The Schoolhouse On The Plain Poem Rhyme Scheme

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 52 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 2 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

A Guidebook To My Future Friends
by Aditi Mukherjee
Ndihamba Ndisekhona" Chant Beat: Stomp-stomp-clap, Stomp-stomp-clap
by Asher Chipu
Ledige Praatjies
by Asher Chipu
Life Is Working
by Asher Chipu
The Knocking To The Door
by Asher Chipu
Ubizo: What You Are Called To Do
by Asher Chipu
Sum Obsession
by Asher Chipu
Locust
by Asher Chipu
Eden Passing
by Asher Chipu
I Am The Silence
by Asher Chipu

Popular Poets

1. Emily Dickinson(2415 poems)
2. Madison Julius Cawein(1231 poems)
3. Ella Wheeler Wilcox(1136 poems)
4. William Wordsworth(1016 poems)
5. Robert Burns(986 poems)
6. Edgar Albert Guest(945 poems)
7. Thomas Moore(849 poems)
8. Robert Service(831 poems)

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

About The Schoolhouse On The Plain

Write your comment about The Schoolhouse On The Plain poem by Joseph Furphy

Recent Interactions*

New Poems

Popular Poets