The Haunch Of Venison Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDDECFFGGHHII JJFFCCKLMMEENNCCCCCC CCD HHO PPCCAABBCCCCCC EECCEEFF QQRRSSCCEEE TT UUCCUUCCVVUUCCVVS WWE C CCCCCCBBUUXXCCVVUUYY

A POETICAL EPISTLE TO LORD CLAREA
-
THANKS my Lord for your venison for finer or fatterB
Never rang'd in a forest or smok'd in a platterB
The haunch was a picture for painters to studyC
The fat was so white and the lean was so ruddyC
Though my stomach was sharp I could scarce help regrettingD
To spoil such a delicate picture by eatingD
I had thoughts in my chambers to place it in viewE
To be shown to my friends as a piece of 'virtu'C
As in some Irish houses where things are so soF
One gammon of bacon hangs up for a showF
But for eating a rasher of what they take pride inG
They'd as soon think of eating the pan it is fried inG
But hold let me pause Don't I hear you pronounceH
This tale of the bacon a damnable bounceH
Well suppose it a bounce sure a poet may tryI
By a bounce now and then to get courage to flyI
-
But my Lord it's no bounce I protest in my turnJ
It's a truth and your Lordship may ask Mr ByrneJ
To go on with my tale as I gaz'd on the haunchF
I thought of a friend that was trusty and staunchF
So I cut it and sent it to Reynolds undress'dC
To paint it or eat it just as he lik'd bestC
Of the neck and the breast I had next to disposeK
'Twas a neck and a breast that might rival M r 'sL
But in parting with these I was puzzled againM
With the how and the who and the where and the whenM
There's H d and C y and H rth and H ffE
I think they love venison I know they love beefE
There's my countryman H gg ns Oh let him aloneN
For making a blunder or picking a boneN
But hang it to poets who seldom can eatC
Your very good mutton's a very good treatC
Such dainties to them their health it might hurtC
It's like sending them ruffles when wanting a shirtC
While thus I debated in reverie centredC
An acquaintance a friend as he call'd himself enter'dC
An under bred fine spoken fellow was heC
And he smil'd as he look'd at the venison and meC
'What have we got here Why this is good eatingD
Your own I suppose or is it in waiting '-
'Why whose should it be ' cried I with a flounceH
'I get these things often ' but that was a bounceH
'Some lords my acquaintance that settle the nationO
Are pleas'd to be kind but I hate ostentation '-
-
'If that be the case then ' cried he very gayP
'I'm glad I have taken this house in my wayP
To morrow you take a poor dinner with meC
No words I insist on't precisely at threeC
We'll have Johnson and Burke all the wits will be thereA
My acquaintance is slight or I'd ask my Lord ClareA
And now that I think on't as I am a sinnerB
We wanted this venison to make out the dinnerB
What say you a pasty it shall and it mustC
And my wife little Kitty is famous for crustC
Here porter this venison with me to Mile endC
No stirring I beg my dear friend my dear friendC
Thus snatching his hat he brush'd off like the windC
And the porter and eatables follow'd behindC
-
Left alone to reflect having emptied my shelfE
'And nobody with me at sea but myself'E
Though I could not help thinking my gentleman hastyC
Yet Johnson and Burke and a good venison pastyC
Were things that I never dislik'd in my lifeE
Though clogg'd with a coxcomb and Kitty his wifeE
So next day in due splendour to make my approachF
I drove to his door in my own hackney coachF
-
When come to the place where we all were to dineQ
A chair lumber'd closet just twelve feet by nineQ
My friend bade me welcome but struck me quite dumbR
With tidings that Johnson and Burke would not comeR
'For I knew it ' he cried 'both eternally failS
The one with his speeches and t'other with ThraleS
But no matter I'll warrant we'll make up the partyC
With two full as clever and ten times as heartyC
The one is a Scotchman the other a JewE
They're both of them merry and authors like youE
The one writes the 'Snarler' the other the 'Scourge'E
Some think he writes 'Cinna' he own to 'Panurge' '-
While thus he describ'd them by trade and by nameT
They enter'd and dinner was serv'd as they cameT
-
At the top a fried liver and bacon were seenU
At the bottom was tripe in a swinging tureenU
At the sides there was spinach and pudding made hotC
In the middle a place where the pasty was notC
Now my Lord as for tripe it's my utter aversionU
And your bacon I hate like a Turk or a PersianU
So there I sat stuck like a horse in a poundC
While the bacon and liver went merrily roundC
But what vex'd me most was that d 'd Scottish rogueV
With his long winded speeches his smiles and his brogueV
And 'Madam ' quoth he 'may this bit be my poisonU
A prettier dinner I never set eyes onU
Pray a slice of your liver though may I be curs'dC
But I've eat of your tripe till I'm ready to burstC
'The tripe ' quoth the Jew with his chocolate cheekV
'I could dine on this tripe seven days in the weekV
I like these here dinners so pretty and smallS
But your friend there the Doctor eats nothing at all '-
'O Oh ' quoth my friend 'he'll come on in a triceW
He's keeping a corner for something that's niceW
There's a pasty' 'A pasty ' repeated the JewE
'I don't care if I keep a corner for't too '-
'What the de'il mon a pasty ' re echoed the ScotC
'Though splitting I'll still keep a corner for thot '-
'We'll all keep a corner ' the lady cried outC
'We'll all keep a corner ' was echoed aboutC
While thus we resolv'd and the pasty delay'dC
With look that quite petrified enter'd the maidC
A visage so sad and so pale with affrightC
Wak'd Priam in drawing his curtains by nightC
But we quickly found out for who could mistake herB
That she came with some terrible news from the bakerB
And so it fell out for that negligent slovenU
Had shut out the pasty on shutting his ovenU
Sad Philomel thus but let similes dropX
And now that I think on't the story may stopX
To be plain my good Lord it's but labour misplac'dC
To send such good verses to one of your tasteC
You've got an odd something a kind of discerningV
A relish a taste sicken'd over by learningV
At least it's your temper as very well knownU
That you think very slightly of all that's your ownU
So perhaps in your habits of thinking amissY
You may make a mistake and think slightly of thisY

Oliver Goldsmith



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