The Woodman And Mercury Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEEFFEEGGBBH HAIEEEHHJKLLMMNN OPAAOE| A man that labour'd in the wood | A |
| Had lost his honest livelihood | A |
| That is to say | B |
| His axe was gone astray | B |
| He had no tools to spare | C |
| This wholly earn'd his fare | C |
| Without a hope beside | D |
| He sat him down and cried | D |
| Alas my axe where can it be | E |
| O Jove but send it back to me | E |
| And it shall strike good blows for thee | E |
| His prayer in high Olympus heard | F |
| Swift Mercury started at the word | F |
| Your axe must not be lost said he | E |
| Now will you know it when you see | E |
| An axe I found upon the road | G |
| With that an axe of gold he show'd | G |
| Is't this The woodman answer'd Nay | B |
| An axe of silver bright and gay | B |
| Refused the honest woodman too | H |
| At last the finder brought to view | H |
| An axe of iron steel and wood | A |
| That's mine he said in joyful mood | I |
| With that I'll quite contented be | E |
| The god replied I give the three | E |
| As due reward of honesty | E |
| This luck when neighbouring choppers knew | H |
| They lost their axes not a few | H |
| And sent their prayers to Jupiter | J |
| So fast he knew not which to hear | K |
| His winged son however sent | L |
| With gold and silver axes went | L |
| Each would have thought himself a fool | M |
| Not to have own'd the richest tool | M |
| But Mercury promptly gave instead | N |
| Of it a blow upon the head | N |
| - | |
| With simple truth to be contented | O |
| Is surest not to be repented | P |
| But still there are who would | A |
| With evil trap the good | A |
| Whose cunning is but stupid | O |
| For Jove is never dup d | E |
Jean De La Fontaine
(1)
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