The Country Mouse And The Town Mouse Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCBCDCDEDEDEDFDFG FGDGDFDFHFHIHIDIDJDD FDFJFJBJBBBBKBKLKLHL HMHCDCDNDNONODODBDBD BDBDBPQPDPDDDDKDKRKR STSDSDBDB

My mother's maids when they did sew and spinA
They sang sometime a song of the field mouseB
That for because her livelood was but thinA
Would needs go seek her townish sister's houseB
She thought herself endured to much painC
The stormy blasts her cave so sore did souseB
That when the furrows swimmed with the rainC
She must lie cold and wet in sorry plightD
And worse than that bare meat there did remainC
To comfort her when she her house had dightD
Sometime a barleycorn sometime a beanE
For which she labored hard both day and nightD
In harvest time whilst she might go and gleanE
And when her store was 'stroyed with the floodD
Then well away for she undone was cleanE
Then was she fain to take instead of foodD
Sleep if she might her hunger to beguileF
My sister qoth she hath a living goodD
And hence from me she dwelleth not a mileF
In cold and storm she lieth warm and dryG
In bed of down and dirt doth not defileF
Her tender foot she laboreth not as IG
Richly she feedeth and at the rich man's costD
And for her meat she needs not crave nor cryG
By sea by land of the delicates the mostD
Her cater seeks and spareth for no perilF
She feedeth on boiled baken meat and roastD
And hath thereof neither charge nor travailF
And when she list the liquor of the grapeH
Doth goad her heart till that her belly swellF
And at this journey she maketh but a japeH
So forth she goeth trusting of all this wealthI
With her sister her part so for to shapeH
That if she might keep herself in healthI
To live a lady while her life doth lastD
And to the door now is she come by stealthI
And with her foot anon she scrapeth full fastD
The other for fear durst not well scarce appearJ
Of every noise so was the wretch aghastD
Peace quoth the town mouse why speakest thou so loudD
And by the hand she took her fair and wellF
Welcome quoth she my sister by the roodD
She feasted her that joy is was to tellF
The fare they had they drank the wine so clearJ
And as to purpose now and then it fellF
She cheered her with How sister what cheerJ
Amids this joy there fell a sorry chanceB
That wellaway the stranger bought full dearJ
The fare she had For as she looks askanceB
Under a stool she spied two steaming eyesB
In a round head with sharp ears In FranceB
was never mouse so feared for though the unwiseB
Had not yseen such a beast beforeK
Yet had nature taught her after her guiseB
To know her foe and dread him evermoreK
The town mouse fled she knew whither to goL
The other had no shift but wondrous soreK
Feared of her life at home she wished her thoughL
And to the door alas as she did skipH
Th' heaven it would lo and eke her chance was soL
At the threshold her silly foot did tripH
And ere she might recover it againM
The traitor cat had caught her by the hipH
And made her there against her will remainC
That had forgotten her poor surety and restD
For seeming wealth wherein she thought to reignC
Alas my Poynz how men do seek the bestD
And find the worst by error as they strayN
And no marvel when sight is so opprestD
And blind the guide Anon out of the wayN
Goeth guide and all in seeking quiet lifeO
O wretched minds there is no gold that mayN
Grant that ye seek no war no peace no strifeO
No no although thy head was hoopt with goldD
Sergeant with mace haubert sword nor knifeO
Cannot repulse the care that follow shouldD
Each kind of life hath with him his diseaseB
Live in delight even as thy lust wouldD
And thou shalt find when lust doth most thee pleaseB
It irketh strait and by itself doth fadeD
A small thing it is that may thy mind appeaseB
None of ye all there is that is so madD
To seek grapes upon brambles or breersB
Not none I trow that hath his wit so badD
To set his hay for conies over riversB
Ne ye set not a drag net for an hareP
And yet the thing that most is your desireQ
Ye do misseek with more travail and careP
Make plain thine heart that it be not nottedD
With hope or dread and see thy will be bareP
From all effects whom vice hath ever spottedD
Thyself content with that is thee assignedD
And use it well that is to thee allottedD
Then seek no more out of thyself to findD
The thing that thou hast sought so long beforeK
For thou shalt find it sitting in thy mindD
Mad if ye list to continue your soreK
Let present pass and gape on time to comeR
And deep yourself in travail more and moreK
Henceforth my Poynz this shall be all and someR
These wretched fools shall have nought else of meS
But to the great God and to His high doomT
None other pain pray I for them to beS
But when the rage doth lead them from the rightD
That looking backward Virtue they may seeS
Even as She is so goodly fair and brightD
And whilst they clasp their lusts in arms acrossB
Grant them good Lord as Thou mayst of Thy mightD
To fret inward for losing such a lossB

Sir Thomas Wyatt



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