The Joy Of Being Poor Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBCCDDEECCFFAAGH A IIAAJKLLMMNNGH A OOCCPPQQRSBBTTUU VVWWXXGHI | A |
- | |
Let others sing of gold and gear the joy of being rich | B |
But oh the days when I was poor a vagrant in a ditch | B |
When every dawn was like a gem so radiant and rare | C |
And I had but a single coat and not a single care | C |
When I would feast right royally on bacon bread and beer | D |
And dig into a stack of hay and doze like any peer | D |
When I would wash beside a brook my solitary shirt | E |
And though it dried upon my back I never took a hurt | E |
When I went romping down the road contemptuous of care | C |
And slapped Adventure on the back by Gad we were a pair | C |
When though my pockets lacked a coin and though my coat was old | F |
The largess of the stars was mine and all the sunset gold | F |
When time was only made for fools and free as air was I | A |
And hard I hit and hard I lived beneath the open sky | A |
When all the roads were one to me and each had its allure | G |
Ye Gods these were the happy days the days when I was poor | H |
- | |
II | A |
- | |
Or else again old pal of mine do you recall the times | I |
You struggled with your storyettes I wrestled with my rhymes | I |
Oh we were happy were we not we used to live so high | A |
A little bit of broken roof between us and the sky | A |
Upon the forge of art we toiled with hammer and with tongs | J |
You told me all your rippling yarns I sang to you my songs | K |
Our hats were frayed our jackets patched our boots were down at heel | L |
But oh the happy men were we although we lacked a meal | L |
And if I sold a bit of rhyme or if you placed a tale | M |
What feasts we had of tenderloins and apple tarts and ale | M |
And yet how often we would dine as cheerful as you please | N |
Beside our little friendly fire on coffee bread and cheese | N |
We lived upon the ragged edge and grub was never sure | G |
But oh these were the happy days the days when we were poor | H |
- | |
III | A |
- | |
Alas old man we're wealthy now it's sad beyond a doubt | O |
We cannot dodge prosperity success has found us out | O |
Your eye is very dull and drear my brow is creased with care | C |
We realize how hard it is to be a millionaire | C |
The burden's heavy on our backs you're thinking of your rents | P |
I'm worrying if I'll invest in five or six per cents | P |
We've limousines and marble halls and flunkeys by the score | Q |
We play the part but say old chap oh isn't it a bore | Q |
We work like slaves we eat too much we put on evening dress | R |
We've everything a man can want I think but happiness | S |
Come let us sneak away old chum forget that we are rich | B |
And earn an honest appetite and scratch an honest itch | B |
Let's be two jolly garreteers up seven flights of stairs | T |
And wear old clothes and just pretend we aren't millionaires | T |
And wonder how we'll pay the rent and scribble ream on ream | U |
And sup on sausages and tea and laugh and loaf and dream | U |
- | |
And when we're tired of that my friend oh you will come with me | V |
And we will seek the sunlit roads that lie beside the sea | V |
We'll know the joy the gipsy knows the freedom nothing mars | W |
The golden treasure gates of dawn the mintage of the stars | W |
We'll smoke our pipes and watch the pot and feed the crackling fire | X |
And sing like two old jolly boys and dance to heart's desire | X |
We'll climb the hill and ford the brook and camp upon the moor | G |
Old chap let's haste I'm mad to taste the Joy of Being Poor | H |
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 Joy Of Being Poor poem by Robert William Service
Best Poems of Robert William Service