Farmer's Wife And Raven Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AA BBCCDDEE FFGGHH IJKKLL MNNO GGPPGGQRN| Why are those tears Why droops your head | A |
| Say is your swain or husband dead | A |
| - | |
| The farmer's wife said You know well | B |
| The salt was spilt to me it fell | B |
| And then to add loss unto loss | C |
| The knife and fork were laid across | C |
| On Friday evening 'tis too true | D |
| Bounce in my lap a coffin flew | D |
| Some dire misfortune it portends | E |
| I tremble for my absent friends | E |
| - | |
| Dame said the neighbour tremble not | F |
| Be all these prodigies forgot | F |
| The while at least you eat your dinner | G |
| Bid the foul fiend avaunt the sinner | G |
| And soon as Betty clears the table | H |
| For a dessert I'll read a fable | H |
| - | |
| Betwixt her panniers rocked on Dobbin | I |
| A matron rode to market bobbing | J |
| Indulging in a trancelike dream | K |
| Of money for her eggs and cream | K |
| When direful clamour from her broke | L |
| 'A raven on the left hand oak | L |
| His horrid croak bodes me some ill ' | - |
| Here Dobbin stumbled 'twas down hill | M |
| And somehow he with failing legs | N |
| Fell and down fell the cream and eggs | N |
| She sprawling said 'You rascal craven | O |
| You nasty filthy dirty raven ' | - |
| 'Goody ' said raven 'spare your clamour | G |
| There nothing here was done by glamour | G |
| Get up again and wipe your gown | P |
| It was not I who threw you down | P |
| For had you laid your market ware | G |
| On Dun the old sure footed mare | G |
| Though all the ravens in the Hundred | Q |
| Had croaked till all the Hundred wondered | R |
| Sure footed Dun had kept her legs | N |
| And you good woman saved your eggs ' | - |
John Gay
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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