The Cellar Door Poem Rhyme Scheme

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By the old tavern door on the causey there lay	A
A hogshead of stingo just rolled from a dray	A
And there stood the blacksmith awaiting a drop	B
As dry as the cinders that lay in his shop	B
And there stood the cobbler as dry as a bun	C
Almost crackt like a bucket when left in the sun	C
He'd whetted his knife upon pendil and hone	D
Till he'd not got a spittle to moisten the stone	D
So ere he could work though he'd lost the whole day	A
He must wait the new broach and bemoisten his clay	A
	-
The cellar was empty each barrel was drained	E
To its dregs and Sir John like a rebel remained	E
In the street for removal too powerful and large	F
For two or three topers to take into charge	F
Odd zooks said a gipsey with bellows to mend	G
Had I strength I would just be for helping a friend	G
To walk on his legs but a child in the street	H
Had as much power as he to put John on his feet	H
Then up came the blacksmith Sir Barley said he	I
I should just like to storm your old tower for a spree	I
	-
And my strength for your strength and bar your renown	J
I'd soon try your spirit by cracking your crown	J
And the cobbler he tuckt up his apron and spit	K
In his hands for a burster but devil a bit	K
Would he move so as yet they made nothing of land	L
For there lay the knight like a whale in the sand	L
Said the tinker If I could but drink of his vein	M
I should just be as strong and as stubborn again	N
Push along said the toper the cellar's adry	I
There's nothing to moisten the mouth of a fly	O
	-
Says the host We shall burn out with thirst he's so big	P
There's a cag of small swipes half as sour as a wig	P
In such like extremes why extremes will come pat	Q
So let's go and wet all our whistles with that	Q
Says the gipsey May I never bottom a chair	I
If I drink of small swipes while Sir John's lying there	I
And the blacksmith he threw off his apron and swore	I
Small swipes should bemoisten his gullet no more	I
Let it out on the floor for the dry cock a roach	R
And he held up his hammer with threatens to broach	R
	-
Sir John in his castle without leave or law	S
And suck out his blood with a reed or a straw	S
Ere he'd soak at the swipes and he turned him to start	T
Till the host for high treason came down a full quart	U
Just then passed the dandy and turned up his nose	V
They'd fain have him shove but he looked at his clothes	W
And nipt his nose closer and twirled his stick round	X
And simpered Tis nuisance to lie on the ground	X
But Bacchus he laughed from the old tavern sign	Y
Saying Go on thou shadow and let the sun shine	Y
	-
Then again they all tried and the tinker he swore	I
That the hogshead had grown twice as heavy or more	I
Nay nay said the toper and reeled as he spoke	Z
We're all getting weak that's the end of the joke	Z
The ploughman came up and cut short his old tune	A2
Hallooed 'woi' to his horses and though it was June	A2
Said he'd help them an hour ere he'd keep them adry	I
Well done said the blacksmith with hopes running high	O
He moves and by jingo success to the plough	B2
Aye aye said the cobbler we'll conquer him now	B2
	-
The hogshead rolled forward the toper fell back	C2
And the host laughed aloud as his sides they would crack	C2
To see the old tinker's toil make such a gap	D2
In his coat as to rend it from collar to flap	D2
But the tinker he grumbled and cried Fiddle dee	I
This garment hath been an old tenant with me	I
And a needle and thread with a little good skill	E2
When I've leisure will make it stand more weathers still	E2
Then crack went his breeks from the hip to the knee	I
With his thrusting no matter for nothing cared he	I
	-
So long as Sir John rolled along to the door	I
He's a chip of our block said the blacksmith and swore	I
And as sure as I live to drive nails in a shoe	F2
He shall have at my cost a full pitcher or two	F2
And the toper he hiccuped which hindered an oath	G2
So long as he'd credit he'd pitcher them both	G2
But the host stopt to hint when he'd ordered the dray	I
Sir Barleycorn's order was purchase and pay	I
And now the old knight is imprisoned and ta'en	N
To waste in the tavern man's cellar again	N
	-
And now said the blacksmith let forfeits come first	H2
For the insult swipes offered or his hoops I will burst	H2
Here it is my old hearties Then drink your thirst full	I2
Said the host for the stingo is worth a strong pull	I2
Never fear for your legs if they're broken to day	I
Winds only blow straws dust and feathers away	I
But the cask that is full like a giant he lies	J2
And giants alone can his spirits capsize	J2
If he lies in the path though a king's coming bye	O
John Barleycorn's mighty and there he will lie	O
	-
Then the toper sat down with a hiccup and felt	K2
If he'd still an odd coin in his pocket to melt	K2
And he made a wry face for his pocket was bare	I
But he laughed and danced up What old boy are you there	I
When he felt that a stiver had got to his knee	I
Through a hole in his fob and right happy was he	I
Says the tinker I've brawled till no breath I have got	L2
And not met with twopence to purchase a pot	L2
Says the toper I've powder to charge a long gun	C
And a stiver I've found when I thought I'd got none	C
	-
So helping a thirsty old friend in his need	M2
Is my duty take heart thou art welcome indeed	M2
Then the smith with his tools in Sir John made a breach	N2
And the toper he hiccuped and ended his speech	N2
And pulled at the quart till the snob he declared	O2
When he went to drink next that the bottom was bared	O2
No matter for that said the toper and grinned	P2
I had but a soak and neer rested for wind	Q2
That's the law said the smith with a look rather vexed	R2
But the quart was a forfeit so pay for the next	R2
	-
Thus they talked of their skill and their labour till noon	A2
When the sober man's toil was exactly half done	C
And there the plough lay people hardly could pass	S2
And the horses let loose polished up the short grass	S2
And browsed on the bottle of flags lying there	I
By the gipsey's old budget for mending a chair	I
The miller's horse tied to the old smithy door	I
Stood stamping his feet by the flies bitten sore	I
Awaiting the smith as he wanted a shoe	F2
And he stampt till another fell off and made two	F2
	-
Till the miller expecting that all would get loose	T2
Went to seek him and cursed him outright for a goose	T2
But he dipt his dry beak in the mug once or twice	U2
And forgot all his passion and toil in a trice	U2
And the flybitten horse at the old smithy post	V2
Might stamp till his shoes and his legs they were lost	W2
He sung his old songs and forgot his old mill	E2
Blow winds high or low she might rest her at will	E2
And the cobbler in spite of his bustle for pelf	B2
Left the shop all the day to take care of itself	B2
	-
And the toper who carried his house on his head	X2
No wife to be teazing no bairns to be fed	X2
Would sit out the week or the month or the year	I
Or a life time so long as he'd credit for beer	I
The ploughman he talked of his skill as divine	Y
How he could plough thurrows as straight as a line	Y
And the blacksmith he swore had he but the command	L
He could shoe the king's hunter the best in the land	L
And the cobbler declared was his skill but once seen	Y2
He should soon get an order for shoes from the queen	Y2
	-
But the tinker he swore he could beat them all three	I
For gi' me a pair of old bellows says he	I
And I'll make them roar out like the wind in a storm	Z2
And make them blow fire out of coal hardly warm	Z2
The toper said nothing but wished the quart full	I2
And swore he could toss it all off at a pull	I2
Have one said the tinker but wit was away	I
When the bet was to bind him he'd nothing to pay	I
And thus in the face of life's sun and shower weather	I
They drank bragged and sung and got merry together	I
	-
The sun he went down the last gleam from his brow	B2
Flung a smile of repose on the holiday plough	B2
The glooms they approached and the dews like a rain	M
Fell thick and hung pearls on the old sorrel mane	M
Of the horse that the miller had brought to be shod	A3
And the morning awoke saw	S

John Clare

The Cellar Door Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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