Rip Van Winkle. Canto I. Poem Rhyme Scheme

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 51 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Wonderful Women
by Umaru Kanneh Boima
Freedom To Scratch In Peace
by Olute Aete
Happy New Year
by Felix Menda
Human Beings
by Dana Graslie
Lust
by Wisdom Greatness
An Isolated Tree's Song
by Sayeed Abubakar
A Strange Boy
by Sayeed Abubakar
O Soil
by Sayeed Abubakar
No War, No War-monger
by Sayeed Abubakar
Night's Town
by Sayeed Abubakar

Popular Poets

1. Emily Dickinson(2414 poems)
2. Madison Julius Cawein(1231 poems)
3. Ella Wheeler Wilcox(1136 poems)
4. William Wordsworth(1016 poems)
5. Robert Burns(986 poems)
6. Edgar Albert Guest(945 poems)
7. Thomas Moore(849 poems)
8. Robert Service(831 poems)

OLD Rip Van Winkle had a grandson Rip	A
Of the paternal block a genuine chip	A
A lazy sleepy curious kind of chap	B
He like his grandsire took a mighty nap	B
Whereof the story I propose to tell	C
In two brief cantos if you listen well	C
	-
The times were hard when Rip to manhood grew	D
They always will be when there s work to do	D
He tried at farming found it rather slow	E
And then at teaching what he did n t know	E
Then took to hanging round the tavern bars	F
To frequent toddies and long nine cigars	F
Till Dame Van Winkle out of patience vexed	G
With preaching homilies having for their text	G
A mop a broomstick aught that might avail	H
To point a moral or adorn a tale	H
Exclaimed I have it Now then Mr V	I
He s good for something make him an M D	I
	-
The die was cast the youngster was content	J
They packed his shirts and stockings and he went	J
How hard he studied it were vain to tell	C
He drowsed through Wistar nodded over Bell	C
Slept sound with Cooper snored aloud on Good	K
Heard heaps of lectures doubtless understood	K
A constant listener for he did not fail	H
To carve his name on every bench and rail	H
	-
Months grew to years at last he counted three	I
And Rip Van Winkle found himself M D	I
Illustrious title in a gilded frame	L
He set the sheepskin with his Latin name	L
RIPUM VAN WINKLUM QUEM we SCIMUS know	E
IDONEUM ESSE to do so and so	E
He hired an office soon its walls displayed	M
His new diploma and his stock in trade	M
A mighty arsenal to subdue disease	N
Of various names whereof I mention these	N
Lancets and bougies great and little squirt	O
Rhubarb and Senna Snakeroot Thoroughwort	O
Ant Tart Vin Colch Pil Cochiae and Black Drop	P
Tinctures of Opium Gentian Henbane Hop	P
Pulv Ipecacuanhae which for lack	Q
Of breath to utter men call Ipecac	Q
Camphor and Kino Turpentine Tolu	H
Cubebs Copeevy Vitriol white and blue	H
Fennel and Flaxseed Slippery Elm and Squill	H
And roots of Sassafras and Sassaf rill	H
Brandy for colics Pinkroot death on worms	R
Valerian calmer of hysteric squirms	R
Musk Assafoetida the resinous gum	S
Named from its odor well it does smell some	S
Jalap that works not wisely but too well	H
Ten pounds of Bark and six of Calomel	H
	-
For outward griefs he had an ample store	T
Some twenty jars and gallipots or more	T
Ceratum simplex housewives oft compile	H
The same at home and call it wax and ile	H
Unguentum resinosum change its name	L
The drawing salve of many an ancient dame	L
Argenti Nitras also Spanish flies	U
Whose virtue makes the water bladders rise	U
Some say that spread upon a toper s skin	V
They draw no water only rum or gin	V
Leeches sweet vermin don t they charm the sick	Q
And Sticking plaster how it hates to stick	Q
Emplastrum Ferri ditto Picis Pitch	W
Washes and Powders Brimstone for the which	W
Scabies or Psora is thy chosen name	L
Since Hahnemann s goose quill scratched thee into fame	L
Proved thee the source of every nameless ill	H
Whose sole specific is a moonshine pill	H
Till saucy Science with a quiet grin	V
Held up the Acarus crawling on a pin	V
Mountains have labored and have brought forth mice	X
The Dutchman s theory hatched a brood of twice	X
I ve well nigh said them words unfitting quite	O
For these fair precincts and for ears polite	O
	-
The surest foot may chance at last to slip	A
And so at length it proved with Doctor Rip	A
One full sized bottle stood upon the shelf	Y
Which held the medicine that he took himself	Y
Whate er the reason it must be confessed	O
He filled that bottle oftener than the rest	O
What drug it held I don t presume to know	E
The gilded label said Elixir Pro	E
	-
One day the Doctor found the bottle full	H
And being thirsty took a vigorous pull	H
Put back the Elixir where t was always found	O
And had old Dobbin saddled and brought round	O
You know those old time rhubarb colored nags	Z
That carried Doctors and their saddle bags	Z
Sagacious beasts they stopped at every place	A2
Where blinds were shut knew every patient s case	A2
Looked up and thought The baby s in a fit	O
That won t last long he ll soon be through with it	O
But shook their heads before the knockered door	T
Where some old lady told the story o er	B2
Whose endless stream of tribulation flows	C2
For gastric griefs and peristaltic woes	C2
	-
What jack o lantern led him from his way	D2
And where it led him it were hard to say	D2
Enough that wandering many a weary mile	H
Through paths the mountain sheep trod single file	H
O ercome by feelings such as patients know	E
Who dose too freely with Elixir Pro	E
He tumbl dismounted slightly in a heap	E2
And lay promiscuous lapped in balmy sleep	E2
	-
Night followed night and day succeeded day	D2
But snoring still the slumbering Doctor lay	D2
Poor Dobbin starving thought upon his stall	H
And straggled homeward saddle bags and all	H
The village people hunted all around	O
But Rip was missing never could be found	O
Drownded they guessed for more than half a year	F2
The pouts and eels did taste uncommon queer	F2
Some said of apple brandy other some	S
Found a strong flavor of New England rum	S
	-
Why can t a fellow hear the fine things said	O
About a fellow when a fellow s dead	O
The best of doctors so the press declared	O
A public blessing while his life was spared	O
True to his country bounteous to the poor	G2
In all things temperate sober just and pure	H2
The best of husbands echoed Mrs Van	I2
And set her cap to catch another man	I2
	-
So ends this Canto if it s quantum suff	Y
We ll just stop here and say we ve had enough	Y
And leave poor Rip to sleep for thirty years	J2
I grind the organ if you lend your ears	J2
To hear my second Canto after that	O
We ll send around the monkey with the hat	O

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Rip Van Winkle. Canto I. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Write your comment about Rip Van Winkle. Canto I. poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes

Recent Interactions*

New Poems

Popular Poets