Ode To Joseph Grimaldi, Senior. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABC DEDEFF GHGHII JKJKLL E MDMDAA E NFNFOO E PQPQRR E STSTEE E FUFUVV F WFWFII F XFXFEE F YIYIFF F FFFFFF F ZA2ZB2C2C2 E D2E2D2E2F2E2 E G2FG2FLL E LH2LH2WW E I2J2I2J2K2K2 E L2M2L2M2C2C2 F FFFFRR F FLFLFFThis fellow's wise enough to play the fool | A |
And to do that well craves a kind of wit | B |
Twelfth Night | C |
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I | - |
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Joseph they say thou'st left the stage | D |
To toddle down the hill of life | E |
And taste the flannel'd ease of age | D |
Apart from pantomimic strife | E |
Retir'd for Young would call it so | F |
The world shut out in Pleasant Row | F |
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II | - |
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And hast thou really wash'd at last | G |
From each white cheek the red half moon | H |
And all thy public Clownship cast | G |
To play the private Pantaloon | H |
All youth all ages yet to be | I |
Shall have a heavy miss of thee | I |
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III | - |
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Thou didst not preach to make us wise | J |
Thou hadst no finger in our schooling | K |
Thou didst not lure us to the skies | J |
Thy simple simple trade was Fooling | K |
And yet Heav'n knows we could we can | L |
Much better spare a better man | L |
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IV | E |
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Oh had it pleased the gout to take | M |
The reverend Croly from the stage | D |
Or Southey for our quiet's sake | M |
Or Mr Fletcher Cupid's sage | D |
Or damme namby pamby Poole | A |
Or any other clown or fool | A |
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V | E |
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Go Dibdin all that bear the name | N |
Go Byeway Highway man go go | F |
Go Skeffy man of painted fame | N |
But leave thy partner painted Joe | F |
I could bear Kirby on the wane | O |
Or Signor Paulo with a sprain | O |
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VI | E |
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Had Joseph Wilfrid Parkins made | P |
His gray hairs scarce in private peace | Q |
Had Waithman sought a rural shade | P |
Or Cobbett ta'en a turnpike lease | Q |
Or Lisle Bowles gone to Balaam Hill | R |
I think I could be cheerful still | R |
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VII | E |
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Had Medwin left off to his praise | S |
Dead lion kicking like a friend | T |
Had long long Irving gone his ways | S |
To Muse on death at Ponder's End | T |
Or Lady Morgan taken leave | E |
Of Letters still I might not grieve | E |
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VIII | E |
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But Joseph everybody's Jo | F |
Is gone and grieve I will and must | U |
As Hamlet did for Yorick so | F |
Will I for thee though not yet dust | U |
And talk as he did when he miss'd | V |
The kissing crust that he had kiss'd | V |
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IX | F |
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Ah where is now thy rolling head | W |
Thy winking reeling drunken eyes | F |
As old Catullus would have said | W |
Thy oven mouth that swallow'd pies | F |
Enormous hunger monstrous drowth | I |
Thy pockets greedy as thou mouth | I |
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X | F |
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Ah where thy ears so often cuff'd | X |
Thy funny flapping filching hands | F |
Thy partridge body always stuff'd | X |
With waifs and strays and contrabands | F |
Thy foot like Berkeley's Foote for why | E |
'Twas often made to wipe an eye | E |
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XI | F |
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Ah where thy legs that witty pair | Y |
For great wits jump and so did they | I |
Lord how they leap'd in lamplight air | Y |
Caper'd and bounc'd and strode away | I |
That years should tame the legs alack | F |
I've seen spring thro' an Almanack | F |
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XII | F |
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But bounds will have their bound the shocks | F |
Of Time will cramp the nimblest toes | F |
And those that frisk'd in silken clocks | F |
May look to limp in fleecy hose | F |
One only Champion of the ring | F |
Could ever make his Winter Spring | F |
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XIII | F |
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And gout that owns no odds between | Z |
The toe of Czar and toe of Clown | A2 |
Will visit but I did not mean | Z |
To moralize though I am grown | B2 |
Thus sad Thy going seem'd to beat | C2 |
A muffled drum for Fun's retreat | C2 |
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XIV | E |
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And may be 'tis no time to smother | D2 |
A sigh when two prime wags of London | E2 |
Are gone thou Joseph one the other | D2 |
A Joe sic transit gloria Munden | E2 |
A third departure some insist on | F2 |
Stage apoplexy threatens Liston | E2 |
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XV | E |
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Nay then let Sleeping Beauty sleep | G2 |
With ancient Dozey to the dregs | F |
Let Mother Goose wear mourning deep | G2 |
And put a hatchment o'er her eggs | F |
Let Farley weep for Magic's man | L |
Is gone his Christmas Caliban | L |
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XVI | E |
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Let Kemble Forbes and Willet rain | L |
As tho' they walk'd behind thy bier | H2 |
For since thou wilt not play again | L |
What matters if in heav'n or here | H2 |
Or in thy grave or in thy bed | W |
There's Quick might just as well be dead | W |
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XVII | E |
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Oh how will thy departure cloud | I2 |
The lamplight of the little breast | J2 |
The Christmas child will grieve aloud | I2 |
To miss his broadest friend and best | J2 |
Poor urchin what avails to him | K2 |
The cold New Monthly's Ghost of Grimm | K2 |
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XVIII | E |
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For who like thee could ever stride | L2 |
Some dozen paces to the mile | M2 |
The motley medley coach provide | L2 |
Or like Joe Frankenstein compile | M2 |
The vegetable man complete | C2 |
A proper Covent Garden feat | C2 |
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XIX | F |
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Oh who like thee could ever drink | F |
Or eat swill swallow bolt and choke | F |
Nod weep and hiccup sneeze and wink | F |
Thy very yawn was quite a joke | F |
Tho' Joseph Junior acts not ill | R |
There's no Fool like the old Fool still | R |
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XX | F |
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Joseph farewell dear funny Joe | F |
We met with mirth we part in pain | L |
For many a long long year must go | F |
Ere Fun can see thy like again | L |
For Nature does not keep great stores | F |
Of perfect Clowns that are not Boors | F |
Thomas Hood
(1)
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