On Cutting Down The Thorn At Market-hill Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH FIFI FJFJ KLKL MNMN OFOF PQPQ FRFR STST IUIU FAFV WFWF XYXY ZFZF KA2KA2 JB2JB2 A2A2A2A2 BFBF UA2U| At Market Hill as well appears | A |
| By chronicle of ancient date | B |
| There stood for many hundred years | A |
| A spacious thorn before the gate | B |
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| Hither came every village maid | C |
| And on the boughs her garland hung | D |
| And here beneath the spreading shade | C |
| Secure from satyrs sat and sung | D |
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| Sir Archibald that valorous knight | E |
| The lord of all the fruitful plain | F |
| Would come to listen with delight | E |
| For he was fond of rural strain | F |
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| Sir Archibald whose favourite name | G |
| Shall stand for ages on record | H |
| By Scottish bards of highest fame | G |
| Wise Hawthornden and Stirling's lord | H |
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| But time with iron teeth I ween | F |
| Has canker'd all its branches round | I |
| No fruit or blossom to be seen | F |
| Its head reclining toward the ground | I |
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| This aged sickly sapless thorn | F |
| Which must alas no longer stand | J |
| Behold the cruel Dean in scorn | F |
| Cuts down with sacrilegious hand | J |
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| Dame Nature when she saw the blow | K |
| Astonish'd gave a dreadful shriek | L |
| And mother Tellus trembled so | K |
| She scarce recover'd in a week | L |
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| The Sylvan powers with fear perplex'd | M |
| In prudence and compassion sent | N |
| For none could tell whose turn was next | M |
| Sad omens of the dire event | N |
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| The magpie lighting on the stock | O |
| Stood chattering with incessant din | F |
| And with her beak gave many a knock | O |
| To rouse and warn the nymph within | F |
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| The owl foresaw in pensive mood | P |
| The ruin of her ancient seat | Q |
| And fled in haste with all her brood | P |
| To seek a more secure retreat | Q |
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| Last trotted forth the gentle swine | F |
| To ease her itch against the stump | R |
| And dismally was heard to whine | F |
| All as she scrubb'd her meazly rump | R |
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| The nymph who dwells in every tree | S |
| If all be true that poets chant | T |
| Condemn'd by Fate's supreme decree | S |
| Must die with her expiring plant | T |
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| Thus when the gentle Spina found | I |
| The thorn committed to her care | U |
| Received its last and deadly wound | I |
| She fled and vanish'd into air | U |
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| But from the root a dismal groan | F |
| First issuing struck the murderer's ears | A |
| And in a shrill revengeful tone | F |
| This prophecy he trembling hears | V |
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| 'Thou chief contriver of my fall | W |
| Relentless Dean to mischief born | F |
| My kindred oft thine hide shall gall | W |
| Thy gown and cassock oft be torn | F |
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| 'And thy confederate dame who brags | X |
| That she condemn'd me to the fire | Y |
| Shall rend her petticoats to rags | X |
| And wound her legs with every brier | Y |
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| 'Nor thou Lord Arthur shall escape | Z |
| To thee I often call'd in vain | F |
| Against that assassin in crape | Z |
| Yet thou couldst tamely see me slain | F |
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| 'Nor when I felt the dreadful blow | K |
| Or chid the Dean or pinch'd thy spouse | A2 |
| Since you could see me treated so | K |
| An old retainer to your house | A2 |
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| 'May that fell Dean by whose command | J |
| Was form'd this Machiavelian plot | B2 |
| Not leave a thistle on thy land | J |
| Then who will own thee for a Scot | B2 |
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| 'Pigs and fanatics cows and teagues | A2 |
| Through all my empire I foresee | A2 |
| To tear thy hedges join in leagues | A2 |
| Sworn to revenge my thorn and me | A2 |
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| 'And thou the wretch ordain'd by fate | B |
| Neal Gahagan Hibernian clown | F |
| With hatchet blunter than thy pate | B |
| To hack my hallow'd timber down | F |
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| 'When thou suspended high in air | U |
| Diest on a more ignoble tree | A2 |
| For thou shall steal thy landlord's mare | U |
| Then bloody caitiff think on me ' | - |
Jonathan Swift
(1)
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