The Ballad Of Fisher's Boarding-house Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDB EFGFHF BIJIKI LMNOBO PQRQSQ TDUDTD BBVUTB TWXWBW DTPTYT BPZPTP A2DB2DTD PQJQTQ BBTBC2D DD2DD2DD2 BTDTE2T TBDBTB BDDDTD PQDQTQ

That night when through the mooring chainsA
The wide eyed corpse rolled freeB
To blunder down by Garden ReachC
And rot at KedgereeB
The tale the Hughli told the shoalD
The lean shoal told to meB
-
'T was Fultah Fisher's boarding houseE
Where sailor men resideF
And there were men of all the portsG
From Mississip to ClydeF
And regally they spat and smokedH
And fearsomely they liedF
-
They lied about the purple SeaB
That gave them scanty breadI
They lied about the Earth beneathJ
The Heavens overheadI
For they had looked too often onK
Black rum when that was redI
-
They told their tales of wreck and wrongL
Of shame and lust and fraudM
They backed their toughest statements withN
The Brimstone of the LordO
And crackling oaths went to and froB
Across the fist banged boardO
-
And there was Hans the blue eyed DaneP
Bull throated bare of armQ
Who carried on his hairy chestR
The maid Ultruda's charmQ
The little silver crucifixS
That keeps a man from harmQ
-
And there was Jake Withouth the EarsT
And Pamba the MalayD
And Carboy Gin the Guinea cookU
And Luz from Vigo BayD
And Honest Jack who sold them slopsT
And harvested their payD
-
And there was Salem HardiekerB
A lean Bostonian heB
Russ German English Halfbreed FinnV
Yank Dane and PortugueeU
At Fultah Fisher's boarding houseT
The rested from the seaB
-
Now Anne of Austria shared their drinksT
Collinga knew her fameW
From Tarnau in GaliciaX
To Juan Bazaar she cameW
To eat the bread of infamyB
And take the wage of shameW
-
She held a dozen men to heelD
Rich spoil of war was hersT
In hose and gown and ring and chainP
From twenty marinersT
And by Port Law that week men calledY
her Salem Hardieker'sT
-
But seamen learnt what landsmen knowB
That neither gifts nor gainP
Can hold a winking Light o' LoveZ
Or Fancy's flight restrainP
When Anne of Austria rolled her eyesT
On Hans the blue eyed DaneP
-
Since Life is strife and strife means knifeA2
From Howrah to the BayD
And he may die before the dawnB2
Who liquored out the dayD
In Fultah Fisher's boarding houseT
We woo while yet we mayD
-
But cold was Hans the blue eyed DaneP
Bull throated bare of armQ
And laughter shook the chest beneathJ
The maid Ultruda's charmQ
The little silver crucifixT
That keeps a man from harmQ
-
quot You speak to Salem HardiekerB
quot You was his girl I knowB
quot I ship mineselfs to morrow seeT
quot Und round the Skaw we goB
quot South down the Cattegat by HjelmC2
quot To Besser in Saro quotD
-
When love rejected turns to hateD
All ill betide the manD2
quot You speak to Salem Hardieker quotD
She spoke as woman canD2
A scream a sob quot He called me names quotD
And then the fray beganD2
-
An oath from Salem HardiekerB
A shriek upon the stairsT
A dance of shadows on the wallD
A knife thrust unawaresT
And Hans came down as cattle dropE2
Across the broken chairsT
-
-
-
In Anne of Austria's trembling handsT
The weary head fell lowB
quot I ship mineselfs to morrow straightD
quot For Besser in SaroB
quot Und there Ultruda comes to meT
quot At Easter und I goB
-
quot South down the Cattegat What's hereB
quot There are no lights to guide quotD
The mutter ceased the spirit passedD
And Anne of Austria criedD
In Fultah Fisher's boarding houseT
When Hans the mighty diedD
-
Thus slew they Hans the blue eyed DaneP
Bull throated bare of armQ
But Anne of Austria looted firstD
The maid Ultruda's charmQ
The little silver crucifixT
That keeps a man from harmQ

Rudyard Kipling



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Ballad Of Fisher's Boarding-house poem by Rudyard Kipling


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 65 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets