The Spectre Pig Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDC EFGF HIJI KLML BNON PQFQ HRSR NTUT QVQV QWX HDVD EYV HZA2Z B2EC2 JD2E2D2 F2G2H2G2 I2E2I2E2 J2K2L2K2 M2TYT N2FDF O2FFF P2Q2FQ2 Q2FFF BYR2 S2FFF T2U2T2 Q2FQ2F FV2IV2 KBZB

A BALLADA
-
IT was the stalwart butcher manB
That knit his swarthy browC
And said the gentle Pig must dieD
And sealed it with a vowC
-
And oh it was the gentle PigE
Lay stretched upon the groundF
And ah it was the cruel knifeG
His little heart that foundF
-
They took him then those wicked menH
They trailed him all alongI
They put a stick between his lipsJ
And through his heels a thongI
-
And round and round an oaken beamK
A hempen cord they flungL
And like a mighty pendulumM
All solemnly he swungL
-
Now say thy prayers thou sinful manB
And think what thou hast doneN
And read thy catechism wellO
Thou bloody minded oneN
-
For if his sprite should walk by nightP
It better were for theeQ
That thou wert mouldering in the groundF
Or bleaching in the seaQ
-
It was the savage butcher thenH
That made a mock of sinR
And swore a very wicked oathS
He did not care a pinR
-
It was the butcher's youngest sonN
His voice was broke with sighsT
And with his pocket handkerchiefU
He wiped his little eyesT
-
All young and ignorant was heQ
But innocent and mildV
And in his soft simplicityQ
Out spoke the tender childV
-
'Oh father father list to meQ
The Pig is deadly sickW
And men have hung him by his heelsX
And fed him with a stick '-
-
It was the bloody butcher thenH
That laughed as he would dieD
Yet did he soothe the sorrowing childV
And bid him not to cryD
-
'Oh Nathan Nathan what's a PigE
That thou shouldst weep and wailY
Come bear thee like a butcher's childV
And thou shalt have his tail '-
-
It was the butcher's daughter thenH
So slender and so fairZ
That sobbed as it her heart would breakA2
And tore her yellow hairZ
-
And thus she spoke in thrilling toneB2
Fast fell the tear drops bigE
'Ah woe is me Alas AlasC2
The Pig The Pig The Pig '-
-
Then did her wicked father's lipsJ
Make merry with her woeD2
And call her many a naughty nameE2
Because she whimpered soD2
-
Ye need not weep ye gentle onesF2
In vain your tears are shedG2
Ye cannot wash his crimson handH2
Ye cannot soothe the deadG2
-
The bright sun folded on his breastI2
His robes of rosy flameE2
And softly over all the westI2
The shades of evening cameE2
-
He slept and troops of murdered PigsJ2
Were busy with his dreamsK2
Loud rang their wild unearthly shrieksL2
Wide yawned their mortal seamsK2
-
The clock struck twelve the Dead hath heardM2
He opened both his eyesT
And sullenly he shook his tailY
To lash the feeding fliesT
-
One quiver of the hempen cordN2
One struggle and one boundF
With stiffened limb and leaden eyeD
The Pig was on the groundF
-
And straight towards the sleeper's houseO2
His fearful way he wendedF
And hooting owl and hovering batF
On midnight wing attendedF
-
Back flew the bolt up rose the latchP2
And open swung the doorQ2
And little mincing feet were heardF
Pat pat along the floorQ2
-
Two hoofs upon the sanded floorQ2
And two upon the bedF
And they are breathing side by sideF
The living and the deadF
-
'Now wake now wake thou butcher manB
What makes thy cheek so paleY
Take hold take hold thou dost not fearR2
To clasp a spectre's tail '-
-
Untwisted every winding coilS2
The shuddering wretch took holdF
All like an icicle it seemedF
So tapering and so coldF
-
'Thou com'st with me thou butcher man '-
He strives to loose his graspT2
But faster than the clinging vineU2
Those twining spirals claspT2
-
And open open swung the doorQ2
And fleeter than the windF
The shadowy spectre swept beforeQ2
The butcher trailed behindF
-
Fast fled the darkness of the nightF
And morn rose faint and dimV2
They called full loud they knocked full longI
They did not waken himV2
-
Straight straight towards that oaken beamK
A trampled pathway ranB
A ghastly shape was swinging thereZ
It was the butcher manB

Oliver Wendell Holmes



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About The Spectre Pig

The Spectre Pig is a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.



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