Devil's Walk On Earth, The Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCD EFEF CCGGCCHIIIH IJKKKKKKJ HLCL MNCN OIPPI ICQCENRN SCCCCCC CICCCI ITCT UVWX CYCY ZA2B2A2C2NCCN D2E2CCE2 CNHN IIF2HHF2 F2E2G2E2 H2H2JJH2 CI2E2E2G2G2G2I2CIJ2I NNF2F2F2F2YYF2 CK2CCK2 L2F2CF2 CE2HE2L2PF2F2CCPCE2 F2F2F2F2F2F2F2H2H2H2 M2M2 CF2CF2CF2M2F2F2F2IF2 IF2 CCCC CH2K2H2 C2F2LF2F2CE2CE2C CNCNCN F2N2F2N2 F2CO2C E2PCP HNCCF2N2N HP2F2P2Q2HF2H F2EF2E CTR2T S2T2HT2 F2C2F2C2 F2F2F2F2 HS2F2S2 U2V2CV2CRNR HE2NE2 CE2NNNE2 LS2W2S2 S2E2S2E2 JJS2B2S2E2S2 TCT2CE2YF2YRY F2F2S2E2E2S2

From his brimstone bed at break of dayA
A walking the Devil is goneB
To look at his snug little farm of the WorldC
And see how his stock went onD
-
Over the hill and over the daleE
And he went over the plainF
And backward and forward he swish'd his tailE
As a gentleman swishes a caneF
-
How then was the Devil drestC
Oh he was in his Sunday's bestC
His coat was red and his breeches were blueG
And there was a hole where his tail came throughG
A lady drove by in her prideC
In whose face an expression he spiedC
For which he could have kiss'd herH
Such a flourishing fine clever woman was sheI
With an eye as wicked as wicked can beI
I should take her for my Aunt thought heI
If my dam had had a sisterH
-
He met a lord of high degreeI
No matter what was his nameJ
Whose face with his own when he came to compareK
The expression the look and the airK
And the character too as it seem'd to a hairK
Such a twin likeness there was in the pairK
That it made the Devil start and stareK
For he thought there was surely a looking glass thereK
But he could not see the frameJ
-
He saw a Lawyer killing a viperH
On a dung hill beside his stableL
Ha quoth he thou put'st me in mindC
Of the story of Cain and AbelL
-
An Apothecary on a white horseM
Rode by on his vocationN
And the Devil thought of his old friendC
Death in the RevelationN
-
He pass'd a cottage with a double coach houseO
A cottage of gentilityI
And he own'd with a grinP
That his favorite sinP
Is pride that apes humilityI
-
He saw a pig rapidlyI
Down a river floatC
The pig swam well but every strokeQ
Was cutting his own throatC
And Satan gave thereat his tailE
A twirl of admirationN
For he thought of his daughter WarR
And her suckling babe TaxationN
-
Well enough in sooth he liked that truthS
And nothing the worse for the jestC
But this was only a first thoughtC
And in this he did not restC
Another came presently into his headC
And here it proved as has often been saidC
That second thoughts are bestC
-
For as Piggy plied with wind and tideC
His way with such celerityI
And at every stroke the water dyedC
With his own red blood the Devil criedC
Behold a swinish nation's prideC
In cotton spun prosperityI
-
He walk'd into London leisurelyI
The streets were dirty and dimT
But there he saw Brothers the ProphetC
And Brothers the Prophet saw himT
-
He entered a thriving bookseller's shopU
Quoth he we are both of one collegeV
For I myself sate like a Cormorant onceW
Upon the Tree of KnowledgeX
-
As he passed through Cold Bath Fields he look'dC
At a solitary cellY
And he was well pleased for it gave him a hintC
For improving the prisons of HellY
-
He saw a turnkey tie a thief's handsZ
With a cordial tug and jerkA2
Nimbly quoth he a man's fingers moveB2
When his heart is in his workA2
He saw the same turnkey unfettering a manC2
With little expeditionN
And he chuckled to think of his dear slave tradeC
And the long debates and delays that were madeC
Concerning its abolitionN
-
He met one of his favorite daughtersD2
By an Evangelical MeetingE2
And forgetting himself for joy at her sightC
He would have accosted her outrightC
And given her a fatherly greetingE2
-
But she tipt him the wink drew back and criedC
Avaunt my name's ReligionN
And then she turn'd to the preacherH
And leer'd like a love sick pigeonN
-
A fine man and a famous Professor was heI
As the great Alexander now may beI
Whose fame not yet o'erpast isF2
Or that new Scotch performerH
Who is fiercer and warmerH
The great Sir Arch BombastesF2
-
With throbs and throes and ah's and oh'sF2
Far famed his flock for frightningE2
And thundering with his voice the whileG2
His eyes zigzag like lightningE2
-
This Scotch phenomenon I trowH2
Beats Alexander hollowH2
Even when most tameJ
He breathes more flameJ
Then ten Fire Kings could swallowH2
-
Another daughter he presently metC
With music of fife and drumI2
And a consecrated flagE2
And shout of tag and ragE2
And march of rank and fileG2
Which had fill'd the crowded aisleG2
Of the venerable pileG2
From church he saw her comeI2
He call'd her aside and began to chideC
For what dost thou here said heI
My city of Rome is thy proper homeJ2
And there's work enough there for theeI
-
Thou hast confessions to listenN
And bells to christenN
And altars and dolls to dressF2
And fools to coaxF2
And sinners to hoaxF2
And beads and bones to blessF2
And great pardons to sellY
For those who pay wellY
And small ones for those who pay lessF2
-
Nay Father I boast that this is my postC
She answered and thou wilt allowK2
That the great HarlotC
Who is clothed in scarletC
Can very well spare me nowK2
-
Upon her business I am come hereL2
That we may extend our powersF2
Whatever lets down this church that we hateC
Is something in favor of oursF2
-
You will not think great CosmocratC
That I spend my time in foolingE2
Many irons my sire have we in the fireH
And I must leave none of them coolingE2
For you must know state councils hereL2
Are held which I bear rule inP
When my liberal notionsF2
Produce mischievous motionsF2
There's many a man of good intentC
In either house of ParliamentC
Whom I shall find a tool inP
And I have hopeful pupils tooC
Who all this while are schoolingE2
-
Fine progress they make in our liberal opinionsF2
My UtilitariansF2
My all sorts of iniansF2
And all sorts of ariansF2
My all sorts of istsF2
And my Prigs and my WhigsF2
Who have all sorts of twistsF2
Train'd in the very way I knowH2
Father you would have them goH2
High and lowH2
Wise and foolish great and smallM2
March of Intellect Boys allM2
-
Well pleased wilt thou be at no very far dayC
When the caldron of mischief boilsF2
And I bring them forth in battle arrayC
And bid them suspend their broilsF2
That they may unite and fall on the preyC
For which we are spreading our toilsF2
How the nice boys all will give mouth at the callM2
Hark away hark away to the spoilsF2
My Macs and my Quacks and my lawless JacksF2
My Shiels and O'Connells my pious Mac DonnellsF2
My joke smith Sydney and all of his kidneyI
My Humes and my BroughamsF2
My merry old JerryI
My Lord Kings and my Doctor DoylesF2
-
At this good news so greatC
The Devil's pleasure grewC
That with a joyful swish he rentC
The hole where his tail came throughC
-
His countenance fell for a momentC
When he felt the stitches goH2
Ah thought he there's a job nowK2
That I've made for my tailor belowH2
-
Great news bloody news cried a newsmanC2
The Devil said Stop let me seeF2
Great news bloody news thought the DevilL
The bloodier the better for meF2
So he bought the newspaper and no newsF2
At all for his money he hadC
Lying varlet thought he thus to take in old NickE2
But it's some satisfaction my ladC
To know thou art paid beforehand for the trickE2
For the sixpence I gave thee is badC
-
And then it came into his headC
By oracular inspirationN
That what he had seen and what he had saidC
In the course of this visitationN
Would be published in the Morning PostC
For all this reading nationN
-
Therewith in second sight he sawF2
The place and the manner and timeN2
In which this mortal storyF2
Would be put in immortal rhymeN2
-
That it would happen when two poetsF2
Should on a time be metC
In the town of Nether StoweyO2
In the shire of SomersetC
-
There while the one was shavingE2
Would he the song beginP
And the other when he heard it at breakfastC
In ready accord join inP
-
So each would help the otherH
Two heads being better than oneN
And the phrase and conceitC
Would in unison meetC
And so with glee the verse flow freeF2
In ding dong chime of sing song rhymeN2
Till the whole were merrily doneN
-
And because it was set to the razorH
Not to the lute or harpP2
Therefore it was that the fancyF2
Should be bright and the wit be sharpP2
But then said Satan to himselfQ2
As for that said beginnerH
Against my infernal MajestyF2
There is no greater sinnerH
-
He hath put me in ugly balladsF2
With libelous pictures for saleE
He hath scoff'd at my hoofs and my hornsF2
And has made very free with my tailE
-
But this Mister Poet shall findC
I am not a safe subject for whimT
For I'll set up a School of my ownR2
And my Poets shall set upon himT
-
He went to a coffee house to dineS2
And there he had soy in his dishT2
Having ordered some soles for his dinnerH
Because he was fond of flat fishT2
-
They are much to my palate thought heF2
And now guess the reason who canC2
Why no bait should be better than placeF2
When I fish for a Parliament manC2
-
But the soles in the bill were ten shillingsF2
Tell your master quoth he what I sayF2
If he charges at this rate for all thingsF2
He must be in a pretty good wayF2
-
But mark ye said he to the waiterH
I'm a dealer myself in this lineS2
And his business between you and meF2
Nothing like so extensive as mineS2
-
Now soles are exceedingly cheapU2
Which he will not attempt to denyV2
When I see him at my fish marketC
I warrant him by and byV2
As he went along the StrandC
Between three in the morning and fourR
He observed a queer looking personN
Who staggered from Perry's doorR
-
And he thought that all the world overH
In vain for a man you might seekE2
Who could drink more like a TrojanN
Or talk more like a GreekE2
-
The Devil then he prophesiedC
It would one day he matter of talkE2
That with wine when smittenN
And with wit moreover being happily bittenN
The erudite bibber was he who had writtenN
The story of this walkE2
-
A pretty mistake quoth the DevilL
A pretty mistake I opineS2
I have put many ill thoughts in his mouthW2
He will never put good ones in mineS2
-
And whoever shall say that to PorsonS2
These best of all verses belongE2
He is an untruth telling whore sonS2
And so shall be call'd in the songE2
-
And if seeking an illicit connection with fameJ
Any one else should put in a claimJ
In this comical competitionS2
That excellent poem will proveB2
A man trap for such foolish ambitionS2
Where the silly rogue shall be caught by the legE2
And exposed in a second editionS2
-
Now the morning air was cold for himT
Who was used to a warm abodeC
And yet he did not immediately wishT2
To set out on his homeward roadC
For he had some morning calls to makeE2
Before he went back to HellY
So thought he I'll step into a gaming houseF2
And that will do as wellY
But just before he could get to the doorR
A wonderful chance befellY
-
For all on a sudden in a dark placeF2
He came upon General 's burning faceF2
And it struck him with such consternationS2
That home in a hurry his way did he takeE2
Because he thought by a slight mistakeE2
'Twas the general conflagrationS2

Robert Southey



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