The Irish Cabin Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDED FGFGHIHI JKJKLJLJ MNOPJJJJ QRQRIIII JIJISTST UJUJVJMJ WIWIXIYI ZJZJA2TA2T IB2IB2JIJI C2JC2JJJJJ JJJJJJJJ A2D2A2D2TBB2B JE2JE2JRJR D2JD2JIJIJ JJJJF2OF2O G2JTJH2JH2J ZJZJJJJJ JJJJI2III I2I2I2I2IOIO EJ2EK2JB2JB2 JJJJL2M2L2N2 O2JO2JBE2BE2 IIIIP2IP2I IQ2IR2IWIW JS2JS2JIJIShould poverty modest and clean | A |
E'er please when presented to view | B |
Should cabin on brown heath or green | A |
Disclose aught engaging to you | B |
Should Erin's wild harp soothe the ear | C |
When touched by such fingers as mine | D |
Then kindly attentive draw near | E |
And candidly ponder each line | D |
- | |
One day when December's keen breath | F |
Arrested the sweet running rill | G |
And Nature seemed frozen in death | F |
I thoughtfully strolled o'er the hill | G |
The mustering clouds wore a frown | H |
The mountains were covered with snow | I |
And Winter his mantle of brown | H |
Had spread o'er the landscape below | I |
- | |
Thick rattling the footsteps were heard | J |
Of peasants far down in the vale | K |
From lakes bogs and marshes debarred | J |
The wild fowl aloft on the gale | K |
Loud gabbling and screaming were borne | L |
Whilst thundering guns hailed the day | J |
And hares sought the thicket forlorn | L |
Or wounded ran over the way | J |
- | |
No music was heard in the grove | M |
The blackbird and linnet and thrush | N |
And goldfinch and sweet cooing dove | O |
Sat pensively mute in the bush | P |
The leaves that once wove a green shade | J |
Lay withered in heaps on the ground | J |
Chill Winter through grove wood and glade | J |
Spread sad desolation around | J |
- | |
But now the keen north wind 'gan whistle | Q |
And gusty swept over the sky | R |
Each hair frozen stood like a bristle | Q |
And night thickened fast on the eye | R |
In swift wheeling eddies the snow | I |
Fell mingling and drifting amain | I |
And soon all distinction laid low | I |
As whitening it covered the plain | I |
- | |
A light its pale ray faintly shot | J |
The snow flakes its splendour had shorn | I |
It came from a neighbouring cot | J |
Some called it the Cabin of Mourne | I |
A neat Irish Cabin snow proof | S |
Well thatched had a good earthen floor | T |
One chimney in midst of the roof | S |
One window and one latched door | T |
- | |
Escaped from the pitiless storm | U |
I entered the humble retreat | J |
Compact was the building and warm | U |
Its furniture simple and neat | J |
And now gentle reader approve | V |
The ardour that glowed in each breast | J |
As kindly our cottagers strove | M |
To cherish and welcome their guest | J |
- | |
The dame nimbly rose from her wheel | W |
And brushed off the powdery snow | I |
Her daughter forsaking the reel | W |
Ran briskly the cinders to blow | I |
The children who sat on the hearth | X |
Leaped up without murmur or frown | I |
An oaken stool quickly brought forth | Y |
And smilingly bade me sit down | I |
- | |
Whilst grateful sensations of joy | Z |
O'er all my fond bosom were poured | J |
Resumed was each former employ | Z |
And gay thrifty order restored | J |
The blaze flickered up to the crook | A2 |
The reel clicked again by the door | T |
The dame turned her wheel in the nook | A2 |
And frisked the sweet babes round the floor | T |
- | |
Released from the toils of the barn | I |
His thrifty blithe wife hailed the sire | B2 |
And hanging his flail by her yarn | I |
He drew up his stool to the fire | B2 |
Then smoothing his brow with his hand | J |
As if he would sweep away sorrow | I |
He says Let us keep God's command | J |
And never take thought for the morrow | I |
- | |
Brisk turning him round with a smile | C2 |
And freedom unblended by art | J |
And affable manners and style | C2 |
Though simple that reached to my heart | J |
He said whilst with ardour he glowed | J |
Kind sir we are poor yet we're blest | J |
We're all in the steep narrow road | J |
That leads to the city of rest | J |
- | |
'Tis true I must toil all the day | J |
And oft suffer cold through the night | J |
Though silvered all over with grey | J |
And dimly declining my sight | J |
And sometimes our raiment and food | J |
Are scanty ah scanty indeed | J |
But all work together for good | J |
So in my blest Bible I read | J |
- | |
I also have seen in that Book | A2 |
Perhaps you can tell me the place | D2 |
How God on poor sinners does look | A2 |
In pity and gives them His grace | D2 |
Yea gives them His grace in vast store | T |
Sufficient to help them quite through | B |
Though troubles should whelm them all o'er | B2 |
And sure this sweet promise is true | B |
- | |
Yes true as the snow blows without | J |
And winds whistle keen through the air | E2 |
His grace can remove every doubt | J |
And chase the black gloom of despair | E2 |
It often supports my weak mind | J |
And wipes the salt tear from my eye | R |
It tells me that Jesus is kind | J |
And died for such sinners as I | R |
- | |
I once rolled in wealth without grace | D2 |
But happiness ne'er was my lot | J |
Till Christ freely pitied my case | D2 |
And now I am blest in a cot | J |
Well knowing things earthly are vain | I |
Their troubles ne'er puzzle my head | J |
Convinced that to die will be gain | I |
I look on the grave as my bed | J |
- | |
I look on the grave as my bed | J |
Where I'll sleep the swift hours away | J |
Till waked from their slumbers the dead | J |
Shall rise never more to decay | J |
Then I with my children and wife | F2 |
Shall get a bright palace above | O |
And endlessly clothed with life | F2 |
Shall dwell in the Eden of love | O |
- | |
Then know gentle stranger though poor | G2 |
We're cheerful contented and blest | J |
Though princes should pass by our door | T |
King Jesus is ever our guest | J |
We feel and we taste and we see | H2 |
The pleasures which flow from our Lord | J |
And fearless and wealthy and free | H2 |
We live on the joys of His word | J |
- | |
He ceased and a big tear of joy | Z |
Rolled glittering down to the ground | J |
Whilst all having dropped their employ | Z |
Were buried in silence profound | J |
A sweet solemn pause long ensued | J |
Each bosom o'erflowed with delight | J |
Then heavenly converse renewed | J |
Beguiled the dull season of night | J |
- | |
We talked of the rough narrow way | J |
That leads to the kingdom of rest | J |
On Pisgah we stood to survey | J |
The King in His holiness dressed | J |
Even Jesus the crucified King | I2 |
Whose blood in rich crimson does flow | I |
Clean washing the crimson of sin | I |
And rinsing it whiter that snow | I |
- | |
But later and later it's wearing | I2 |
And supper they cheerfully bring | I2 |
The mealy potato and herring | I2 |
And water just fresh from the spring | I2 |
They press and they smile we sit down | I |
First praying the Father of Love | O |
Our table with blessings to crown | I |
And feed us with bread from above | O |
- | |
The wealthy and bloated may sneer | E |
And sicken o'er luxury's dishes | J2 |
And loathe the poor cottager's cheer | E |
And melt in the heat of their wishes | K2 |
But luxury's sons are unblest | J |
A prey to each giddy desire | B2 |
And hence where they never know rest | J |
They sink in unquenchable fire | B2 |
- | |
Not so the poor cottager's lot | J |
Who travels the Zion ward road | J |
He's blest in his neat little cot | J |
He's rich in the favour of God | J |
By faith he surmounts every wave | L2 |
That rolls on this sea of distress | M2 |
Triumphant he dives in the grave | L2 |
To rise on the ocean of bliss | N2 |
- | |
Now supper is o'er and we raise | O2 |
Our prayers to the Father of light | J |
And joyfully hymning His praise | O2 |
We lovingly bid a good night | J |
The ground's white the sky's cloudless blue | B |
The breeze flutters keen through the air | E2 |
The stars twinkle bright on my view | B |
As I to my mansion repair | E2 |
- | |
All peace my dear cottage be thine | I |
Nor think that I'll treat you with scorn | I |
Whoever reads verses of mine | I |
Shall hear of the Cabin of Mourne | I |
And had I but musical strains | P2 |
Though humble and mean in your station | I |
You should smile whilst the world remains | P2 |
The pride of the fair Irish Nation | I |
- | |
In friendship fair Erin you glow | I |
Offended you quickly forgive | Q2 |
Your courage is known to each foe | I |
Yet foes on your bounty might live | R2 |
Some faults you however must own | I |
Dissensions impetuous zeal | W |
And wild prodigality grown | I |
Too big for your income and weal | W |
- | |
Ah Erin if you would be great | J |
And happy and wealthy and wise | S2 |
And trample your sorrows elate | J |
Contend for our cottager's prize | S2 |
So error and vice shall decay | J |
And concord add bliss to renown | I |
And you shall gleam brighter than day | J |
The gem of the fair British Crown | I |
Patrick Bronte
(1)
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