How It Strikes A Contemporary Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AB CDEFCGHIJKLMNCOPQRST CUVWXYZA2DCB2C2D2E2C XF2G2H2CI2YXCD2J2K2L 2CM2DCCCZN2CO2P2Q2R2 CCCCS2T2CG2 CN2JU2ZCAV2C2CECJ2W2 TS2 X2Y2Z2V2CCA3B3C3VD3 CXE3CCF3G3H3CCHCI3XC G2NI only knew one poet in my life | A |
And this or something like it was his way | B |
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You saw go up and down Valladolid | C |
A man of mark to know next time you saw | D |
His very serviceable suit of black | E |
Was courtly once and conscientious still | F |
And many might have worn it though none did | C |
The cloak that somewhat shone and shewed the threads | G |
Had purpose and the ruff significance | H |
He walked and tapped the pavement with his cane | I |
Scenting the world looking it full in face | J |
An old dog bald and blindish at his heels | K |
They turned up now the alley by the church | L |
That leads no whither now they breathed themselves | M |
On the main promenade just at the wrong time | N |
You'd come upon his scrutinising hat | C |
Making a peaked shade blacker than itself | O |
Against the single window spared some house | P |
Intact yet with its mouldered Moorish work | Q |
Or else surprise the ferrel of his stick | R |
Trying the mortar's temper 'tween the chinks | S |
Of some new shop a building French and fine | T |
He stood and watched the cobbler at his trade | C |
The man who slices lemons into drink | U |
The coffee roaster's brazier and the boys | V |
That volunteer to help him turn its winch | W |
He glanced o'er books on stalls with half an eye | X |
And fly leaf ballads on the vendor's string | Y |
And broad edge bold print posters by the wall | Z |
He took such cognisance of men and things | A2 |
If any beat a horse you felt he saw | D |
If any cursed a woman he took note | C |
Yet stared at nobody they stared at him | B2 |
And found less to their pleasure than surprise | C2 |
He seemed to know them and expect as much | D2 |
So next time that a neighbour's tongue was loose | E2 |
It marked the shameful and notorious fact | C |
We had among us not so much a spy | X |
As a recording chief inquisitor | F2 |
The town's true master if the town but knew | G2 |
We merely kept a Governor for form | H2 |
While this man walked about and took account | C |
Of all thought said and acted then went home | I2 |
And wrote it fully to our Lord the King | Y |
Who has an itch to know things He knows why | X |
And reads them in His bed room of a night | C |
Oh you might smile there wanted not a touch | D2 |
A tang of well it was not wholly ease | J2 |
As back into your mind the man's look came | K2 |
Stricken in years a little such a brow | L2 |
His eyes had to live under clear as flint | C |
On either side the formidable nose | M2 |
Curved cut and coloured like an eagle's claw | D |
Had he to do with A 's surprising fate | C |
When altogether old B disappeared | C |
And young C got his mistress was't our friend | C |
His letter to the King that did it all | Z |
What paid the bloodless man for so much pains | N2 |
Our Lord the King has favourites manifold | C |
And shifts his ministry some once a month | O2 |
Our city gets new Governors at whiles | P2 |
But never word or sign that I could hear | Q2 |
Notified to this man about the streets | R2 |
The King's approval of those letters conned | C |
The last thing duly at the dead of night | C |
Did the man love his office frowned our Lord | C |
Exhorting when none heard Beseech me not | C |
Too far above my people beneath Me | S2 |
I set the watch how should the people know | T2 |
Forget them keep Me all the more in mind | C |
Was some such understanding 'twixt the Two | G2 |
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I found no truth in one report at least | C |
That if you tracked him to his home down lanes | N2 |
Beyond the Jewry and as clean to pace | J |
You found he ate his supper in a room | U2 |
Blazing with lights four Titians on the wall | Z |
And twenty naked girls to change his plate | C |
Poor man he lived another kind of life | A |
In that new stuccoed third house by the bridge | V2 |
Fresh painted rather smart than otherwise | C2 |
The whole street might o'erlook him as he sat | C |
Leg crossing leg one foot on the dog's back | E |
Playing a decent cribbage with his maid | C |
Jacynth you're sure her name was o'er the cheese | J2 |
And fruit three red halves of starved winter pears | W2 |
Or treat of radishes in April nine | T |
Ten struck the church clock straight to bed went he | S2 |
- | |
My father like the man of sense he was | X2 |
Would point him out to me a dozen times | Y2 |
St St he'd whisper the Corregidor | Z2 |
I had been used to think that personage | V2 |
Was one with lacquered breeches lustrous belt | C |
And feathers like a forest in his hat | C |
Who blew a trumpet and proclaimed the news | A3 |
Announced the bull fights gave each church its turn | B3 |
And memorized the miracle in vogue | C3 |
He had a great observance from us boys | V |
I was in error that was not the man | D3 |
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I'd like now yet had haply been afraid | C |
To have just looked when this man came to die | X |
And seen who lined the clean gay garret's sides | E3 |
And stood about the neat low truckle bed | C |
With the heavenly manner of relieving guard | C |
Here had been mark the general in chief | F3 |
Thro' a whole campaign of the world's life and death | G3 |
Doing the King's work all the dim day long | H3 |
In his old coat and up to his knees in mud | C |
Smoked like a herring dining on a crust | C |
And now the day was won relieved at once | H |
No further show or need for that old coat | C |
You are sure for one thing Bless us all the while | I3 |
How sprucely we are dressed out you and I | X |
A second and the angels alter that | C |
Well I could never write a verse could you | G2 |
Let's to the Prado and make the most of time | N |
Robert Browning
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