The Schoolhouse On The Plain Poem Rhyme Scheme

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From 'An Idyll of the Wimmera '	A
	-
On the geodetic line where the parish boundaries join	B
At a level and interminable lane	C
You can see it there alone standing calmly on its own	D
Like an iceberg in a solitary main	C
It's a topographic base and each near or distant place	E
Is located from the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
It lies open to the road in the usual country mode	F
With a few old waster posts to bridge the drain	C
The reserve is clean and dry being several inches high	G
The building standing back about a chain	C
Nothing could excel the stand and it's worth its bit of land	H
That inexpensive Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
It requires a lick of paint to correct the weather taint	I
And its windows should have here and there a pane	C
The open jointed floor swallows pencils by the score	J
And the veteran desks are inked with many a stain	C
Still it's proof against the wet and there's lots of service yet	K
In that unpretentious Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
Such eventual wear and tear with contingent disrepair	L
Is appointed unto everything mundane	C
Bear in mind it braves with ease the fanatic and the breeze	M
Spreading influence that nothing can restrain	C
Think how superstitions yield and sectarian feuds are heal'd	N
In that nation building Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
All the district far and near has a postal centre here	O
So suitable that no one can complain	C
Here the local Rechabites on alternate Thursday nights	P
Renew their solemn davy to abstain	C
Also that improvement class call'd the Literary Ass	Q
Holds its meetings at the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
When election time draws near then the hayseeds rally here	O
To catechise the candidate urbane	C
To demand a cockspur line and an open port for twine	R
With reduction of the railway freight on grain	C
Here on polling day they meet to discomfort Lygon Street	S
No nonsense with the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
Here the missionary man fresh from Indian or Japan	T
Unblushingly takes on him to maintain	C
That he labours day and night in a harvest field that's white	U
With other statements shaky and inane	C
But his magic lantern show makes the entertainment go	V
Till applauses fill the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
Every Sunday after two there's an old man rendezvous	W
And the edifice becomes a sacred fane	C
Then along the fence each side stands a line of horses tied	X
And the seats within hold all they can contain	C
While some good well meaning man as per local preachers' plan	T
Holds Service in the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
And as he exhorts or prays or the flock their voices raise	Y
In rendition of some Sankey book refrain	C
A dozen dogs and more hold possession of the floor	J
Dumbly showing how they need insectibane	C
Nor are such things taken ill for there's no superfluous frill	Z
At those preachings in the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
There the boys deal glances fond and the girls of course respond	A2
In spite of the indifference they feign	C
Whilst the mothers of the youth listen to the word of truth	B2
Till they feel about as innocent as Cain	C
And the toddlers play bo peep and the rude forefathers sleep	C2
Being bosses of the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
But the Monday coming round as by ancient usage bound	D2
Sees our jossless system under way again	C
Then the hopefuls mobilize and the droning murmurs rise	E2
Whilst the tree of knowledge creaks beneath the strain	C
And the R's extend their roots and the young idea shoots	F2
Under cover of that Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
There are stories carted here from the Northern Hemisphere	G2
And design'd to cause a thrill through every vein	C
Of monarch's grave or gay each distinguish'd in his day	H2
By being feeble minded or insane	C
But here the kids compete for the scorner's sinful seat	S
Their troubles at the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
As becometh Jim and Bill their solicitude is nil	Z
Touching Mary Queen of Scots or Anne Boleyn	C
But the ructions of the kings when their docile underlings	I2
Made a many figured tally of the slain	C
Are consider'd worth review for the sporting instinct true	W
Is powerful at the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
There are lessons setting forth how an islet somewhere north	J2
Knock'd the stuffing out of Holland France and Spain	C
How from east to west its drum makes our planet fairly hum	K2
And the sunrise follow meekly in its train	C
How that spadeful all alone gave us everything we own	C
Especially this Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
And the lydy teacher there comes from heaven alone knows where	L
Like some angel they're vouchsafed to entertain	C
She controls her motley drove by the gentle power of love	L2
Emphasising her affection with a cane	C
True she cavils all the while at the rough untidy style	M2
Of her pupils in the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
She sets up to know a lot but there's one defective spot	N2
In the dignity she struggles to sustain	C
For her days are pass'd in fright and her sleep's disturb'd at night	U
As if she had Inspector on the brain	C
And her heart is in her mouth as she watches north and south	O2
From the windows of the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
And when she is elsewhere gone that old school will still live on	C
Just as she herself was not the first to reign	C
Since for better or for worse Young Australia comes in force	P2
As a reference to the Year Book will explain	C
And he only leaves a place for his duplicate to grace	E
In the roll book of the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
They mature and off they drop in an intermittent crop	Q2
Not a single soul desiring to remain	C
For they know their road about they can turn things inside out	R2
But existence as they quickly ascertain	C
Is a great deal harder row than they thought they had to hoe	V
When they wagg'd it from the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
Many a shearer tough and strong many a drover two yards long	S2
Many a bullock driver hairy and profane	C
Many an innocent yahoo many a red hot subject too	W
Many a law abiding devotee of gain	C
Many a work girl many a wife looking back upon their life	T2
Cherish memories of the Schoolhouse on the Plain	C
	-
Some important changes gleam o'er the spirit of their dream	U2
As they blunder through their honourless campaign	C
All that sense of brutal wrong has been dissipated long	S2
From the standard they were driven to attain	C
And they wish with all their heart they could make a second start	V2
At the undervalued Schoolhouse on the Plain	C

Joseph Furphy

The Schoolhouse On The Plain Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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