You Are Old, Father William Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A B CDCD EFEG HIHI JKJK LILI MNMN OAOA PQPQ A RI AS| Repeat 'You are old Father William ' said the Caterpillar | A |
| - | |
| Alice folded her hands and began | B |
| - | |
| You are old Father William the young man said | C |
| And your hair has become very white | D |
| And yet you incessantly stand on your head | C |
| Do you think at your age it is right | D |
| - | |
| In my youth Father William replied to his son | E |
| I feared it might injure the brain | F |
| But now that I'm perfectly sure I have none | E |
| Why I do it again and again | G |
| - | |
| You are old said the youth as I mentioned before | H |
| And you have grown must uncommonly fat | I |
| Yet you turned back a somersault in at the door | H |
| Pray what is the reason of that | I |
| - | |
| In my youth said the sage as he shook his gray locks | J |
| I kept all my limbs very supple | K |
| By the use of this ointment one shilling a box | J |
| Allow me to sell you a couple | K |
| - | |
| You are old said the youth and your jaws are too weak | L |
| For anything tougher than suet | I |
| Yet you finished the goose with the bones and the beak | L |
| Pray how did you manage to do it | I |
| - | |
| In my youth said his father I took to the law | M |
| And argued each case with my wife | N |
| And the muscular strength which it gave to my jaw | M |
| Has lasted the rest of my life | N |
| - | |
| You are old said the youth one would hardly suppose | O |
| That your eyes was as steady as ever | A |
| Yet you balanced an eel on the end of your nose | O |
| What made you so awfully clever | A |
| - | |
| I have answered three questions and that is enough | P |
| Said his father don't give yourself airs | Q |
| Do you think I can listen all day to such stuff | P |
| Be off or I'll kick you downstairs | Q |
| - | |
| - | |
| That is not said right said the Caterpillar | A |
| - | |
| Not quite right I'm afraid said Alice timidly | R |
| some of the words have got altered | I |
| - | |
| It is wrong from beginning to end said the Caterpillar | A |
| decidedly and there was silence for some minutes | S |
Lewis Carroll
(1)
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