The Man From Eldorado Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDED FGFHIJIJ KLKLHMNM OPOPQRQR STSTUVUV WXWXYZYZ A2SA2SB2C2B2C2 D2E2D2E2F2G2F2H2 ZI2ZI2J2K2J2K2 AL2AL2GM2GM2 U N2O2N2O2P2SP2S Q2NQ2NR2S2R2S2 D2T2D2T2D2J2D2J2 ININZLZL U IBIBM2SM2S

He's the man from Eldorado and he's just arrived in townA
In moccasins and oily buckskin shirtB
He's gaunt as any Indian and pretty nigh as brownA
He's greasy and he smells of sweat and dirtB
He sports a crop of whiskers that would shame a healthy hogC
Hard work has racked his joints and stooped his backD
He slops along the sidewalk followed by his yellow dogE
But he's got a bunch of gold dust in his sackD
-
He seems a little wistful as he blinks at all the lightsF
And maybe he is thinking of his claimG
And the dark and dwarfish cabin where he lay and dreamed at nightsF
Thank God he'll never see the place againH
Where he lived on tinned tomatoes beef embalmed and sourdough breadI
On rusty beans and bacon furred with mouldJ
His stomach's out of kilter and his system full of leadI
But it's over and his poke is full of goldJ
-
He has panted at the windlass he has loaded in the driftK
He has pounded at the face of oozy clayL
He has taxed himself to sickness dark and damp and double shiftK
He has labored like a demon night and dayL
And now praise God it's over and he seems to breathe againH
Of new mown hay the warm wet friendly loamM
He sees a snowy orchard in a green and dimpling plainN
And a little vine clad cottage and it's HomeM
-
II-
-
He's the man from Eldorado and he's had a bite and supO
And he's met in with a drouthy friend or twoP
He's cached away his gold dust but he's sort of bucking upO
So he's kept enough to night to see him throughP
His eye is bright and genial his tongue no longer lagsQ
His heart is brimming o'er with joy and mirthR
He may be far from savory he may be clad in ragsQ
But to night he feels as if he owns the earthR
-
Says he Boys here is where the shaggy North and I will shakeS
I thought I'd never manage to get freeT
I kept on making misses but at last I've got my stakeS
There's no more thawing frozen muck for meT
I am going to God's Country where I'll live the simple lifeU
I'll buy a bit of land and make a startV
I'll carve a little homestead and I'll win a little wifeU
And raise ten little kids to cheer my heartV
-
They signified their sympathy by crowding to the barW
They bellied up three deep and drank his healthX
He shed a radiant smile around and smoked a rank cigarW
They wished him honor happiness and wealthX
They drank unto his wife to be that unsuspecting maidY
They drank unto his children half a scoreZ
And when they got through drinking very tenderly they laidY
The man from Eldorado on the floorZ
-
III-
-
He's the man from Eldorado and he's only starting inA2
To cultivate a thousand dollar jagS
His poke is full of gold dust and his heart is full of sinA2
And he's dancing with a girl called Muckluck MagS
She's as light as any fairy she's as pretty as a peachB2
She's mistress of the witchcraft to beguileC2
There's sunshine in her manner there is music in her speechB2
And there's concentrated honey in her smileC2
-
Oh the fever of the dance hall and the glitter and the shineD2
The beauty and the jewels and the whirlE2
The madness of the music the rapture of the wineD2
The languorous allurement of a girlE2
She is like a lost madonna he is gaunt unkempt and grimF2
But she fondles him and gazes in his eyesG2
Her kisses seek his heavy lips and soon it seems to himF2
He has staked a little claim in ParadiseH2
-
Who's for a juicy two step cries the master of the floorZ
The music throbs with soft seductive beatI2
There's glitter gilt and gladness there are pretty girls galoreZ
There's a woolly man with moccasins on feetI2
They know they've got him going he is buying wine for allJ2
They crowd around as buzzards at a feastK2
Then when his poke is empty they boost him from the hallJ2
And spurn him in the gutter like a beastK2
-
He's the man from Eldorado and he's painting red the townA
Behind he leaves a trail of yellow dustL2
In a whirl of senseless riot he is ramping up and downA
There's nothing checks his madness and his lustL2
And soon the word is passed around it travels like a flameG
They fight to clutch his hand and call him friendM2
The chevaliers of lost repute the dames of sorry fameG
Then comes the grim awakening the endM2
-
IVU
-
He's the man from Eldorado and he gives a grand affairN2
There's feasting dancing wine without restraintO2
The smooth Beau Brummels of the bar the faro men are thereN2
The tinhorns and purveyors of red paintO2
The sleek and painted women their predacious eyes aglowP2
Sure Klondike City never saw the likeS
Then Muckluck Mag proposed the toast The giver of the showP2
The livest sport that ever hit the pikeS
-
The live one rises to his feet he stammers to replyQ2
And then there comes before his muddled brainN
A vision of green vastitudes beneath an April skyQ2
And clover pastures drenched with silver rainN
He knows that it can never be that he is down and outR2
Life leers at him with foul and fetid breathS2
And then amid the revelry the song and cheer and shoutR2
He suddenly grows grim and cold as deathS2
-
He grips the table tensely and he says Dear friends of mineD2
I've let you dip your fingers in my purseT2
I've crammed you at my table and I've drowned you in my wineD2
And I've little left to give you but my curseT2
I've failed supremely in my plans it's rather late to whineD2
My poke is mighty weasened up and smallJ2
I thank you each for coming here the happiness is mineD2
And now you thieves and harlots take it allJ2
-
He twists the thong from off his poke he swings it o'er his headI
The nuggets fall around their feet like grainN
They rattle over roof and wall they scatter roll and spreadI
The dust is like a shower of golden rainN
The guests a moment stand aghast then grovel on the floorZ
They fight and snarl and claw like beasts of preyL
And then as everybody grabbed and everybody sworeZ
The man from Eldorado slipped awayL
-
VU
-
He's the man from Eldorado and they found him stiff and deadI
Half covered by the freezing ooze and dirtB
A clotted Colt was in his hand a hole was in his headI
And he wore an old and oily buckskin shirtB
His eyes were fixed and horrible as one who hails the endM2
The frost had set him rigid as a logS
And there half lying on his breast his last and only friendM2
There crouched and whined a mangy yellow dogS

Robert William Service



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