On The Rupture Of The Thames' Tunnel, Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCBBDEFFGGHHII JKLLMMNOPKQRSSMMFFTT UUUMM KKVVEvery poor Quidnunc now condemns | A |
The Tunnel underneath Old Thames | A |
And swears his science all forgetting | B |
Friend Brunel's judgment wanted whetting | B |
'Tis thus great characters are dish'd | C |
When they get wetter than was wish'd | C |
Brunel to Gravesend meant to go | B |
Under the water wags say so | B |
And under that same water put | D |
His hopes to find a shorter cut | E |
But when we leave the light of day | F |
Water hath many a devious way | F |
Which like a naughty woman leads | G |
The best of men to strange misdeeds | G |
Had nearly 'twas a toss up whether | H |
Gone to his grave and end together | H |
How the performance went amiss | I |
The classical account is this | I |
- | |
The Naiads Thames' stream that swim in | J |
Being curious just like mortal women | K |
Dear souls 'tis said midst all their cares | L |
They love to peep at man's affairs | L |
And wondering at the workmen's hammers | M |
The noise of axes engines rammers | M |
Thought 'twould be well nor meant the fun ill | N |
To make an opening through the Tunnel | O |
Just to see how the work went on | P |
And then down dash'd they every one | K |
When these same belles began to dire | Q |
'Twas well the workmen 'scaped alive | R |
Brunel indeed who knew full well | S |
The nature of a diving bell | S |
Remain'd some time nor made wry faces | M |
Within their aqueous embraces | M |
Nay fierce and ungallant adventured | F |
To oust them by the breach they entered | F |
Vain man 'twas well that he could swim | T |
Or certes they had ousted him | T |
Speed on great projects though we rate 'em | U |
Rash for alluvial pomatum | U |
And under that a sandy stratum | U |
Will offer at a little distance | M |
An insurmountable resistance | M |
- | |
How strange to find the labour done | K |
Just as the sand begins to run | K |
In general human projects drop | V |
Just when our sand begins to stop | V |
Thomas Gent
(1)
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