Butterfly And Snail Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AA BBCCDDAA EEFFGGHHBB IJKKLLBBMMNNOO| All upstarts insolent in place | A |
| Remind us of their vulgar race | A |
| - | |
| A butterfly but born one morning | B |
| Sat on a rose the rosebud scorning | B |
| His wings of azure jet and gold | C |
| Were truly glorious to behold | C |
| He spread his wings he sipped the dew | D |
| When an old neighbour hove in view | D |
| The snail who left a slimy trace | A |
| Upon the lawn his native place | A |
| - | |
| Adam he to the gard'ner cried | E |
| Behold this fellow by my side | E |
| What is the use with daily toil | F |
| To war with weeds to clear the soil | F |
| And with keen intermittent labour | G |
| To graft and prune for fruit with flavour | G |
| The peach and plum if such as he | H |
| Voracious vermin may make free | H |
| Give them the roller or the rake | B |
| And crush as you would crush a snake | B |
| - | |
| The snail replied Your arrogance | I |
| Awakes my patience from its trance | J |
| Recalls to mind your humble birth | K |
| Born from the lowliest thing on earth | K |
| Nine times has Phoebus with the hours | L |
| Awakened to new life new flowers | L |
| Since you were a vile crawling thing | B |
| Though now endowed with painted wing | B |
| You then were vilest of the vile | M |
| I was a snail but housed the while | M |
| Was born a snail and snail shall die | N |
| And thou though now a butterfly | N |
| Will leave behind a baneful breed | O |
| Of caterpillar sons thy seed | O |
John Gay
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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