The Ear-maker And The Mould-mender Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEE FFGGHH IIJKLLMNBBOOAAPPQQRR SSTTUUCCVVWWXXYYDDZZ JA2QQWWB2B2C2C2D2D2O OMME2F2 BBG2G2NNH2H2WW I2I2J2J2K2K2L2L2CCM2 M2OON2O2P2Q2 ZZR2R2S2S2T2T2K2K2CC S2S2U2U2VVJJFF BBV2V2W2W2X2X2Y2Y2 J2J2Z2Z2A3A3B3B3C3C3 D3D3OO WWE3E3Q2Q2I2I2F3F3TT QQG3H3K2K2I3I3CCM2M2 Z2Z2J3J3C3C3K3K3L3L3WHEN William went from home a trader styled | A |
Six months his better half he left with child | A |
A simple comely modest youthful dame | B |
Whose name was Alice from Champaign she came | B |
Her neighbour Andrew visits now would pay | C |
With what intention needless 'tis to say | C |
A master who but rarely spread his net | D |
But first or last with full success he met | D |
And cunning was the bird that 'scaped his snare | E |
Without surrendering a feather there | E |
- | |
QUITE raw was Alice for his purpose fit | F |
Not overburdened with a store of wit | F |
Of this indeed she could not be accused | G |
And Cupid's wiles by her were never used | G |
Poor lady all with her was honest part | H |
And naught she knew of stratagem or art | H |
- | |
HER husband then away and she alone | I |
This neighbour came and in a whining tone | I |
To her observed when compliments were o'er | J |
I'm all astonishment and you deplore | K |
To find that neighbour William's gone from hence | L |
And left your child's completing in suspense | L |
Which now you bear within and much I fear | M |
That when 'tis born you'll find it wants an ear | N |
Your looks sufficiently the fact proclaim | B |
For many instances I've known the same | B |
Good heav'ns replied the lady in a fright | O |
What say you pray the infant won't be right | O |
Shall I be mother to a one eared child | A |
And know you no relief that's certain styled | A |
Oh yes there is rejoined the crafty knave | P |
From such mishap I can the baby save | P |
Yet solemnly I vow for none but you | Q |
I'd undertake the toilsome job to do | Q |
The ills of others if I may be plain | R |
Except your husband's never give me pain | R |
But him I'd serve for ever while I've breath | S |
To do him good I'd e'en encounter death | S |
Now let us see without more talk or fears | T |
If I know how to forge the bantling ears | T |
Remember cried the wife to make them like | U |
Leave that to me said he I'll justly strike | U |
Then he prepared for work the dame gave way | C |
Not difficult she proved well pleased she lay | C |
Philosophy was never less required | V |
And Andrew's process much the fair admired | V |
Who to his work extreme attention paid | W |
'Twas now a tendon then a fold he made | W |
Or cartilage of which he formed enough | X |
And all without complaining of the stuff | X |
To morrow we will polish it said he | Y |
Then in perfection soon the whole will be | Y |
And from repeating this so oft you'll get | D |
As perfect issue as was ever met | D |
I'm much obliged to you the wife replied | Z |
A friend is good in whom we may confide | Z |
- | |
NEXT day when tardy Time had marked the hour | J |
That Andrew hoped again to use his pow'r | A2 |
He was not plunged in sleep but briskly flew | Q |
His purpose with the charmer to pursue | Q |
Said he all other things aside I've laid | W |
This ear to finish and to lend you aid | W |
And I the dame replied was on the eve | B2 |
To send and beg you not the job to leave | B2 |
Above stairs let us go away they ran | C2 |
And quickly recommenced as they began | C2 |
The work so oft was smoothed that Alice showed | D2 |
Some scruples lest the ear he had bestowed | D2 |
Should do too much and to the wily wight | O |
She said so little you the labour slight | O |
'Twere well if ears no more than two appear | M |
Of that rejoined the other never fear | M |
I've guarded thoroughly against defects | E2 |
Mistake like that shall ne'er your senses vex | F2 |
- | |
THE ear howe'er was still in hand the same | B |
When from his journey home the husband came | B |
Saluted Alice who with anxious look | G2 |
Exclaimed your work how finely you forsook | G2 |
And but for neighbour Andrew's kindness here | N |
Our child would incomplete have been an ear | N |
I could not let a thing remain like this | H2 |
And Andrew would not be to friends remiss | H2 |
But worthy man he left his thriving trade | W |
And for the babe a proper ear has made | W |
- | |
THE husband not conceiving how his wife | I2 |
Could be so weak and ignorant of life | I2 |
The circumstances made her fully tell | J2 |
Repeat them o'er and on each action dwell | J2 |
Enraged at length a pistol by the bed | K2 |
He seized and swore at once he'd shoot her dead | K2 |
The belle with tears replied howe'er she'd swerved | L2 |
Such cruel treatment never she deserved | L2 |
Her innocence and simple gentle way | C |
At length appeared his frantick rage to lay | C |
What injury continued she is done | M2 |
The strictest scrutiny I would not shun | M2 |
Your goods and money ev'ry thing is right | O |
And Andrew told me nothing he would slight | O |
That you would find much more than you could want | N2 |
And this I hope to me you'll freely grant | O2 |
If falsehood I advance my life I'll lose | P2 |
Your equity I trust will me excuse | Q2 |
- | |
A LITTLE cooled then William thus replied | Z |
We'll say no more you have been drawn aside | Z |
What passed you fancied acting for the best | R2 |
And I'll consent to put the thing at rest | R2 |
To nothing good such altercations tend | S2 |
I've but a word to that attention lend | S2 |
Contrive to morrow that I here entrap | T2 |
This fellow who has caused your sad mishap | T2 |
You'll utter not a word of what I've said | K2 |
Be secret or at once I'll strike you dead | K2 |
Adroitly you must act for instance say | C |
I'm on a second journey gone away | C |
A message or a letter to him send | S2 |
Soliciting that he'll on you attend | S2 |
That something you have got to let him know | U2 |
To come no doubt the rascal won't be slow | U2 |
Amuse him then with converse most absurd | V |
But of the EAR remember not a word | V |
That's finished now and nothing can require | J |
You'll carefully perform what I desire | J |
Poor innocent the point she nicely hit | F |
Fear oft gives simpletons a sort of wit | F |
- | |
THE arch gallant arrived the husband came | B |
Ascended to the room where sat his dame | B |
Much noise he made his coming to announce | V2 |
The lover terrified began to bounce | V2 |
Now here now there no shelter could he meet | W2 |
Between the bed and wall he put his feet | W2 |
And lay concealed while William loudly knocked | X2 |
Fair Alice readily the door unlocked | X2 |
And pointing with her hand informed the spouse | Y2 |
Where he might easily his rival rouse | Y2 |
- | |
THE husband ev'ry way was armed so well | J2 |
He four such men as Andrew could repel | J2 |
In quest of succour howsoe'er he went | Z2 |
To kill him surely William never meant | Z2 |
But only take an ear or what the Turks | A3 |
Those savage beasts cut off from Nature's works | A3 |
Which doubtless must be infinitely worse | B3 |
Infernal practice and continual curse | B3 |
'Twas this he whispered should be Andrew's doom | C3 |
When with his easy wife he left the room | C3 |
She nothing durst reply the door he shut | D3 |
And our gallant 'gan presently to strut | D3 |
Around and round believing all was right | O |
And William unacquainted with his plight | O |
- | |
THE latter having well the project weighed | W |
Now changed his plan and other schemes surveyed | W |
Proposed within himself revenge to take | E3 |
With less parade less noise it then would make | E3 |
And better fruit the action would produce | Q2 |
Than if he were apparently profuse | Q2 |
Said he to Alice go and seek his wife | I2 |
To her relate the whole that caused our strife | I2 |
Minutely all from first to last detail | F3 |
And then the better on her to prevail | F3 |
To hasten here you'll hint that you have fears | T |
That Andrew risks the loss of more than ears | T |
For I have punishment severe in view | Q |
Which greatly she must wish I should not do | Q |
But if an ear maker like this is caught | G3 |
The worst of chastisement is always sought | H3 |
Such horrid things as scarcely can be said | K2 |
They make the hair to stand upon the head | K2 |
That he's upon the point of suff'ring straight | I3 |
And only for her presence things await | I3 |
That though she cannot all proceedings stay | C |
Perhaps she may some portion take away | C |
Go bring her instantly haste quickly run | M2 |
And if she comes I'll pardon what's been done | M2 |
- | |
WITH joy to Andrew's house fair Alice went | Z2 |
The wife to follow her appeared content | Z2 |
Quite out of breath alone she ran up stairs | J3 |
And not perceiving him who shared her cares | J3 |
Believed he was imprisoned in a room | C3 |
And while with fear she trembled for his doom | C3 |
The master having laid aside his arms | K3 |
Now came to compliment the lady's charms | K3 |
He gave the belle a chair who looked most nice | L3 |
Said he ingratitude's the worst of vice | L3 |
Jean De La Fontaine
(1)
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