The Looking-glass (a Country Dance) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBCCA DDEEEF A GGEEEF A HHEEEF A IIJKFEEFQueen Bess was Harry's daughter Stand forward partners all | A |
In ruff and stomacher and gown | B |
She danced King Philip down a down | B |
And left her shoe to show 'twas true | C |
The very tune I'm playing you | C |
In Norgem at Brickwall | A |
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The Queen was in her chamber and she was middling old | D |
Her petticoat was satin and her stomacher was gold | D |
Backward and forward and sideways did she pass | E |
Making up her mind to face the cruel looking glass | E |
The cruel looking glass that will never show a lass | E |
As comely or as kindly or as young as what she was | F |
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Queen Bess was Harry's daughter Now hand your partners all | A |
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The Queen was in her chamber a combing of her hair | G |
There came Queen Mary's spirit and It stood behind her chair | G |
Singing Backward and forward and sideways may you pass | E |
But I will stand behind you till you face the looking glass | E |
The cruel looking glass that will never show a lass | E |
As lovely or unlucky or as lonely as I was | F |
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Queen Bess was Harry's daughter Now turn your partners all | A |
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The Queen was in her chamber a weeping very sore | H |
There came Lord Leicester's spirit and It scratched upon the door | H |
Singing Backward and forward and sideways may you pass | E |
But I will walk beside you till you face the looking glass | E |
The cruel looking glass that will never show a lass | E |
As hard and unforgiving or as wicked as you was | F |
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Queen Bess was Harry's daughter Now kiss your partners all | A |
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The Queen was in her chamber her sins were on her head | I |
She looked the spirits up and down and statelily she said | I |
Backward and forward and sideways though I've been | J |
Yet I am Harry's daughter and I am England's Queen | K |
And she faced the looking glass and whatever else there was | F |
And she saw her day was over and she saw her beauty pass | E |
In the cruel looking glass that can always hurt a lass | E |
More hard than any ghost there is or any man there was | F |
Rudyard Kipling
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