Truth And Falsehood. A Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGHHIIJJK KLLMMNN OOPPQRSSTTPPUUVVPPWW WXX PPYYJJ| Once on a time in sunshine weather | A |
| Falsehood and Truth walk'd out together | A |
| The neighbouring woods and lawns to view | B |
| As opposites will sometimes do | B |
| Through many a blooming mead they pass'd | C |
| And at a brook arrived at last | C |
| The purling stream the margin green | D |
| With flowers bedeck'd a vernal scene | D |
| Invited each itinerant maid | E |
| To rest a while beneath the shade | E |
| Under a spreading beech they sat | F |
| And pass'd the time with female chat | F |
| While each her thoughts the other feign'd | G |
| At length quoth Falsehood Sister Truth | H |
| For so she call'd her from her youth | H |
| What if to shun yon sultry beam | I |
| We bathe in this delightful stream | I |
| The bottom smooth the water clear | J |
| And there's no prying shepherd near | J |
| With all my heart the nymph replied | K |
| And threw her snowy robes aside | K |
| Stripp'd herself naked to the skin | L |
| And with a spring leapp'd headlong in | L |
| Falsehood more leisurely undress'd | M |
| And laying by her tawdry vest | M |
| Trick'd herself out in Truth's array | N |
| And cross the meadows tripp'd away | N |
| - | |
| From this cursed hour the fraudful dame | O |
| Of sacred Truth usurps the name | O |
| And with a vile perfidious mind | P |
| Roams far and near to cheat mankind | P |
| False sighs suborns and artful tears | Q |
| And starts with vain pretended fears | R |
| In visits vain still appears most wise | S |
| And rolls at church her saint like eyes | S |
| Talks very much plays idle tricks | T |
| While rising stock her conscience pricks | T |
| When being poor thing extremely gravell'd | P |
| She secrets ope'd and all unravell'd | P |
| But on she will and secrets tell | U |
| Of John and Joan and Ned and Nell | U |
| Reviling every one she knows | V |
| As fancy leads beneath the rose | V |
| Her tongue so voluble and kind | P |
| It always runs before her mind | P |
| As times do serve she slily pleads | W |
| And copious tears still show her needs | W |
| With promises as thick as weeds | W |
| Speaks pro and con is wondrous civil | X |
| To day a saint to morrow devil | X |
| - | |
| Poor Truth she stripp'd as has been said | P |
| And naked left the lovely maid | P |
| Who scorning from her cause to wince | Y |
| Has gone stark naked ever since | Y |
| And ever naked will appear | J |
| Beloved by all who Truth revere | J |
Matthew Prior
(1)
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