English Eclogues I - The Old Mansion-house Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCD EFGEHIJKL AMNJ EOPQJ ARSTUV EWXCBYZA2B2C2D2E2F2G 2 AH2TI2J2RK2E2L2M2N2A O2AP2Q2 ER2S2T2 A U2 EV2H2W2X2Y2WE2Z2A3 AB3K2 EUC3AL2H2 AV2X2BD3E3 EF3ZB2Q2G3H3QI3J3K3C 2L3 AH EJM3N3AO3JP3Q3AN2AP2 O3O3O3CAH AK2O3 ER3EO3O3S3IT3U3V3B3 AW3O3 EO3AO3O3O3X3Y3O3H2Z3 A4O3B4 AC4O3O3O3O3O3X2O3Q2

STRANGERA
Old friend why you seem bent on parish dutyB
Breaking the highway stones and 'tis a taskC
Somewhat too hard methinks for age like yoursD
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OLD MANE
Why yes for one with such a weight of yearsF
Upon his back I've lived here man and boyG
In this same parish near the age of manE
For I am hard upon threescore and tenH
I can remember sixty years agoI
The beautifying of this mansion hereJ
When my late Lady's father the old SquireK
Came to the estateL
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STRANGERA
Why then you have outlastedM
All his improvements for you see they're makingN
Great alterations hereJ
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OLD MANE
Aye great indeedO
And if my poor old Lady could rise upP
God rest her soul 'twould grieve her to beholdQ
The wicked work is hereJ
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STRANGERA
They've set about itR
In right good earnest All the front is goneS
Here's to be turf they tell me and a roadT
Round to the door There were some yew trees tooU
Stood in the courtV
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OLD MANE
Aye Master fine old treesW
My grandfather could just remember backX
When they were planted there It was my taskC
To keep them trimm'd and 'twas a pleasure to meB
All strait and smooth and like a great green wallY
My poor old Lady many a time would comeZ
And tell me where to shear for she had playedA2
In childhood under them and 'twas her prideB2
To keep them in their beauty Plague I sayC2
On their new fangled whimsies we shall haveD2
A modern shrubbery here stuck full of firsE2
And your pert poplar trees I could as soonF2
Have plough'd my father's grave as cut them downG2
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STRANGERA
But 'twill be lighter and more chearful nowH2
A fine smooth turf and with a gravel roadT
Round for the carriage now it suits my tasteI2
I like a shrubbery too it looks so freshJ2
And then there's some variety about itR
In spring the lilac and the gueldres roseK2
And the laburnum with its golden flowersE2
Waving in the wind And when the autumn comesL2
The bright red berries of the mountain ashM2
With firs enough in winter to look greenN2
And show that something lives Sure this is betterA
Than a great hedge of yew that makes it lookO2
All the year round like winter and for everA
Dropping its poisonous leaves from the under boughsP2
So dry and bareQ2
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OLD MANE
Ah so the new Squire thinksR2
And pretty work he makes of it what 'tisS2
To have a stranger come to an old houseT2
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STRANGERA
-
It seems you know him notU2
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OLD MANE
No Sir not IV2
They tell me he's expected daily nowH2
But in my Lady's time he never cameW2
But once for they were very distant kinX2
If he had played about here when a childY2
In that fore court and eat the yew berriesW
And sat in the porch threading the jessamine flowersE2
That fell so thick he had not had the heartZ2
To mar all thusA3
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STRANGERA
Come come all a not wrongB3
Those old dark windowsK2
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OLD MANE
They're demolish'd tooU
As if he could not see thro' casement glassC3
The very red breasts that so regularA
Came to my Lady for her morning crumbsL2
Won't know the window nowH2
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STRANGERA
Nay they were highV2
And then so darken'd up with jessamineX2
Harbouring the vermine that was a fine treeB
However Did it not grow in and lineD3
The porchE3
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OLD MANE
All over it it did one goodF3
To pass within ten yards when 'twas in blossomZ
There was a sweet briar too that grew besideB2
My Lady loved at evening to sit thereQ2
And knit and her old dog lay at her feetG3
And slept in the sun 'twas an old favourite dogH3
She did not love him less that he was oldQ
And feeble and he always had a placeI3
By the fire side and when he died at lastJ3
She made me dig a grave in the garden for himK3
Ah I she was good to all a woful dayC2
'Twas for the poor when to her grave she wentL3
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STRANGERA
They lost a friend thenH
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OLD MANE
You're a stranger hereJ
Or would not ask that question Were they sickM3
She had rare cordial waters and for herbsN3
She could have taught the Doctors Then at winterA
When weekly she distributed the breadO3
In the poor old porch to see her and to hearJ
The blessings on her and I warrant themP3
They were a blessing to her when her wealthQ3
Had been no comfort else At Christmas SirA
It would have warm'd your heart if you had seenN2
Her Christmas kitchen how the blazing fireA
Made her fine pewter shine and holly boughsP2
So chearful red and as for misseltoeO3
The finest bough that grew in the country roundO3
Was mark'd for Madam Then her old ale wentO3
So bountiful about a Christmas caskC
And 'twas a noble one God help me SirA
But I shall never see such days againH
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STRANGERA
Things may be better yet than you supposeK2
And you should hope the bestO3
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OLD MANE
It don't look wellR3
These alterations Sir I'm an old manE
And love the good old fashions we don't findO3
Old bounty in new houses They've destroyedO3
All that my Lady loved her favourite walkS3
Grubb'd up and they do say that the great rowI
Of elms behind the house that meet a topT3
They must fall too Well well I did not thinkU3
To live to see all this and 'tis perhapsV3
A comfort I shan't live to see it longB3
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STRANGERA
But sure all changes are not needs for the worseW3
My friendO3
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OLD MANE
May hap they mayn't Sir for all thatO3
I like what I've been us'd to I rememberA
All this from a child up and now to lose itO3
'Tis losing an old friend There's nothing leftO3
As 'twas I go abroad and only meetO3
With men whose fathers I remember boysX3
The brook that used to run before my doorY3
That's gone to the great pond the trees I learntO3
To climb are down and I see nothing nowH2
That tells me of old times except the stonesZ3
In the church yard You are young Sir and I hopeA4
Have many years in store but pray to GodO3
You mayn't be left the last of all your friendsB4
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STRANGERA
Well well you've one friend more than you're aware ofC4
If the Squire's taste don't suit with your's I warrantO3
That's all you'll quarrel with walk in and tasteO3
His beer old friend and see if your old LadyO3
E'er broached a better cask You did not know meO3
But we're acquainted now 'Twould not be easyO3
To make you like the outside but withinX2
That is not changed my friend you'll always findO3
The same old bounty and old welcome thereQ2

Robert Southey



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