The Absent-minded Beggar Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDEDEFGHFGIJIJKEL EMGHMG NONOPEPEQGHQG RSRSPEPETGHTG| When you've shouted ' Rule Britannia ' when you've sung ' God save the Queen ' | A |
| When you've finished killing Kruger with your mouth | B |
| Will you kindly drop a shilling in my little tambourine | C |
| For a gentleman in khaki ordered South | B |
| He's an absent minded beggar and his weaknesses are great | D |
| But we and Paul must take him as we find him | E |
| He is out on active service wiping something off a slate | D |
| And he's left a lot of little things behind him | E |
| Duke's son cook's son son of a hundred kings | F |
| Fifty thousand horse and foot going to Table Bay | G |
| Each of 'em doing his country's work | H |
| and who's to look after their things | F |
| Pass the hat for your credit's sake and pay pay pay | G |
| There are girls he married secret asking no permission to | I |
| For he knew he wouldn't get it if he did | J |
| There is gas and coals and vittles and the house rent falling due | I |
| And its more than rather likely there s a kid | J |
| There are girls he s walked with casual They ll be sorry now he s gone | K |
| For an absent minded beggar they will find him | E |
| But it ain t the time for sermons with the winter coming on | L |
| We must help the girl that Tommy s left behind him | E |
| Cook's son Duke's son son of a belted Earl | M |
| Son of a Lambeth publican it's all the same to day | G |
| Each of 'em doing his country's work | H |
| and who's to look after the girl | M |
| Pass the hat for your credit's sake J and pay pay pay | G |
| - | |
| There are families by thousands far too proud to beg or speak | N |
| And they'll put their sticks and bedding up the spout | O |
| And they'll live on half o' nothing paid 'em punctual once a week | N |
| 'Cause the man that earns the wage is ordered out | O |
| He's an absent minded beggar but he heard his country call | P |
| And his reg'rnent didn't need to send to find him | E |
| He chucked his job and joined it so the job before us all | P |
| Is to help the home that Tommy's left behind him | E |
| Duke's job cook's job gardener baronet groom | Q |
| Mews or palace or paper shop there's someone gone away | G |
| Each of 'em doing his country's work | H |
| and who's to look after the room | Q |
| Pass the hat for your credit's sake and pay pay pay | G |
| - | |
| Let us manage so as later we can look him in the face | R |
| And tell him what he'd very much prefer | S |
| That while he saved the Empire his employer saved his place | R |
| And his mates that's you and me looked out for her | S |
| He's an absent minded beggar and he may forget it all | P |
| But we do not want his kiddies to remind him | E |
| That we sent 'em to the workhouse while their daddy hammered Paul | P |
| So we'll help the homes that Tommy left behind him | E |
| Cook's home Duke's home home of a millionaire | T |
| Fifty thousand horse and foot going to Table Bay | G |
| Each of 'em doing his country's work | H |
| and what have you got to spare | T |
| Pass the hat for your credit's sake and pay pay pay | G |
Rudyard Kipling
(1)
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