The Old Man And The Three Young Ones Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBBCCDBDBEEFFE GGHHFFIIJJJJKKLLMMNN J KKOOPPKKQRSQ| A | |
| - | |
| A man was planting at fourscore | B |
| Three striplings who their satchels wore | B |
| 'In building ' cried 'the sense were more | B |
| But then to plant young trees at that age | C |
| The man is surely in his dotage | C |
| Pray in the name of common sense | D |
| What fruit can he expect to gather | B |
| Of all this labour and expense | D |
| Why he must live like Lamech's father | B |
| What use for thee grey headed man | E |
| To load the remnant of thy span | E |
| With care for days that never can be thine | F |
| Thyself to thought of errors past resign | F |
| Long growing hope and lofty plan | E |
| Leave thou to us to whom such things belong ' | - |
| 'To you ' replied the old man hale and strong | G |
| 'I dare pronounce you altogether wrong | G |
| The settled part of man's estate | H |
| Is very brief and comes full late | H |
| To those pale gaming sisters trine | F |
| Your lives are stakes as well as mine | F |
| While so uncertain is the sequel | I |
| Our terms of future life are equal | I |
| For none can tell who last shall close his eyes | J |
| Upon the glories of these azure skies | J |
| Nor any moment give us ere it flies | J |
| Assurance that another such shall rise | J |
| But my descendants whosoe'er they be | K |
| Shall owe these cooling fruits and shades to me | K |
| Do you acquit yourselves in wisdom's sight | L |
| From ministering to other hearts delight | L |
| Why boys this is the fruit I gather now | M |
| And sweeter never blush'd on bended bough | M |
| Of this to morrow I may take my fill | N |
| Indeed I may enjoy its sweetness till | N |
| I see full many mornings chase the glooms | J |
| From off the marble of your youthful tombs ' | - |
| The grey beard man was right One of the three | K |
| Embarking foreign lands to see | K |
| Was drown'd within the very port | O |
| In quest of dignity at court | O |
| Another met his country's foe | P |
| And perish'd by a random blow | P |
| The third was kill'd by falling from a tree | K |
| Which he himself would graft The three | K |
| Were mourn'd by him of hoary head | Q |
| Who chisel'd on each monument | R |
| On doing good intent | S |
| The things which we have said | Q |
Jean De La Fontaine
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about The Old Man And The Three Young Ones poem by Jean De La Fontaine
Best Poems of Jean De La Fontaine