The Odyssey Of 'erbert 'iggins Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDEEDECFFC ECGGCCHCCH IECCEFEIIE EJEJCECECFEEF EKEKEFEEFFLEELEFMFFE EEM EMNNMEOEEOCECECCCCC EEEECECFEPPEPFPF ECKKCCCCCCPEEPFE FEFFFFPEPEECFFCEMEME EEMe and Ed and a stretcher | A |
Out on the nootral ground | B |
If there's one dead corpse I'll betcher | A |
There's a 'undred smellin' around | B |
Me and Eddie O'Brian | C |
Both of the R A M C | D |
It'as a 'ell of a night | E |
For a soul to take flight | E |
As Eddie remarks to me | D |
Me and Ed crawlin' 'omeward | E |
Thinkin' our job is done | C |
When sudden and clear | F |
Wot do we 'ear | F |
'Owl of a wounded 'Un | C |
- | |
Got to take 'im snaps Eddy | E |
Got to take all we can | C |
'E may be a Germ | G |
Wiv the 'eart of a worm | G |
But blarst 'im ain't 'e a man | C |
So 'e sloshes out fixin' a dressin' | C |
'E'd always a medical knack | H |
When that wounded 'Un | C |
'E rolls to 'is gun | C |
And 'e plugs me pal in the back | H |
- | |
Now what would you do I arst you | I |
There was me slaughtered mate | E |
There was that 'Un | C |
I'd collered 'is gun | C |
A snarlin' 'is 'ymn of 'ate | E |
Wot did I do 'Ere whisper | F |
'E'd a shiny bald top to 'is 'ead | E |
But when I got through | I |
Between me and you | I |
It was 'orrid and jaggy and red | E |
- | |
'Ang on like a limpet Eddy | E |
Thank Gord you ain't dead after all | J |
It's slow and it's sure and it's steady | E |
Which is 'ard for 'e's big and I'm small | J |
The rockets are shootin' and shinin' | C |
It's rainin' a perishin' flood | E |
The bullets are buzzin' and whinin' | C |
And I'm up to me stern in the mud | E |
There's all kinds of 'owlin' and 'ootin' | C |
It's black as a bucket of tar | F |
Oh I'm doin' my bit | E |
But I'm 'avin' a fit | E |
And I wish I was 'ome wiv Mar | F |
- | |
Stick on like a plaster Eddy | E |
Old sport you're a slackin' your grip | K |
Gord But I'm crocky already | E |
My feet 'ow they slither and slip | K |
There goes the biff of a bullet | E |
The Boches have got us for fair | F |
Another one WHUT | E |
The son of a slut | E |
'E managed to miss by a 'air | F |
'Ow Wot was it jabbed at me shoulder | F |
Gave it a dooce of a wrench | L |
Is it Eddy or me | E |
Wot's a bleedin' so free | E |
Crust but it's long to the trench | L |
I ain't just as strong as a Sandow | E |
And Ed ain't a flapper by far | F |
I'm blamed if I understand 'ow | M |
We've managed to get where we are | F |
But 'ere's for a bit of a breather | F |
Steady there Ed 'arf a mo' | E |
Old pal it's all right | E |
It's a 'ell of a fight | E |
But are we down 'earted No o o | M |
- | |
Now war is a funny thing ain't it | E |
It's the rummiest sort of a go | M |
For when it's most real | N |
It's then that you feel | N |
You're a watchin' a cinema show | M |
'Ere's me wot's a barber's assistant | E |
Hey presto It's somewheres in France | O |
And I'm 'ere in a pit | E |
Where a coal box 'as 'it | E |
And it's all like a giddy romance | O |
The ruddy quick firers are spittin' | C |
The 'eavies are bellowin' 'ate | E |
And 'ere I am cashooly sittin' | C |
And 'oldin' the 'ead of me mate | E |
Them gharstly green star shells is beamin' | C |
'Ot shrapnel is poppin' like rain | C |
And I'm sayin' Bert 'Iggins you're dreamin' | C |
And you'll wake up in 'Ampstead again | C |
You'll wake up and 'ear yourself sayin' | C |
Would you like sir to 'ave a shampoo ' | - |
'Stead of sheddin' yer blood | E |
In the rain and the mud | E |
Which is some'ow the right thing to do | E |
Which is some'ow yer 'oary eyed dooty | E |
Wot you're doin' the best wot you can | C |
For 'Ampstead and 'ome and beauty | E |
And you've been and you've slaughtered a man | C |
A feller wot punctured your partner | F |
Oh you 'ammered 'im 'ard on the 'ead | E |
And you still see 'is eyes | P |
Starin' bang at the skies | P |
And you ain't even sorry 'e's dead | E |
But you wish you was back in your diggin's | P |
Asleep on your mouldy old stror | F |
Oh you're doin' yer bit 'Erbert 'Iggins | P |
But you ain't just enjoyin' the war | F |
- | |
'Ang on like a hoctopus Eddy | E |
It's us for the bomb belt again | C |
Except for the shrap | K |
Which 'as 'it me a tap | K |
I'm feelin' as right as the rain | C |
It's my silly old feet wot are slippin' | C |
It's as dark as a 'ogs'ead o' sin | C |
But don't be oneasy my pippin | C |
I'm goin' to pilot you in | C |
It's my silly old 'ead wot is reelin' | C |
The bullets is buzzin' like bees | P |
Me shoulder's red 'ot | E |
And I'm bleedin' a lot | E |
And me legs is on'inged at the knees | P |
But we're staggerin' nearer and nearer | F |
Just stick it old sport play the game | E |
- | |
I make 'em out clearer and clearer | F |
Our trenches a snappin' with flame | E |
Oh we're stumblin' closer and closer | F |
'Ang on there lad Just one more try | F |
Did you say Put you down Damn it no sir | F |
I'll carry you in if I die | F |
By cracky old feller they've seen us | P |
They're sendin' out stretchers for two | E |
Let's give 'em the hoorah between us | P |
'Anged lucky we aren't booked through | E |
My flipper is mashed to a jelly | E |
A bullet 'as tickled your spleen | C |
We've shed lots of gore | F |
And we're leakin' some more | F |
But wot a hoccasion it's been | C |
Ho 'Ere comes the rescuin' party | E |
They're crawlin' out cautious and slow | M |
Come Buck up and greet 'em my 'earty | E |
Shoulder to shoulder so | M |
They mustn't think we was down 'earted | E |
Old pal we was never down 'earted | E |
If they arsts us if we was down 'earted | E |
We'll 'owl in their fyces 'No o o ' | - |
Robert William Service
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