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 FLFLFF

This fellow's wise enough to play the foolA
And to do that well craves a kind of witB
Twelfth NightC
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I-
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Joseph they say thou'st left the stageD
To toddle down the hill of lifeE
And taste the flannel'd ease of ageD
Apart from pantomimic strifeE
Retir'd for Young would call it soF
The world shut out in Pleasant RowF
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II-
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And hast thou really wash'd at lastG
From each white cheek the red half moonH
And all thy public Clownship castG
To play the private PantaloonH
All youth all ages yet to beI
Shall have a heavy miss of theeI
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III-
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Thou didst not preach to make us wiseJ
Thou hadst no finger in our schoolingK
Thou didst not lure us to the skiesJ
Thy simple simple trade was FoolingK
And yet Heav'n knows we could we canL
Much better spare a better manL
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IVE
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Oh had it pleased the gout to takeM
The reverend Croly from the stageD
Or Southey for our quiet's sakeM
Or Mr Fletcher Cupid's sageD
Or damme namby pamby PooleA
Or any other clown or foolA
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VE
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Go Dibdin all that bear the nameN
Go Byeway Highway man go goF
Go Skeffy man of painted fameN
But leave thy partner painted JoeF
I could bear Kirby on the waneO
Or Signor Paulo with a sprainO
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VIE
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Had Joseph Wilfrid Parkins madeP
His gray hairs scarce in private peaceQ
Had Waithman sought a rural shadeP
Or Cobbett ta'en a turnpike leaseQ
Or Lisle Bowles gone to Balaam HillR
I think I could be cheerful stillR
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VIIE
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Had Medwin left off to his praiseS
Dead lion kicking like a friendT
Had long long Irving gone his waysS
To Muse on death at Ponder's EndT
Or Lady Morgan taken leaveE
Of Letters still I might not grieveE
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VIIIE
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But Joseph everybody's JoF
Is gone and grieve I will and mustU
As Hamlet did for Yorick soF
Will I for thee though not yet dustU
And talk as he did when he miss'dV
The kissing crust that he had kiss'dV
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IXF
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Ah where is now thy rolling headW
Thy winking reeling drunken eyesF
As old Catullus would have saidW
Thy oven mouth that swallow'd piesF
Enormous hunger monstrous drowthI
Thy pockets greedy as thou mouthI
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XF
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Ah where thy ears so often cuff'dX
Thy funny flapping filching handsF
Thy partridge body always stuff'dX
With waifs and strays and contrabandsF
Thy foot like Berkeley's Foote for whyE
'Twas often made to wipe an eyeE
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XIF
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Ah where thy legs that witty pairY
For great wits jump and so did theyI
Lord how they leap'd in lamplight airY
Caper'd and bounc'd and strode awayI
That years should tame the legs alackF
I've seen spring thro' an AlmanackF
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XIIF
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But bounds will have their bound the shocksF
Of Time will cramp the nimblest toesF
And those that frisk'd in silken clocksF
May look to limp in fleecy hoseF
One only Champion of the ringF
Could ever make his Winter SpringF
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XIIIF
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And gout that owns no odds betweenZ
The toe of Czar and toe of ClownA2
Will visit but I did not meanZ
To moralize though I am grownB2
Thus sad Thy going seem'd to beatC2
A muffled drum for Fun's retreatC2
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XIVE
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And may be 'tis no time to smotherD2
A sigh when two prime wags of LondonE2
Are gone thou Joseph one the otherD2
A Joe sic transit gloria MundenE2
A third departure some insist onF2
Stage apoplexy threatens ListonE2
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XVE
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Nay then let Sleeping Beauty sleepG2
With ancient Dozey to the dregsF
Let Mother Goose wear mourning deepG2
And put a hatchment o'er her eggsF
Let Farley weep for Magic's manL
Is gone his Christmas CalibanL
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XVIE
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Let Kemble Forbes and Willet rainL
As tho' they walk'd behind thy bierH2
For since thou wilt not play againL
What matters if in heav'n or hereH2
Or in thy grave or in thy bedW
There's Quick might just as well be deadW
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XVIIE
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Oh how will thy departure cloudI2
The lamplight of the little breastJ2
The Christmas child will grieve aloudI2
To miss his broadest friend and bestJ2
Poor urchin what avails to himK2
The cold New Monthly's Ghost of GrimmK2
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XVIIIE
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For who like thee could ever strideL2
Some dozen paces to the mileM2
The motley medley coach provideL2
Or like Joe Frankenstein compileM2
The vegetable man completeC2
A proper Covent Garden featC2
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XIXF
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Oh who like thee could ever drinkF
Or eat swill swallow bolt and chokeF
Nod weep and hiccup sneeze and winkF
Thy very yawn was quite a jokeF
Tho' Joseph Junior acts not illR
There's no Fool like the old Fool stillR
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XXF
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Joseph farewell dear funny JoeF
We met with mirth we part in painL
For many a long long year must goF
Ere Fun can see thy like againL
For Nature does not keep great storesF
Of perfect Clowns that are not BoorsF

Thomas Hood



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