Poet Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling

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Brown Bess Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBCDD EFEFDD GGGGGG HIHJGG GKGLGG JMJMGG ENENGG

The Army MusketA
-
-
In the days of lace ruffles perukes and brocadeB
Brown Bess was a partner whom none could despiseC
An out spoken flinty lipped brazen faced jadeB
With a habit of looking men straight in the eyesC
At Blenheim and Ramillies fops would confessD
They were pierced to the heart by the charms of Brown BessD
-
Though her sight was not long and her weight was not smallE
Yet her actions were winning her language was clearF
And everyone bowed as she opened the ballE
On the arm of some high gaitered grim grenadierF
Half Europe admitted the striking successD
Of the dances and routs that were given by Brown BessD
-
When ruffles were turned into stiff leather stocksG
And people wore pigtails instead of perukesG
Brown Bess never altered her iron grey locksG
She knew she was valued for more than her looksG
'Oh powder and patches was always my dressG
And I think am killing enough ' said Brown BessG
-
So she followed her red coats whatever they didH
From the heights of Quebec to the plains of AssayeI
From Gibraltar to Acre Cape Town and MadridH
And nothing about her was changed on the wayJ
But most of the Empire which now we possessG
Was won through those years by old fashioned Brown BessG
-
In stubborn retreat or in stately advanceG
From the Portugal coast to the cork woods of SpainK
She had puzzled some excellent Marshals of FranceG
Till none of them wanted to meet her againL
But later near Brussels Napoleon no lessG
Arranged for a Waterloo ball with Brown BessG
-
She had danced till the dawn of that terrible dayJ
She danced till the dusk of more terrible nightM
And before her linked squares his battalions gave wayJ
And her long fierce quadrilles put his lancers to flightM
And when his gilt carriage drove off in the pressG
'I have danced my last dance for the world ' said Brown BessG
-
If you go to Museums there's one in WhitehallE
Where old weapons are shown with their names writ beneathN
You will find her upstanding her back to the wallE
As stiff as a ramrod the flint in her teethN
And if ever we English had reason to blessG
Any arm save our mothers' that arm is Brown BessG

Rudyard Kipling



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