Phantasmagoria Canto V ( Byckerment ) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABAAA CDCCD EAEEA FAFFA FFFFF GAGGA AFAAF FFFFF AFAAF GFGGF HIHHI FFFFF FIFFI FJFFJ IFIIF AJAAJ IJIIJ KFLLF MIMMI JFNJF IFII IHIIH FIFFI OPOOP FIIIIDON'T they consult the 'Victims ' though | A |
I said They should by rights | B |
Give them a chance because you know | A |
The tastes of people differ so | A |
Especially in Sprites | A |
- | |
The Phantom shook his head and smiled | C |
Consult them Not a bit | D |
'Twould be a job to drive one wild | C |
To satisfy one single child | C |
There'd be no end to it | D |
- | |
Of course you can't leave CHILDREN free | E |
Said I to pick and choose | A |
But in the case of men like me | E |
I think 'Mine Host' might fairly be | E |
Allowed to state his views | A |
- | |
He said It really wouldn't pay | F |
Folk are so full of fancies | A |
We visit for a single day | F |
And whether then we go or stay | F |
Depends on circumstances | A |
- | |
And though we don't consult 'Mine Host' | F |
Before the thing's arranged | F |
Still if he often quits his post | F |
Or is not a well mannered Ghost | F |
Then you can have him changed | F |
- | |
But if the host's a man like you | G |
I mean a man of sense | A |
And if the house is not too new | G |
Why what has THAT said I to do | G |
With Ghost's convenience | A |
- | |
A new house does not suit you know | A |
It's such a job to trim it | F |
But after twenty years or so | A |
The wainscotings begin to go | A |
So twenty is the limit | F |
- | |
To trim was not a phrase I could | F |
Remember having heard | F |
Perhaps I said you'll be so good | F |
As tell me what is understood | F |
Exactly by that word | F |
- | |
It means the loosening all the doors | A |
The Ghost replied and laughed | F |
It means the drilling holes by scores | A |
In all the skirting boards and floors | A |
To make a thorough draught | F |
- | |
You'll sometimes find that one or two | G |
Are all you really need | F |
To let the wind come whistling through | G |
But HERE there'll be a lot to do | G |
I faintly gasped Indeed | F |
- | |
If I 'd been rather later I'll | H |
Be bound I added trying | I |
Most unsuccessfully to smile | H |
You'd have been busy all this while | H |
Trimming and beautifying | I |
- | |
Why no said he perhaps I should | F |
Have stayed another minute | F |
But still no Ghost that's any good | F |
Without an introduction would | F |
Have ventured to begin it | F |
- | |
The proper thing as you were late | F |
Was certainly to go | I |
But with the roads in such a state | F |
I got the Knight Mayor's leave to wait | F |
For half an hour or so | I |
- | |
Who's the Knight Mayor I cried Instead | F |
Of answering my question | J |
Well if you don't know THAT he said | F |
Either you never go to bed | F |
Or you've a grand digestion | J |
- | |
He goes about and sits on folk | I |
That eat too much at night | F |
His duties are to pinch and poke | I |
And squeeze them till they nearly choke | I |
I said It serves them right | F |
- | |
And folk who sup on things like these | A |
He muttered eggs and bacon | J |
Lobster and duck and toasted cheese | A |
If they don't get an awful squeeze | A |
I'm very much mistaken | J |
- | |
He is immensely fat and so | I |
Well suits the occupation | J |
In point of fact if you must know | I |
We used to call him years ago | I |
THE MAYOR AND CORPORATION | J |
- | |
The day he was elected Mayor | K |
I KNOW that every Sprite meant | F |
To vote for ME but did not dare | L |
He was so frantic with despair | L |
And furious with excitement | F |
- | |
When it was over for a whim | M |
He ran to tell the King | I |
And being the reverse of slim | M |
A two mile trot was not for him | M |
A very easy thing | I |
- | |
So to reward him for his run | J |
As it was baking hot | F |
And he was over twenty stone | N |
The King proceeded half in fun | J |
To knight him on the spot | F |
- | |
'Twas a great liberty to take | I |
I fired up like a rocket | F |
He did it just for punning's sake | I |
'The man ' says Johnson 'that would make | I |
A pun would pick a pocket ' | - |
- | |
A man said he is not a King | I |
I argued for a while | H |
And did my best to prove the thing | I |
The Phantom merely listening | I |
With a contemptuous smile | H |
- | |
At last when breath and patience spent | F |
I had recourse to smoking | I |
Your AIM he said is excellent | F |
But when you call it ARGUMENT | F |
Of course you're only joking | I |
- | |
Stung by his cold and snaky eye | O |
I roused myself at length | P |
To say At least I do defy | O |
The veriest sceptic to deny | O |
That union is strength | P |
- | |
That's true enough said he yet stay | F |
I listened in all meekness | I |
UNION is strength I'm bound to say | I |
In fact the thing's as clear as day | I |
But ONIONS are a weakness | I |
Lewis Carroll
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