The Ballad Of Hank The Finn Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCC DDEEFFCC CCFFCC GGHHIIJJCC KKLLMMNNOO PPJJOOFFQRFF FFSSFFFF TTNNFFUUVVOOWW XYPPFFZZ| Now Fireman Flynn met Hank the Finn where lights of Lust land glow | A |
| Let's leave says he the lousy sea and give the land a show | A |
| I'm fed up to the molar mark with wallopin' the brine | B |
| I feel the bloody barnacles a carkin' on me spine | B |
| Let's hit the hard boiled North a crack where creeks are paved with gold | C |
| You count me in says Hank the Finn Ay do as Ay ban told | C |
| - | |
| And so they sought the Lonely Land and drifted down its stream | D |
| Where sunny silence round them spanned as dopey as a dream | D |
| But to the spell of flood and fell their gold grimed eyes were blind | E |
| By pine and peak they paused to seek but nothing did they find | E |
| No yellow glint of dust to mint just mud and mocking sand | F |
| And a hateful hush that seemed to crush them down on every hand | F |
| Till Fireman Flynn grew mean as sin and cursed his comrade cold | C |
| But Hank the Finn would only grin and do as he was told | C |
| - | |
| Now Fireman Flynn had pieces ten of yellow Yankee gold | C |
| Which every night he would invite his partner to behold | C |
| Look hard says he It's all you'll see in this god blasted land | F |
| But you fret I'm gonna let you hold them i your hand | F |
| Yeah Watch 'em gleam then go and dream they're yours to have and hold | C |
| Then Hank the Finn would scratch his chin and do as he was told | C |
| - | |
| But every night by camp fire light he'd incubate his woes | G |
| And fan the hate of mate for mate the evil Artic knows | G |
| In dreams the Lapland withes gloomed like gargoyles overhead | H |
| While the devils three of Helsinkee came cowering by his bed | H |
| Go take said they the yellow loot he's clinking in his belt | I |
| And leave the sneaking wolverines to snout around his pelt | I |
| Last night he called you Swedish scum from out the glory hole | J |
| To day he said you were a bum and damned your mother's soul | J |
| Go plug with lead his scurvy head and grab his greasy gold | C |
| Then Hank the Finn saw red within and did as he was told | C |
| - | |
| So in due course the famous Force of Men Who Get Their Man | K |
| Swooped down on sleeping Hank the Finn and popped him in the can | K |
| And in due time his grievous crime was judged without a plea | L |
| And he was dated up to swing upon the gallows tree | L |
| Then Sheriff gave a party in the Law's almighty name | M |
| He gave a neck tie party and he asked me to the same | M |
| There was no hooch a flowin' and his party wasn't gay | N |
| For O our hearts were heavy at the dawning of the day | N |
| There was no band a playin' and the only dancin' there | O |
| Was Hank the Fin interpretin' his solo in the air | O |
| - | |
| We climbed the scaffold steps and stood beside the knotted rope | P |
| We watched the hooded hangman and his eyes were dazed with dope | P |
| The Sheriff was in evening dress a bell began to toll | J |
| A beastly bell that struck a knell of horror to the soul | J |
| As if the doomed one was myself I shuddered waiting there | O |
| I spoke no word then then I heard his step upon the stair | O |
| His halting foot moccasin clad and then I saw him stand | F |
| Between a weeping warder and a priest with Cross in hand | F |
| And at the sight a murmur rose of terror and of awe | Q |
| And all them hardened gallows fans were sick at what they saw | R |
| For as he towered above the mob his limbs with leather triced | F |
| By all that's wonderful I swear his face was that of Christ | F |
| - | |
| Now I ain't no blaspheming cuss so don't you start to shout | F |
| You see his beard had grown so long it framed his face about | F |
| His rippling hair was long and fair his cheeks were spirit pale | S |
| His face was bright with holy light that made us wince and quail | S |
| He looked at us with eyes a shine and sore were we confused | F |
| As if he were the Judge divine and we were the accused | F |
| Aye as serene he stood between the hangman and the cord | F |
| You would have sworn with anguish torn he was the Blessed Lord | F |
| - | |
| The priest was wet with icy sweat the Sheriff's lips were dry | T |
| And we were staring starkly at the man who had to die | T |
| Lo I am raised above you all his pale lips seemed to say | N |
| For in a moment I shall leap to God's Eternal Day | N |
| Am I not happy I forgive you each for what you do | F |
| Redeemed and penitent I go with heart of love for you | F |
| So there he stood in mystic mood with scorn sublime of death | U |
| I saw him gently kiss the Cross and then I held by breath | U |
| That blessed smile was blotted out they dropped the hood of black | V |
| They fixed the noose around his neck the rope was hanging slack | V |
| I heard him pray I saw him sway then then he was not there | O |
| A rope a ghastly yellow rope was jerking in the air | O |
| A jigging rope that soon was still a hush as of the tomb | W |
| And Hank the Finn that man of sin had met his rightful doom | W |
| - | |
| His rightful doom Now that's the point I'm wondering because | X |
| I hold a man is what he is and never what he was | Y |
| You see the priest had filled that guy so full of holy dope | P |
| That at the last he came to die as pious as the Pope | P |
| A gentle ray of sunshine made a halo round his head | F |
| I thought to see a sinner lo I saw a Saint instead | F |
| Aye as he stood as martyrs stand clean cleansed of mortal dross | Z |
| I think he might have gloried had WE NAILED HIM TO A CROSS | Z |
Robert William Service
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about The Ballad Of Hank The Finn poem by Robert William Service
Best Poems of Robert William Service