The Shepherd's Week : Tuesday; Or, The Ditty Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBCCDDBBEEFGBBHHIJB BKLLMMNNBBDDOOBBBBPQ CCRSTTEEBBPPEEBBUUNN VVEEWWBBNNXXBBYYNNSS BBEEEEBBNNNNVVNNBBEJ NNNNBB| Marian | A |
| Young Colin Clout a lad of peerless meed | B |
| Full well could dance and deftly tune the reed | B |
| In every wood his carrols sweet were known | C |
| At every wake his nimble feats were shown | C |
| When in the ring the rustic routs he threw | D |
| The damsel's pleasures with his conquests grew | D |
| Or when aslant the cudgel threats his head | B |
| His danger smites the breast of every maid | B |
| But chief of Marian Marian lov'd the swain | E |
| The parson's maid and neatest of the plain | E |
| Marian that soft could stroke the udder'd cow | F |
| Or lessen with her sieve the barley mow | G |
| Marbled with sage the hardening cheese she press'd | B |
| And yellow butter Marian's skill confess'd | B |
| But Marian now devoid of country cares | H |
| Nor yellow butter nor sage cheese prepares | H |
| For yearning love the witless maid employs | I |
| And love say swains 'all busy heed destroys ' | J |
| Colin makes mock at all her piteous smart | B |
| A lass that Cicily hight had won his heart | B |
| The rival of the parson's maid was she | K |
| In dreary shade now Marian lies along | L |
| And mix'd with sighs thus wails in plaining song | L |
| Ah woful day ah woful noon and morn | M |
| When first by thee my younglings white were shorn | M |
| Then first I ween I cast a lover's eye | N |
| My sheep were silly but more silly I | N |
| Beneath the sheers they felt no lasting smart | B |
| They lost but fleeces while I lost a heart | B |
| Ah Colin canst thou leave thy sweetheart true | D |
| What have I done for thee will Cicily do | D |
| Will she thy linen wash or hosen darn | O |
| And knit thee gloves made of her own spun yarn | O |
| Will she with huswife's hand provide thy meat | B |
| And every Sunday morn thy neckcloth plait | B |
| Which o'er thy kersey doublet spreading wide | B |
| In service time drew Cicily's eyes aside | B |
| Where'er I gad I cannot hide my care | P |
| My new disasters in my look appear | Q |
| White as the curd my ruddy cheek has grown | C |
| So thin my features that I'm hardly known | C |
| Our neighbours tell me oft in joking talk | R |
| Of ashes leather oatmeal bran and chalk | S |
| Unwittingly of Marian they divine | T |
| And wist not that with thoughtful love I pine | T |
| Yet Colin Clout untoward shepherd swain | E |
| Walks whistling blithe while pitiful I 'plain | E |
| Whilom with thee 'twas Marian's dear delight | B |
| To moll all day and merry make at night | B |
| If in the soil you guide the crooked share | P |
| Your early breakfast is my constant care | P |
| And when with even hand you strow the grain | E |
| I fright the thievish rooks from off the plain | E |
| In misling days when I my thresher heard | B |
| With nappy beer I to the barn repair'd | B |
| Lost in the music of whirling flail | U |
| To gaze on thee I left the smoking pail | U |
| In harvest when the sun was mounted high | N |
| My leathern bottle did thy drought supply | N |
| Whene'er you mow'd I follow'd with the rake | V |
| And have full oft been sun burnt for thy sake | V |
| When in the welkin gathering showers were seen | E |
| I lagg'd the last with Colin on the green | E |
| And when at eve returning with thy car | W |
| Awaiting heard the jingling bells from afar | W |
| Straight on the fire the sooty pot I plac'd | B |
| To warm thy broth I burn'd my hands for haste | B |
| When hungry thou stood'st staring like an Oaf | N |
| I slic'd the luncheon from the barley loaf | N |
| With crumbled bread I thicken'd well thy mess | X |
| Ah love me more or love thy pottage less | X |
| Last Friday's eve when as the sun was set | B |
| I near yon stile three sallow gypsies met | B |
| Upon my hand they cast a poring look | Y |
| Bid me beware and thrice their heads they shook | Y |
| They said that many crosses I must prove | N |
| Some in my worldly gain but most in love | N |
| Next morn I miss'd three hens and our old cock | S |
| And off the hedge two pinners and a smock | S |
| I bore these losses with a Christian mind | B |
| And no mishaps could feel while thou wert kind | B |
| But since alas I grew my Colin's scorn | E |
| I've known no pleasure night or noon or morn | E |
| Help me ye gypsies bring him home again | E |
| And to a constant lass give back her swain | E |
| Have I not sat with thee full many a night | B |
| When dying embers were our only light | B |
| When every creature did in slumbers lie | N |
| Besides our cat my Colin Clout and I | N |
| No troublous thoughts the cat or Colin move | N |
| While I alone am kept awake by love | N |
| Remember Colin when at last year's wake | V |
| I bought the costly present for thy sake | V |
| Couldst thou spell o'er the posy on thy knife | N |
| And with another change they state of life | N |
| If thou forget'st I wot I can repeat | B |
| My memory can tell the verse so sweet | B |
| 'As this is grav'd upon this knife of thine | E |
| So is thy image on this heart of mine ' | J |
| But wo is me such presents luckless prove | N |
| For knives they tell me always sever love | N |
| Thus Marian wail'd her eyes with tears brimfull | N |
| When goody Dobbins brought her cow to bull | N |
| With apron blue to dry her tears she sought | B |
| Then saw the cow well serv'd and took a groat | B |
John Gay
(1)
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