The Beggar's Opera (excerpts) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AB C B C D E F CC C C C F G H C C HI A I A J J KHJ L J L G G K BAH M H M N H N| Air I An old woman clothed in gray c | A |
| Through all the employments of life | B |
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| Each neighbour abuses his brother | C |
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| Whore and rogue they call husband and wife | B |
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| All professions be rogue one another | C |
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| The priest calls the lawyer a cheat | D |
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| The lawyer be knaves the divine | E |
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| And the statesman because he's so great | F |
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| Thinks his trade as honest as mine Air XI A Soldier and a Sailor | C |
| A fox may steal your hens sir | C |
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| A whore your health and pence sir | C |
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| Your daughter rob your chest sir | C |
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| Your wife may steal your rest sir | C |
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| A thief your goods and plate | F |
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| But this is all but picking | G |
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| With rest pence chest and chicken | H |
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| It ever was decreed sir | C |
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| If lawyer's hand is fee'd sir | C |
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| He steals your whole estate Air XXII Cotillon | H |
| Youth's the season made for joys | I |
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| Love is then our duty | A |
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| She alone who that employs | I |
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| Well deserves her beauty | A |
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| Let's be gay | J |
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| While we may | J |
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| Beauty's a flower despised in decay CHORUS | K |
| Youth's the season c Cotillon | H |
| Let us drink and sport to day | J |
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| Ours is not to morrow | L |
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| Love with youth flies swift away | J |
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| Age is nought but sorrow | L |
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| Dance and sing | G |
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| Time's on the wing | G |
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| Life never knows the return of spring CHORUS | K |
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| Let us drink c Air XXVI | B |
| Courtiers Courtiers think it no harm c | A |
| Man may escape from rope and gun | H |
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| Nay some have out liv'd the doctor's pill | M |
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| Who takes a woman must be undone | H |
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| That basilisk is sure to kill | M |
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| The fly that sips treacle is lost in the sweets | N |
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| So he that tastes woman woman woman | H |
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| He that tastes woman ruin meets | N |
John Gay
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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