Old Cambridge Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABABCCCB DDBDBEEEB FFBFBGGGB HHBHBBBBB I BIBJJJB KKBKBJJJB LLBLMNNNB OOBOBPPPB BBBBBQQQB BBBBBOOOB RRBRBSSSB JJBJBBBBB TTBTBKKKB

AND can it be you've found a placeA
Within this consecrated spaceA
That makes so fine a showB
For one of Rip Van Winkle's raceA
And is it really soB
Who wants an old receipted billC
Who fishes in the Frog pond stillC
Who digs last year's potato hillC
That's what he'd like to knowB
-
And were it any spot on earthD
Save this dear home that gave him birthD
Some scores of years agoB
He had not come to spoil your mirthD
And chill your festive glowB
But round his baby nest he straysE
With tearful eye the scene surveysE
His heart unchanged by changing daysE
That's what he'd have you knowB
-
Can you whose eyes not yet are dimF
Live o'er the buried past with himF
And see the roses blowB
When white haired men were Joe and JimF
Untouched by winter's snowB
Or roll the years back one by oneG
As Judah's monarch backed the sunG
And see the century just begunG
That's what he'd like to knowB
-
I come but as the swallow dipsH
Just touching with her feather tipsH
The shining wave belowB
To sit with pleasure murmuring lipsH
And listen to the flowB
Of Elmwood's sparkling HippocreneB
To tread once more my native greenB
To sigh unheard to smile unseenB
That's what I'd have you knowB
-
But since the common lot I've sharedI
We all are sitting 'unprepared '-
Like culprits in a rowB
Whose heads are down whose necks are baredI
To wait the headsman's blowB
I'd like to shift my task to youJ
By asking just a thing or twoJ
About the good old times I knewJ
Here's what I want to knowB
-
The yellow meetin' house can you tellK
Just where it stood before it fellK
Prey of the vandal foeB
Our dear old temple loved so wellK
By ruthless hands laid lowB
Where tell me was the Deacon's pewJ
Whose hair was braided in a queueJ
For there were pig tails not a fewJ
That's what I'd like to knowB
-
The bell can you recall its clangL
And how the seats would slam and bangL
The voices high and lowB
The basso's trump before he sangL
The viol and its bowM
Where was it old Judge Winthrop satN
Who wore the last three cornered hatN
Was Israel Porter lean or fatN
That's what I'd like to knowB
-
Tell where the market used to beO
That stood beside the murdered treeO
Whose dog to church would goB
Old Marcus Reemie who was heO
Who were the brothers SnowB
Does not your memory slightly failP
About that great September galeP
Whereof one told a moving taleP
As Cambridge boys should knowB
-
When Cambridge was a simple townB
Say just when Deacon William BrownB
Last door in yonder rowB
For honest silver counted downB
His groceries would bestowB
For those were days when money meantQ
Something that jingled as you wentQ
No hybrid like the nickel centQ
I'd have you all to knowB
-
But quarter ninepence pistareenB
And fourpence hapennies in betweenB
All metal fit to showB
Instead of rags in stagnant greenB
The scum of debts we oweB
How sad to think such stuff should beO
Our Wendell's cure all recipeO
Not Wendell H but Wendell PO
The one you all must knowB
-
I question but you answer notR
Dear me and have I quite forgotR
How fivescore years agoB
Just on this very blessed spotR
The summer leaves belowB
Before his homespun ranks arrayedS
In green New England's elmbough shadeS
The great Virginian drew the bladeS
King George full soon should knowB
-
O George the Third you found it trueJ
Our George was more than double youJ
For nature made him soB
Not much an empire's crown can doJ
If brains are scant and slowB
Ah not like that his laurel crownB
Whose presence gilded with renownB
Our brave old Academic townB
As all her children knowB
-
So here we meet with loud acclaimT
To tell mankind that here he cameT
With hearts that throb and glowB
Ours is a portion of his fameT
Our trumpets needs must blowB
On yonder hill the Lion fellK
But here was chipped the eagle's shellK
That little hatchet did it wellK
As all the world shall knowB

Oliver Wendell Holmes



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