God's Judgment On A Wicked Bishop Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABB CDDEE FFGG HIJJ DDKK LLMM LLNO KKPP QQMM LLLFF LLRR FFGG SSPP TTII RRUU DDDD EEIH DDDDVV WWXX

The summer and autumn had been so wetA
That in winter the corn was growing yetA
'Twas a piteous sight to see all aroundB
The grain lie rotting on the groundB
-
Every day the starving poorC
Crowded around Bishop Hatto's doorD
For he had a plentiful last year's storeD
And all the neighbourhood could tellE
His granaries were furnish'd wellE
-
At last Bishop Hatto appointed a dayF
To quiet the poor without delayF
He bade them to his great Barn repairG
And they should have food for the winter thereG
-
Rejoiced such tidings good to hearH
The poor folk flock'd from far and nearI
The great barn was full as it could holdJ
Of women and children and young and oldJ
-
Then when he saw it could hold no moreD
Bishop Hatto he made fast the doorD
And while for mercy on Christ they callK
He set fire to the Barn and burnt them allK
-
I'faith 'tis an excellent bonfire quoth heL
And the country is greatly obliged to meL
For ridding it in these times forlornM
Of Rats that only consume the cornM
-
So then to his palace returned heL
And he sat down to supper merrilyL
And he slept that night like an innocent manN
But Bishop Hatto never slept againO
-
In the morning as he enter'd the hallK
Where his picture hung against the wallK
A sweat like death all over him cameP
For the Rats had eaten it out of the frameP
-
As he look'd there came a man from his farmQ
He had a countenance white with alarmQ
My Lord I open'd your granaries this mornM
And the Rats had eaten all your cornM
-
Another came running presentlyL
And he was pale as pale could beL
Fly my Lord Bishop fly quoth heL
Ten thousand Rats are coming this wayF
The Lord forgive you for yesterdayF
-
I'll go to my tower on the Rhine replied heL
'Tis the safest place in GermanyL
The walls are high and the shores are steepR
And the stream is strong and the water deepR
-
Bishop Hatto fearfully hasten'd awayF
And he crost the Rhine without delayF
And reach'd his tower and barr'd with careG
All the windows doors and loop holes thereG
-
He laid him down and closed his eyesS
But soon a scream made him ariseS
He started and saw two eyes of flameP
On his pillow from whence the screaming cameP
-
He listen'd and look'd it was only the CatT
And the Bishop he grew more fearful for thatT
For she sat screaming mad with fearI
At the Army of Rats that were drawing nearI
-
For they have swum over the river so deepR
And they have climb'd the shores so steepR
And up the Tower their way is bentU
To do the work for which they were sentU
-
They are not to be told by the dozen or scoreD
By thousands they come and by myriads and moreD
Such numbers had never been heard of beforeD
Such a judgment had never been witness'd of yoreD
-
Down on his knees the Bishop fellE
And faster and faster his beads did he tellE
As louder and louder drawing nearI
The gnawing of their teeth he could hearH
-
And in at the windows and in at the doorD
And through the walls helter skelter they pourD
And down from the ceiling and up through the floorD
From the right and the left from behind and beforeD
From within and without from above and belowV
And all at once to the Bishop they goV
-
They have whetted their teeth against the stonesW
And now they pick the Bishop's bonesW
They gnaw'd the flesh from every limbX
For they were sent to do judgment on himX

Robert Southey



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