Old Men Complaining Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABBCCDDDDEEFGHHEEIID DDDIEEIDDJEEJ AKJDDLLDDMDDMA NNLCOPQQDD ADDDDRRSTSUUDDIIEDFD

First Old ManA
He threw his crutched stick down there cameB
Into his face the anger flameB
And he spoke viciously of oneC
Who thwarted him his son s sonC
He turned his head away I hateD
Absurdity of language prateD
From growing fellows We d not stayD
About the house the whole of a dayD
When we were youngE
Keeping no job and giving tongueE
Not us in troth We would not comeF
For bit or sup but stay from homeG
If we gave answers or we d creepH
Back to the house and in we d peepH
Just like a corncrakeE
My grandson and his comrades takeE
A piece of coal from you from meI
A log or sod of turf maybeI
And in some empty place they ll lightD
A fire and stay there all nightD
A wisp of lads Now understandD
The blades of grass under my handD
Would be destroyed by companyI
There s no good company we goE
With what is lowest to the lowE
He stays up late and how can heI
Rise early Sure he lags in bedD
And she is worn to a threadD
With calling him his grandmotherJ
She s an old woman and she must makeE
Stir when the birds are half awakeE
In dread he d lose this job like the otherJ
-
Second Old ManA
They brought yon fellow over hereK
And set him up for an overseerJ
Though men from work are turned awayD
That thick necked fellow draws full payD
Three pounds a week They let burn downL
The timber yard behind the townL
Where work was good though firemen standD
In boots and brasses big and grandD
The crow of a cock away from the placeM
And with the yard they let burn tooD
The clock in the tower the clock I knewD
As well as I know the look in my faceM
Third Old ManA
-
The fellow you spoke of has broken his boundsN
He came to skulk inside of these groundsN
Behind the bushes he lay downL
And stretched full hours in the sunC
He rises now and like a craneO
He looks abroad He s off againP
Three pounds a week and still he owesQ
Money in every street he goesQ
Hundreds of pounds where we d not getD
The second shilling of a debtD
-
First Old ManA
Old age has every impedimentD
Vexation and discontentD
The rich have more than we for bitD
The cut of bread and over itD
The scrape of hog s lard and for supR
Warm water in a cupR
But different sorts of feeding breaksS
The body more than fasting doesT
With pains and achesS
I m not too badly off for IU
Have pipe and tobacco a place to lieU
A nook to myself but from my handD
Is taken the strength to back commandD
I m broken and there s gone from meI
The privilege of authorityI
I heard them speakE
The old men heavy on the sodD
Letting their angers comeF
Between them and the thought of GodD

Padraic Colum



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