along the wall hung compass brace and bit | T |
And square and drawing knife and smoothing plane | L |
And little jack plane too the children's vain | L |
Possession by pretense in fancy they | E |
Manipulating it in endless play | E |
Turning out countless curls and loops of bright | U |
Fine satin shavings Rapture infinite | V |
Shelved quilting frames the toolchest the old box | W |
Of refuse nails and screws a rough gun stock's | W |
Outline in 'curly maple' and a pair | G |
Of clamps and old krout cutter hanging there | G |
Some 'patterns ' in thin wood of shield and scroll | F |
Hung higher with a neat 'cane fishing pole' | F |
And careful tackle all securely out | X |
Of reach of children rummaging about | X |
- | |
Beside the wood house with broad branches free | G |
Yet close above the roof an apple tree | G |
Known as 'The Prince's Harvest' Magic phrase | Y |
That was a boy's own tree in many ways | Y |
Its girth and height meet both for the caress | A |
Of his bare legs and his ambitiousness | A |
And then its apples humoring his whim | Z |
Seemed just to fairly hurry ripe for him | Z |
Even in June impetuous as he | G |
They dropped to meet him halfway up the tree | G |
And O their bruised sweet faces where they fell | F |
And ho the lips that feigned to 'kiss them well ' | - |
- | |
'The Old Sweet Apple Tree ' a stalwart stood | S |
In fairly sympathetic neighborhood | S |
Of this wild princeling with his early gold | A2 |
To toss about so lavishly nor hold | A2 |
In bounteous hoard to overbrim at once | A |
All Nature's lap when came the Autumn months | A |
Under the spacious shade of this the eyes | A |
Of swinging children saw swift changing skies | A |
Of blue and green with sunshine shot between | B2 |
And 'when the old cat died' they saw but green | B2 |
And then there was a cherry tree We all | F |
And severally will yet recall | F |
From our lost youth in gentlest memory | G |
The blessed fact There was a cherry tree | G |
- | |
There was a cherry tree Its bloomy snows | A |
Cool even now the fevered sight that knows | A |
No more its airy visions of pure joy | C2 |
As when you were a boy | C2 |
- | |
There was a cherry tree The Bluejay set | D2 |
His blue against its white O blue as jet | D2 |
He seemed there then But now Whoever knew | E2 |
He was so pale a blue | E2 |
- | |
There was a cherry tree Our child eyes saw | A |
The miracle Its pure white snows did thaw | A |
Into a crimson fruitage far too sweet | F2 |
But for a boy to eat | F2 |
- | |
There was a cherry tree give thanks and joy | C2 |
There was a bloom of snow There was a boy | C2 |
There was a Bluejay of the realest blue | E2 |
And fruit for both of you | E2 |
- | |
Then the old garden with the apple trees | A |
Grouped 'round the margin and 'a stand of bees' | A |
By the 'white winter pearmain' and a row | G |
Of currant bushes and a quince or so | G |
The old grape arbor in the center by | G2 |
The pathway to the stable with the sty | G2 |
Behind it and upon it cootering flocks | A |
Of pigeons and the cutest 'martin box' | A |
Made like a sure enough house with roof and doors | A |
And windows in it and veranda floors | A |
And balusters all 'round it yes and at | H2 |
Each end a chimney painted red at that | H2 |
And penciled white to look like little bricks | A |
And to cap all the builder's cunning tricks | A |
Two tiny little lightning rods were run | I2 |
Straight up their sides and twinkled in the sun | I2 |
Who built it Nay no answer but a smile | F |
It may be you can guess who afterwhile | F |
Home in his stall 'Old Sorrel' munched his hay | E |
And oats and corn and switched the flies away | E |
In a repose of patience good to see | A |
And earnest of the gentlest pedigree | A |
With half pathetic eye sometimes he gazed | J2 |
Upon the gambols of a colt that grazed | J2 |
Around the edges of the lot outside | M |
And kicked at nothing suddenly and tried | M |
To act grown up and graceful and high bred | K2 |
But dropped k'whop and scraped the buggy shed | K2 |
Leaving a tuft of woolly foxy hair | G |
Under the sharp end of a gate hinge there | G |
Then all ignobly scrambling to his feet | F2 |
And whinneying a whinney like a bleat | F2 |
He would pursue himself around the lot | F2 |
And do the whole thing over like as not | F2 |
Ah what a life of constant fear and dread | F2 |
And flop and squawk and flight the chickens led | F2 |
Above the fences either side were seen | B2 |
The neighbor houses set in plots of green | B2 |
Dooryards and greener gardens tree and wall | F |
Alike whitewashed and order in it all | F |
The scythe hooked in the tree fork and the spade | F2 |
And hoe and rake and shovel all when laid | F2 |
Aside were in their places ready for | G |
The hand of either the possessor or | G |
Of any neighbor welcome to the loan | L2 |
Of any tool he might not chance to own | L2 |
James Whitcomb Riley
(1)
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