Hermann And Dorothea. In Nine Cantos. - Iii. Thalia. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDAEAFAGHIEAAFJFKAL AAMNEOAPADQNFEAQFRSA ATU EVWDAXEBYZANDD DBCEBDDAF AADDTCA2YVEEVAVB2AC2 VB2BAAVVAAD2NFDE2F2N AFBAEBD2EFFD

THE BURGHERSA
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Thus did the prudent son escape from the hot conversationB
But the father continued precisely as he had begun itC
What is not in a man can never come out of him surelyD
Never I fear shall I see fulfill'd my dearest of wishesA
That my son should be unlike his father but betterE
What would be the fate of a house or a town if its inmatesA
Did not all take pride in preserving renewing improvingF
As we are taught by the age and by the wisdom of strangersA
Man is not born to spring out of the ground just like a mere mushroomG
And to rot away soon in the very place that produced himH
Leaving behind him no trace of what he has done in his lifetimeI
One can judge by the look of a house of the taste of its masterE
As on ent'ring a town one can judge the authorities' fitnessA
For where the towers and walls are falling where in the ditchesA
Dirt is collected and dirt in every street is seen lyingF
Where the stones come out of their groove and are not replaced thereJ
Where the beams are rotting and vainly the houses are waitingF
New supports that town is sure to be wretchedly managedK
For where order and cleanliness reign not supreme in high placesA
Then to dirt and delay the citizens soon get accustom'dL
Just as the beggar's accustom'd to wear his cloths full of tattersA
Therefore I often have wish'd that Hermann would start on his travelsA
Ere he's much older and visit at any rate Strasburg and FrankfortM
And that pleasant town Mannheim so evenly built and so cheerfulN
He who has seen such large and cleanly cities rests neverE
Till his own native town however small he sees better'dO
Do not all strangers who visit us praise our well mended gatewaysA
And the well whited tower the church so neatly repair'd tooP
Do not all praise our pavements Our well arranged cover'd in conduitsA
Always well furnish'd with water utility blending with safetyD
So that a fire whenever it happens is straightway extinguish'dQ
Is not this the result of that conflagration so dreadfulN
Six times in Council I superintended the town's works receivingF
Hearty thanks and assistance from every well disposed burgherE
How I design'd follow'd up and ensured the completion of measuresA
Worthy men had projected and afterwards left all unfinish'dQ
Finally every man in the Council took pleasure in workingF
All put forth their exertions and now they have finally settledR
That new highway to make which will join our town with the main roadS
But I am greatly afraid that the young generation won't act thusA
Some on the one hand think only of pleasure and trumpery dressesA
Others wont stir out of doors and pass all their time by the firesideT
And our Hermann I fear will always be one of this last sortU
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Forthwith to him replied the excellent sensible motherE
Father you're always unjust whenever you speak of your son andV
That is the least likely way to obtain your wishes' fulfillmentW
For we cannot fashion our children after our fancyD
We must have them and love them as God has given them to usA
Bring them up for the best and let each do as he listethX
One has one kind of gift another possesses anotherE
Each one employs them and each in turn in his separate fashionB
Good and happy becomes My Hermann shall not be upbraidedY
For I know that he well deserves the wealth he'll inheritZ
He'll be an excellent landlord a pattern to burghers and peasantsA
And as I clearly foresee by no means the last in the CouncilN
But with your blame and reproaches you daily dishearten him sadlyD
As you have done just now and make the poor fellow unhappyD
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Then she left the apartment and after her son hasten'd quicklyD
Hoping somewhere to find him and with her words of affectionB
Gladden his heart for he the excellent son well deserved itC
Smilingly when she had closed the door continued the fatherE
What a wonderful race of people are women and childrenB
All of them fain would do whatever pleases their fancyD
And we're only alow'd to praise them and flatter them freelyD
Once for all there's truth in the ancient proverb which tells usA
He who moves not forward goes backward a capital sayingF
-
Speaking with much circumspection the druggist made answer as followsA
What you say good neighbour is certainly true and my plan isA
Always to think of improvement provided tho' new 'tis not costlyD
But what avails it in truth unless one has plenty of moneyD
Active and fussy to he improving both inside and outsideT
Sadly confined are the means of a burgher e'en when he knows itC
Little that's good he is able to do his purse is too narrowA2
And the sum wanted too great and so he is always preventedY
I have had plenty of schemes but then I was terribly frighten'dV
At the expense especially during a time of such dangerE
Long had my house smiled upon me decked out in modish exteriorE
Long had my windows with large panes of glass resplendently glitterdV
Who can compete with a merchant however who rolling in richesA
Also knows the manner in which what is best can be purchasedV
Only look at the house up yonder the new one how handsomeB2
Looks the stucco of those white scrolls on the green colour'd panelsA
Large are the plates of the windows how shining and brilliant the panes areC2
Quite eclipsing the rest of the houses that stand in the marketV
Yet at the time of the fire our two were by far the most handsomeB2
Mine at the sign of the Angel and yours at the old Golden LionB
Then my garden was famous throughout the whole country and strangersA
Used to stop as they pass'd and peep through my red colourd palingsA
At my beggars of stone and at my dwarfs which were paintedV
He to whom I gave coffee inside my beautiful grottoV
Which alas is now cover'd with dust and tumbling to piecesA
Used to rejoice in the colour'd glimmering light of the musselsA
Ranged in natural order around it and connoisseurs evenD2
Used with dazzled eyes to gaze at the spars and the coralN
Then in the drawing room people look'd with delight on the paintingF
Where the prim ladies and gentlemen walked in the garden demurelyD
And with pointed fingers presented the flowers and held themE2
Ah if only such things were now to be seen Little care IF2
Now to go out for everything needs to be alter'd and tastefulN
As it is call'd and white are the benches of wood and the palingsA
All things are simple and plain and neither carving not gildingF
Now are employ'd and foreign timber is now all the fashionB
I should be only too pleased to possess some novelty alsoA
So as to march with the times and my household furniture alterE
But we all are afraid to make the least alterationB
For who is able to pay the present charges of workmenD2
Lately a fancy possess'd me the angel Michael whose figureE
Hangs up over my shop to treat to a new coat of gildingF
And the terrible Dragon who round his feet is entwiningF
But I have left him all brown as he is for the cost quite alarm'd meD
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Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe



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