The Hard Times In Elfland: A Story Of Christmas Eve Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABAC DEFE GHGH IFIF JKJK ALAL MNMN OPOP QLQL DEDE RORO STTT TTDTD UTUT FTFT VUVU UTUT KTKT WFWF XCXF TYTY ZXZX XXXX A2PA2P TB2TB2 OC2OC2 XFPF PYPY TFTF XFXF D2FD2F E2FE2F PTPT POPO F2OF2O FFFF PXPX G2XG2X OH2OH2 PTPT FTFT PFP I2X X J2TJ2T CXCX PF2PF2 TOTO XTXT E2K2E2L2 TTTT FXFX TFTF TXTX XFXF TTT XOXO XTXT CPCP POPO P

Strange that the termagant winds should scoldA
The Christmas Eve so bitterlyB
But Wife and Harry the four year oldA
Big Charley Nimblewits and IC
-
Blithe as the wind was bitter drewD
More frontward of the mighty fireE
Where wise Newfoundland Fan foreknewF
The heaven that Christian dogs desireE
-
Stretched o'er the rug serene and graveG
Huge nose on heavy paws reclinedH
With never a drowning boy to saveG
And warmth of body and peace of mindH
-
And as our happy circle satI
The fire well capp'd the companyF
In grave debate or careless chatI
A right good fellow mingled heF
-
He seemed as one of us to sitJ
And talked of things above belowK
With flames more winsome than our witJ
And coals that burned like love aglowK
-
While thus our rippling discourse rolledA
Smooth down the channel of the nightL
We spoke of Time thereat one toldA
A parable of the Seasons' flightL
-
Time was a Shepherd with four sheepM
In a certain Field he long abodeN
He stood by the bars and his flock bade leapM
One at a time to the Common RoadN
-
And first there leapt like bird on wingO
A lissome Lamb that played in the airP
I heard the Shepherd call him 'Spring'O
Oh large eyed fresh and snowy fairP
-
He skipped the flowering Highway fastQ
Hurried the hedgerows green and whiteL
Set maids and men a yearning passedQ
The Bend and gamboll'd out of sightL
-
And next marched forth a matron EweD
While Time took down a bar for herE
Udder'd so large 'twas much adoD
E'en then to clear the barrierE
-
Full softly shone her silken fleeceR
What stately time she paced alongO
Each heartsome hoof stroke wrought increaseR
Of sunlight substance seedling songO
-
In flower in fruit in field in birdS
Till the great globe rich fleck'd and piedT
Like some large peach half pinkly furredT
Turned to the sun a glowing sideT
-
And hung in the heavenly orchard brightT
None such completeT
Then while the EweD
Slow passed the Bend a blur of lightT
The Shepherd's face in sadness grewD
-
'Summer ' he said as one would sayU
A sigh in syllables So in hasteT
For shame of Summer's long delayU
Yet gazing still what way she pacedT
-
He summoned Autumn slanting downF
The second bar Thereover strodeT
A Wether fleeced in burning brownF
And largely loitered down the RoadT
-
Far as the farmers sight his shapeV
Majestic moving o'er the wayU
All cry 'To harvest ' crush the grapeV
And haul the corn and house the hayU
-
Till presently no man can sayU
So brown the woods that line that endT
If yet the brown fleeced Wether mayU
Or not have passed beyond the BendT
-
Now turn I towards the Shepherd loK
An aged Ram flapp'd gnarly horn'dT
With bones that crackle o'er the snowK
Rheum'd wind gall'd rag fleec'd burr'd and thorn'dT
-
Time takes the third bar off for himW
He totters down the windy laneF
'Tis Winter still the Bend lies dimW
O Lamb would thou wouldst leap againF
-
Those seasons out we talked of theseX
And I with inward purpose slyC
To shield my purse from Christmas treesX
And stockings and wild robberyF
-
When Hal and Nimblewits invadeT
My cash in Santa Claus's nameY
In full the hard hard times surveyedT
Denounced all waste as crime and shameY
-
Hinted that waste might be a termZ
Including skates velocipedesX
Kites marbles soldiers towers infirmZ
Bows arrows cannon Indian reedsX
-
Cap pistols drums mechanic toysX
And all th' infernal host of hornsX
Whereby to strenuous hells of noiseX
Are turned the blessed Christmas mornsX
-
Thus roused those horns to sacred rageA2
I rose forefinger high in airP
When Harry cried SOME war to wageA2
Papa is hard times ev'ywhereP
-
Maybe in Santa Claus's landT
It isn't hard times none at allB2
Now blessed Vision to my handT
Most pat a marvel strange did fallB2
-
Scarce had my Harry ceased when LookO
He cried leapt up in wild alarmC2
Ran to my Comrade shelter tookO
Beneath the startled mother's armC2
-
And so was still what time we sawX
A foot hang down the fireplace ThenF
With painful scrambling scratched and rawP
Two hands that seemed like hands of menF
-
Eased down two legs and a body throughP
The blazing fire and forth there cameY
Before our wide and wondering viewP
A figure shrinking half with shameY
-
And half with weakness Sir I saidT
But with a mien of dignityF
The seedy stranger raised his headT
My friends I'm Santa Claus said heF
-
But oh how changed That rotund faceX
The new moon rivall'd pale and thinF
Where once was cheek now empty spaceX
Whate'er stood out did now stand inF
-
His piteous legs scarce propped him upD2
His arms mere sickles seemed to beF
But most o'erflowed our sorrow's cupD2
When that we saw or did not seeF
-
His belly we remembered howE2
It shook like a bowl of jelly fineF
An earthquake could not shake it nowE2
He HAD no belly not a signF
-
Yes yes old friends you well may stareP
I HAVE seen better days he saidT
But now with shrinkage loss and careP
Your Santa Claus scarce owns his headT
-
We've had such hard hard times this yearP
For goblins Never knew the likeO
All Elfland's mortgaged And we fearP
The gnomes are just about to strikeO
-
I once was rich and round and haleF2
The whole world called me jolly brickO
But listen to a piteous taleF2
Young Harry Santa Claus is sickO
-
'Twas thus a smooth tongued railroad manF
Comes to my house and talks to meF
'I've got ' says he 'a little planF
That suits this nineteenth centuryF
-
'Instead of driving as you doP
Six reindeer slow from house to houseX
Let's build a Grand Trunk Railway throughP
From here to earth's last terminusX
-
'We'll touch at every chimney topG2
An Elevated Track of courseX
Then as we whisk you by you'll dropG2
Each package down just think the forceX
-
'You'll save the time Besides we'll makeO
Our millions look you soon we willH2
Compete for freights and then we'll takeO
Dame Fortune's bales of good and illH2
-
' Why she's the biggest shipper sirP
That e'er did business in this worldT
Then Death that ceaseless TravellerP
Shall on his rounds by us be whirledT
-
'When ghosts return to walk with menF
We'll bring 'em cheap by steam and fastT
We'll run a Branch to heaven and thenF
We'll riot man for then at lastT
-
'We'll make with heaven a contract fairP
To call each hour from town to townF
And carry the dead folks' souls up thereP
And bring the unborn babies down '-
-
The plan seemed fair I gave him cashI2
Nay every penny I could raiseX
My wife e'er cried ''Tis rash 'tis rash '-
How could I know the stock thief's waysX
-
But soon I learned full well poor foolJ2
My woes began that wretched dayT
The President plied me like a toolJ2
In lawyer's fees and rights of wayT
-
Injunctions leases charters IC
Was meshed as in a mighty mazeX
The stock ran low the talk ran highC
Then quickly flamed the final blazeX
-
With never an inch of track 'tis trueP
The debts were large the oft told taleF2
The President rolled in splendor newP
He bought my silver at the saleF2
-
Yes sold me out we've moved awayT
I've had to give up everythingO
My reindeer even whom I prayT
Excuse me here o'er sorrowingO
-
Poor Santa Claus burst into tearsX
Then calmed again my reindeer fleetT
I gave them up on foot my dearsX
I now must plod through snow and sleetT
-
Retrenchment rules in Elfland nowE2
Yes every luxury is cut offK2
Which by the way reminds me howE2
I caught this dreadful hacking coughL2
-
I cut off the tail of my Ulster furredT
To make young Kris a coat of stateT
That very night the storm occurredT
Thus we became the sport of FateT
-
For I was out till after oneF
Surveying chimney tops and roofsX
And planning how it could be doneF
Without my reindeers' bouncing hoofsX
-
'My dear ' says Mrs Claus that nightT
A most superior woman sheF
'It never never can be rightT
That you deep sunk in povertyF
-
'This year should leave your poor old bedT
And trot about bent down with toysX
There's Kris a crying now for breadT
To give to other people's boysX
-
'Since you've been out the news arrivesX
The Elfs' Insurance Company's goneF
Ah Claus those premiums Now our livesX
Depend on yours thus griefs go onF
-
'And even while you're thus harassedT
I do believe if out you wentT
You'd go in spite of all that's passedT
To the children of that President '-
-
Oh Charley Harry NimblewitsX
These eyes that night ne'er slept a winkO
My path seemed honeycombed with pitsX
Naught could I do but think and thinkO
-
But with the day my courage roseX
Ne'er shall my boys MY boys I criedT
When Christmas morns their eyes uncloseX
Find empty stockings gaping wideT
-
Then hewed and whacked and whittled IC
The wife the girls and Kris took fireP
They spun sewed cut till by and byC
We made at home my pack entireP
-
He handed me a bundle hereP
Now hoist me up there gently quickO
Dear boys DON'T look for much this yearP
Remember Santa Claus is sickO
-
-
Baltimore DecemberP

Sidney Lanier



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