Mistress Gurton's Cat Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDCDEEFF GHGIIHJJKK LLMNOOPPQ RRQSSPPTT UUVWPPQQXX YPZZFFPPP A2B2C2A2PBBPD2D2 FE2F2F2E2PG2H2G2P PD2PD2PPPF2PF2PPPPPP I2J2ZZF2F2PTPTCCK2K2 L2PPL2PPPPPP M2CM2CPPFPPP ZZF2F2FFOld MISTRESS GURTON had a Cat | A |
A Tabby loveliest of the race | B |
Sleek as a doe and tame and fat | A |
With velvet paws and whisker'd face | B |
The Doves of VENUS not so fair | C |
Nor JUNO'S Peacocks half so grand | D |
As MISTRESS GURTON'S Tabby rare | C |
The proudest of the purring band | D |
So dignified in all her paces | E |
She seem'd a pupil of the Graces | E |
There never was a finer creature | F |
In all the varying whims of Nature | F |
- | |
All liked Grimalkin passing well | G |
Save MISTRESS GURTON and 'tis said | H |
She oft with furious ire would swell | G |
When through neglect or hunger keen | I |
Puss with a pilfer'd scrap was seen | I |
Swearing beneath the pent house shed | H |
For like some fav'rites she was bent | J |
On all things yet with none content | J |
And still whate'er her place or diet | K |
She could not pick her bone in quiet | K |
- | |
Sometimes new milk GRIMALKIN stole | L |
And sometimes over set the bowl | L |
For over eagerness will prove | M |
Oft times the bane of what we love | N |
And sometimes to her neighbour's home | O |
GRIMALKIN like a thief would roam | O |
Teaching poor Cats of humbler kind | P |
For high example sways the mind | P |
Sometimes she paced the garden wall | Q |
- | |
Thick guarded by the shatter'd pane | R |
And lightly treading with disdain | R |
Fear'd not Ambition's certain fall | Q |
Old China broke or scratch'd her Dame | S |
And brought domestic friends to shame | S |
And many a time this Cat was curst | P |
Of squalling thieving things the worst | P |
Wish'd Dead and menanc'd with a string | T |
For Cats of such scant Fame deserv'd to swing | T |
- | |
One day report for ever busy | U |
Resolv'd to make Dame Gurton easy | U |
A Neighbour came with solemn look | V |
And thus the dismal tidings broke | W |
quot Know you that poor GRIMALKIN died | P |
quot Last night upon the pent house side | P |
quot I heard her for assistance call | Q |
quot I heard her shrill and dying squall | Q |
quot I heard her in reproachful tone | X |
quot Pour to the stars her feeble groan | X |
- | |
quot Alone I heard her piercing cries | Y |
quot With not a Friend to close her Eyes quot | P |
quot Poor Puss I vow it grieves me sore | Z |
quot Never to see thy beauties more | Z |
quot Never again to hear thee purr | F |
quot To stroke thy back of Zebra fur | F |
quot To see thy emral'd eyes so bright | P |
quot Flashing around their lust'rous light | P |
quot Amid the solemn shades of night | P |
- | |
quot Methinks I see her pretty paws | A2 |
quot As gracefully she paced along | B2 |
quot I hear her voice so shrill among | C2 |
quot The chimney rows I see her claws | A2 |
quot While like a Tyger she pursued | P |
quot Undauntedly the pilf'ring race | B |
quot I see her lovely whisker'd face | B |
quot When she her nimble prey subdued | P |
quot And then how she would frisk and play | D2 |
quot And purr the Evening hours away | D2 |
- | |
quot Now stretch'd beside the social fire | F |
quot Now on the sunny lawn at noon | E2 |
quot Watching the vagrant Birds that flew | F2 |
quot Across the scene of varied hue | F2 |
quot To peck the Fruit Or when the Moon | E2 |
quot Stole o'er the hills in silv'ry suit | P |
quot How would she chaunt her lovelorn Tale | G2 |
quot Soft as the wild Eolian Lyre | H2 |
quot 'Till ev'ry brute on hill in dale | G2 |
quot Listen'd with wonder mute quot | P |
- | |
quot O Cease quot exclaim'd DAME GURTON straight | P |
quot Has my poor Puss been torn away | D2 |
quot Alas how cruel is my fate | P |
quot How shall I pass the tedious day | D2 |
quot Where can her mourning mistress find | P |
quot So sweet a Cat so meek so kind | P |
quot So keen a mouser such a beauty | P |
quot So orderly so fond so true | F2 |
quot That every gentle task of duty | P |
quot The dear domestic creature knew | F2 |
quot Hers was the mildest tend'rest heart | P |
quot She knew no little cattish art | P |
quot Not cross like fav'rite Cats was she | P |
quot But seem'd the queen of Cats to be | P |
quot I cannot live since doom'd alas to part | P |
quot From poor GRIMALKIN kind the darling of my heart quot | P |
- | |
And now DAME GURTON bath'd in tears | I2 |
With a black top knot vast appears | J2 |
Some say that a black gown she wore | Z |
As many oft have done before | Z |
For Beings valued less I ween | F2 |
Than this of Tabby Cats the fav'rite Queen | F2 |
But lo soon after one fair day | P |
Puss who had only been a roving | T |
Across the pent house took her way | P |
To see her Dame so sad and loving | T |
Eager to greet the mourning fair | C |
She enter'd by a window where | C |
A China bowl of luscious cream | K2 |
Was quiv'ring in the sunny beam | K2 |
- | |
Puss who was somewhat tired and dry | L2 |
And somewhat fond of bev'rage sweet | P |
Beholding such a tempting treat | P |
Resolved its depth to try | L2 |
She saw the warm and dazzling ray | P |
Upon the spotless surface play | P |
She purr'd around its circle wide | P |
And gazed and long'd and mew'd and sigh'd | P |
But Fate unfriendly did that hour controul | P |
She overset the cream and smash'd the gilded bowl | P |
- | |
As MISTRESS GURTON heard the thief | M2 |
She started from her easy chair | C |
And quite unmindful of her grief | M2 |
Began aloud to swear | C |
quot Curse that voracious beast quot she cried | P |
quot Here SUSAN bring a cord | P |
I'll hang the vicious ugly creature | F |
quot The veriest plague e'er form'd by nature quot | P |
And MISTRESS GURTON kept her word | P |
And Poor GRIMALKIN DIED | P |
- | |
Thus often we with anguish sore | Z |
The dead in clam'rous grief deplore | Z |
Who were they once alive again | F2 |
Would meet the sting of cold disdain | F2 |
For FRIENDS whom trifling faults can sever | F |
Are valued most WHEN LOST FOR EVER | F |
Mary Darby Robinson
(1)
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