Television Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDEFFGHIIJJKKLL MMNOPPQQRRSSSTTUVWWX VYYPZTTHHPPTTTTTTOOA 2A2B2B2RC2D2D2E2E2YY TTCCTTTTWWWZPF2F2EEE EEG2G2The most important thing we've learned | A |
So far as children are concerned | A |
Is never NEVER NEVER let | B |
Them near your television set | B |
Or better still just don't install | C |
The idiotic thing at all | C |
In almost every house we've been | D |
We've watched them gaping at the screen | E |
They loll and slop and lounge about | F |
And stare until their eyes pop out | F |
Last week in someone's place we saw | G |
A dozen eyeballs on the floor | H |
They sit and stare and stare and sit | I |
Until they're hypnotised by it | I |
Until they're absolutely drunk | J |
With all that shocking ghastly junk | J |
Oh yes we know it keeps them still | K |
They don't climb out the window sill | K |
They never fight or kick or punch | L |
They leave you free to cook the lunch | L |
And wash the dishes in the sink | M |
But did you ever stop to think | M |
To wonder just exactly what | N |
This does to your beloved tot | O |
IT ROTS THE SENSE IN THE HEAD | P |
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD | P |
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND | Q |
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND | Q |
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND | R |
A FANTASY A FAIRYLAND | R |
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE | S |
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE | S |
HE CANNOT THINK HE ONLY SEES | S |
'All right ' you'll cry 'All right ' you'll say | T |
'But if we take the set away | T |
What shall we do to entertain | U |
Our darling children Please explain ' | V |
We'll answer this by asking you | W |
'What used the darling ones to do | W |
'How used they keep themselves contented | X |
Before this monster was invented ' | V |
Have you forgotten Don't you know | Y |
We'll say it very loud and slow | Y |
THEY USED TO READ They'd READ and READ | P |
AND READ and READ and then proceed | Z |
To READ some more Great Scott Gadzooks | T |
One half their lives was reading books | T |
The nursery shelves held books galore | H |
Books cluttered up the nursery floor | H |
And in the bedroom by the bed | P |
More books were waiting to be read | P |
Such wondrous fine fantastic tales | T |
Of dragons gypsies queens and whales | T |
And treasure isles and distant shores | T |
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars | T |
And pirates wearing purple pants | T |
And sailing ships and elephants | T |
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot | O |
Stirring away at something hot | O |
It smells so good what can it be | A2 |
Good gracious it's Penelope | A2 |
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter | B2 |
With Mr Tod the dirty rotter | B2 |
And Squirrel Nutkin Pigling Bland | R |
And Mrs Tiggy Winkle and | C2 |
Just How The Camel Got His Hump | D2 |
And How the Monkey Lost His Rump | D2 |
And Mr Toad and bless my soul | E2 |
There's Mr Rat and Mr Mole | E2 |
Oh books what books they used to know | Y |
Those children living long ago | Y |
So please oh please we beg we pray | T |
Go throw your TV set away | T |
And in its place you can install | C |
A lovely bookshelf on the wall | C |
Then fill the shelves with lots of books | T |
Ignoring all the dirty looks | T |
The screams and yells the bites and kicks | T |
And children hitting you with sticks | T |
Fear not because we promise you | W |
That in about a week or two | W |
Of having nothing else to do | W |
They'll now begin to feel the need | Z |
Of having something to read | P |
And once they start oh boy oh boy | F2 |
You watch the slowly growing joy | F2 |
That fills their hearts They'll grow so keen | E |
They'll wonder what they'd ever seen | E |
In that ridiculous machine | E |
That nauseating foul unclean | E |
Repulsive television screen | E |
And later each and every kid | G2 |
Will love you more for what you did | G2 |
Roald Dahl
(6)
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