Cookmaid, Turnspit, And Ox Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDDEE DDFF GGAAHHIIJJKKLLMMNO PQRSTTUUVV IIIIIIIIWWQQQQII XXIIXXYBIIIIZZ WA2YYB2B2 C2C2

To a Poor ManA
-
-
Consider man in every sphereB
Then answer Is your lot severeB
Is God unjust You would be fedC
I grant you have to toil for breadC
Your wants are plainly to you knownD
So every mortal feels his ownD
Nor would I dare to say I knewE
'Midst men one happier man than youE
-
Adam in Paradise was loneD
With Eve was first transgression knownD
And thus they fell and thus disgraceF
Entailed the curse on human raceF
-
When Philip's son by glory firedG
The empire of the world desiredG
He wept to find the course he ranA
Despite of altars was of manA
So avaricious hopes are checkedH
And so proud man may lack respectH
And so ambition may be foiledI
Of the reward for which it moiledI
The wealthy surfeit of their wealthJ
Grudging the ploughman's strength and healthJ
The man who weds the loveliest wifeK
Weds with her loveliness much strifeK
One wants an heir another railsL
Upon his heirs and the entailsL
Another but can'st thou discernM
Envies and jealousies that burnM
Bid them avaunt and say you haveN
Blessings unknown which others craveO
-
Where is the turnspit Bob is goneP
And dinner must be drest by oneQ
Where is that cur and I am lothR
To say that Betty swore an oathS
The sirloin's spoiled I'll give it himT
And Betty did look fierce and grimT
Bob who saw mischief in her eyeU
Avoided her approaching nighU
He feared the broomstick too with physicsV
As dread as Betty's metaphysicsV
-
What star did at my birth presideI
That I should be born slave he sighedI
To tread that spit of horrid soundI
Inglorious task to which no houndI
That ever I knew was abasedI
Whence is my line and lineage tracedI
I would that I had been professedI
A lap dog by some dame caressedI
I would I had been born a spanielW
Sagacious nostrilled and called DanielW
I would I had been born a lionQ
Although I scorn a feline scionQ
I would I had been born of womanQ
And free from servitude as humanQ
My lot had then been I discern fitI
And not as now a wretched turnspitI
-
An ox replied who heard this whineX
Dare you at partial fate repineX
Behold me now beneath the goadI
And now beneath the waggon's loadI
Now ploughing the tenacious plainX
And housing now the yellow grainX
Yet I without a murmur bearY
These various labours of the yearB
Yet come it will the day decreedI
By fates when I am doomed to bleedI
And you by duties of your postI
Must turn the spit when I must roastI
And to repay your currish moansZ
Will have the pickings of my bonesZ
-
The turnspit answered SuperficialW
Has been my gaze on poor and rich allA2
What do the mighty ones then bearY
Their load of carking grief and careY
And man perhaps ah goodness knowsB2
May have his share of pains and woesB2
-
So saying with contented lookC2
Bob wagged his tail and followed cookC2

John Gay



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