An Imperial Rescript Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABB CCDD EEFB GBHH IIJJ KKLB BBMB NNBB OOPB BBQQ| Now this is the tale of the Council the German Kaiser decreed | A |
| To ease the strong of their burden to help the weak in their need | A |
| He sent a word to the peoples who struggle and pant and sweat | B |
| That the straw might be counted fairly and the tally of bricks be set | B |
| - | |
| The Lords of Their Hands assembled from the East and the West they drew | C |
| Baltimore Lille and Essen Brummagem Clyde and Crewe | C |
| And some were black from the furnace and some were brown from the soil | D |
| And some were blue from the dye vat but all were wearied of toil | D |
| - | |
| And the young King said quot I have found it the road to the rest ye seek | E |
| The strong shall wait for the weary the hale shall halt for the weak | E |
| With the even tramp of an army where no man breaks from the line | F |
| Ye shall march to peace and plenty in the bond of brotherhood sign quot | B |
| - | |
| The paper lay on the table the strong heads bowed thereby | G |
| And a wail went up from the peoples quot Ay sign give rest for we die quot | B |
| A hand was stretched to the goose quill a fist was cramped to scrawl | H |
| When the laugh of a blue eyed maiden ran clear through the council hall | H |
| - | |
| And each one heard Her laughing as each one saw Her plain | I |
| Saidie Mimi or Olga Gretchen or Mary Jane | I |
| And the Spirit of Man that is in Him to the light of the vision woke | J |
| And the men drew back from the paper as a Yankee delegate spoke | J |
| - | |
| quot There's a girl in Jersey City who works on the telephone | K |
| We're going to hitch our horses and dig for a house of our own | K |
| With gas and water connections and steam heat through to the top | L |
| And W Hohenzollern I guess I shall work till I drop quot | B |
| - | |
| And an English delegate thundered quot The weak an' the lame be blowed | B |
| I've a berth in the Sou' West workshops a home in the Wandsworth Road | B |
| And till the 'sociation has footed my buryin' bill | M |
| I work for the kids an' the missus Pull up I be damned if I will quot | B |
| - | |
| And over the German benches the bearded whisper ran | N |
| quot Lager der girls und der dollars dey makes or dey breaks a man | N |
| If Schmitt haf collared der dollars he collars der girl deremit | B |
| But if Schmitt bust in der pizness we collars der girl from Schmitt quot | B |
| - | |
| They passed one resolution quot Your sub committee believe | O |
| You can lighten the curse of Adam when you've lightened the curse of Eve | O |
| But till we are built like angels with hammer and chisel and pen | P |
| We will work for ourself and a woman for ever and ever amen quot | B |
| - | |
| Now this is the tale of the Council the German Kaiser held | B |
| The day that they razored the Grindstone the day that the Cat was belled | B |
| The day of the Figs from Thistles the day of the Twisted Sands | Q |
| The day that the laugh of a maiden made light of the Lords of Their Hands | Q |
Rudyard Kipling
(1)
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