From Colin Clout Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AAAAABBBCCCCDDBBBEEE FFFFFGGHHHBBBBBBBIII IIIIIIBBBBJJBBKKEE| What can it avail | A |
| To drive forth a snail | A |
| Or to make a sail | A |
| Of an herring s tail | A |
| To rhyme or to rail | A |
| To write or to indict | B |
| Either for delight | B |
| Or else for despight | B |
| Or books to compile | C |
| Of divers manner of style | C |
| Vice to revile | C |
| And sin to exile | C |
| To teach or to preach | D |
| As reason will reach | D |
| Say this and say that | B |
| His head is so fat | B |
| He wotteth never what | B |
| Nor whereof he speaketh | E |
| He crieth and he creaketh | E |
| He prieth and he peeketh | E |
| He chides and he chatters | F |
| He prates and he patters | F |
| He clitters and he clatters | F |
| He meddles and he smatters | F |
| He gloses and he flatters | F |
| Or if he speak plain | G |
| Then he lacketh brain | G |
| He is but a fool | H |
| Let him go to school | H |
| On a three footed stool | H |
| That he may down sit | B |
| For he lacketh wit | B |
| And if that he hit | B |
| The nail on the head | B |
| It standeth in no stead | B |
| The devil they say is dead | B |
| The devil is dead | B |
| It may well so be | I |
| Or else they would see | I |
| Otherwise and flee | I |
| From worldly vanity | I |
| And foul covetousness | I |
| And other wretchedness | I |
| Fickle falseness | I |
| Variableness | I |
| With unstableness | I |
| And if ye stand in doubt | B |
| Who brought this rhyme about | B |
| My name is Colin Clout | B |
| I purpose to shake out | B |
| All my connying bag | J |
| Like a clerkly hag | J |
| For though my rhyme be ragged | B |
| Tattered and jagged | B |
| Rudely rain beaten | K |
| Rusty and moth eaten | K |
| If ye take well therewith | E |
| It hath in it some pith | E |
John Skelton
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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