The Duel. - A Serious Ballad Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDC EFGF CHIH JKLK MNDN COPO QRSR TUVU WVXY APZP A2B2C2B2 D2E2F2E2 HG2H2G2 LI2J2I2 HK2L2K2 M2N2O2N2 PP2XP2| Like the two Kings of Brentford smelling at one nosegay | A |
| - | |
| - | |
| In Brentford town of old renown | B |
| There lived a Mister Bray | C |
| Who fell in love with Lucy Bell | D |
| And so did Mr Clay | C |
| - | |
| To see her ride from Hammersmith | E |
| By all it was allowed | F |
| Such fair outsides are seldom seen | G |
| Such Angels on a Cloud | F |
| - | |
| Said Mr Bray to Mr Clay | C |
| You choose to rival me | H |
| And court Miss Bell but there your court | I |
| No thoroughfare shall be | H |
| - | |
| Unless you now give up your suit | J |
| You may repent your love | K |
| I who have shot a pigeon match | L |
| Can shoot a turtle dove | K |
| - | |
| So pray before you woo her more | M |
| Consider what you do | N |
| If you pop aught to Lucy Bell | D |
| I'll pop it into you | N |
| - | |
| Said Mr Clay to Mr Bray | C |
| Your threats I quite explode | O |
| One who has been a volunteer | P |
| Knows how to prime and load | O |
| - | |
| And so I say to you unless | Q |
| Your passion quiet keeps | R |
| I who have shot and hit bulls' eyes | S |
| May chance to hit a sheep's | R |
| - | |
| Now gold is oft for silver changed | T |
| And that for copper red | U |
| But these two went away to give | V |
| Each other change for lead | U |
| - | |
| But first they sought a friend apiece | W |
| This pleasant thought to give | V |
| When they were dead they thus should have | X |
| Two seconds still to live | Y |
| - | |
| To measure out the ground not long | A |
| The seconds then forbore | P |
| And having taken one rash step | Z |
| They took a dozen more | P |
| - | |
| They next prepared each pistol pan | A2 |
| Against the deadly strife | B2 |
| By putting in the prime of death | C2 |
| Against the prime of life | B2 |
| - | |
| Now all was ready for the foes | D2 |
| But when they took their stands | E2 |
| Fear made them tremble so they found | F2 |
| They both were shaking hands | E2 |
| - | |
| Said Mr C to Mr B | H |
| Here one of us may fall | G2 |
| And like St Paul's Cathedral now | H2 |
| Be doomed to have a ball | G2 |
| - | |
| I do confess I did attach | L |
| Misconduct to your name | I2 |
| If I withdraw the charge will then | J2 |
| Your ramrod do the same | I2 |
| - | |
| Said Mr B I do agree | H |
| But think of Honor's Courts | K2 |
| If we go off without a shot | L2 |
| There will be strange reports | K2 |
| - | |
| But look the morning now is bright | M2 |
| Though cloudy it begun | N2 |
| Why can't we aim above as if | O2 |
| We had called out the sun | N2 |
| - | |
| Soup into the harmless air | P |
| Their bullets they did send | P2 |
| And may all other duels have | X |
| That upshot in the end | P2 |
Thomas Hood
(1)
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The Duel. - A Serious Ballad is a poem by Thomas Hood. This page includes the poem text, poet information, related topics, comments, and similar poems.
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