The Retired Cat Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDDEFEFGGEEHIJJKK LLMMNNOOPPGGQQ NNRRSSGGTTEENUNUVV WXMMYYZZSSA2A2 B2C2D2D2E2E2F2F2G2G2 E2E2 EEE2E2E2E2E2E2GGH2H2 I2I2F2F2J2J2E2E2E2E2 E2E2TTK2K2E2E2E2E2 K2 L2M2E2E2TN2TTA poet's cat sedate and grave | A |
As poet well could wish to have | B |
Was much addicted to inquire | C |
For nooks to which she might retire | C |
And where secure as mouse in chink | D |
She might repose or sit and think | D |
I know not where she caught the trick | E |
Nature perhaps herself had cast her | F |
In such a mould philosophique | E |
Or else she learn'd it of her master | F |
Sometimes ascending debonair | G |
An apple tree or lofty pear | G |
Lodg'd with convenience in the fork | E |
She watch'd the gardener at his work | E |
Sometimes her ease and solace sought | H |
In an old empty wat'ring pot | I |
There wanting nothing save a fan | J |
To seem some nymph in her sedan | J |
Apparell'd in exactest sort | K |
And ready to be borne to court | K |
- | |
But love of change it seems has place | L |
Not only in our wiser race | L |
Cats also feel as well as we | M |
That passion's force and so did she | M |
Her climbing she began to find | N |
Expos'd her too much to the wind | N |
And the old utensil of tin | O |
Was cold and comfortless within | O |
She therefore wish'd instead of those | P |
Some place of more serene repose | P |
Where neither cold might come nor air | G |
Too rudely wanton with her hair | G |
And sought it in the likeliest mode | Q |
Within her master's snug abode | Q |
- | |
A drawer it chanc'd at bottom lin'd | N |
With linen of the softest kind | N |
With such as merchants introduce | R |
From India for the ladies' use | R |
A drawer impending o'er the rest | S |
Half open in the topmost chest | S |
Of depth enough and none to spare | G |
Invited her to slumber there | G |
Puss with delight beyond expression | T |
Survey'd the scene and took possession | T |
Recumbent at her ease ere long | E |
And lull'd by her own humdrum song | E |
She left the cares of life behind | N |
And slept as she would sleep her last | U |
When in came housewifely inclin'd | N |
The chambermaid and shut it fast | U |
By no malignity impell'd | V |
But all unconscious whom it held | V |
- | |
Awaken'd by the shock cried Puss | W |
Was ever cat attended thus | X |
The open drawer was left I see | M |
Merely to prove a nest for me | M |
For soon as I was well compos'd | Y |
Then came the maid and it was clos'd | Y |
How smooth these kerchiefs and how sweet | Z |
Oh what a delicate retreat | Z |
I will resign myself to rest | S |
Till Sol declining in the west | S |
Shall call to supper when no doubt | A2 |
Susan will come and let me out | A2 |
- | |
The evening came the sun descended | B2 |
And puss remain'd still unattended | C2 |
The night roll'd tardily away | D2 |
With her indeed 'twas never day | D2 |
The sprightly morn her course renew'd | E2 |
The evening gray again ensued | E2 |
And puss came into mind no more | F2 |
han if entomb'd the day before | F2 |
With hunger pinch'd and pinch'd for room | G2 |
She now presag'd approaching doom | G2 |
Nor slept a single wink or purr'd | E2 |
Conscious of jeopardy incurr'd | E2 |
- | |
That night by chance the poet watching | E |
Heard an inexplicable scratching | E |
His noble heart went pit a pat | E2 |
And to himself he said What's that | E2 |
He drew the curtain at his side | E2 |
And forth he peep'd but nothing spied | E2 |
Yet by his ear directed guess'd | E2 |
Something imprison'd in the chest | E2 |
And doubtful what with prudent care | G |
Resolv'd it should continue there | G |
At length a voice which well he knew | H2 |
A long and melancholy mew | H2 |
Saluting his poetic ears | I2 |
Consol'd him and dispell'd his fears | I2 |
He left his bed he trod the floor | F2 |
He 'gan in haste the drawers explore | F2 |
The lowest first and without stop | J2 |
The rest in order to the top | J2 |
For 'tis a truth well known to most | E2 |
That whatsoever thing is lost | E2 |
We seek it ere it come to light | E2 |
In ev'ry cranny but the right | E2 |
Forth skipp'd the cat not now replete | E2 |
As erst with airy self conceit | E2 |
Nor in her own fond apprehension | T |
A theme for all the world's attention | T |
But modest sober cured of all | K2 |
Her notions hyperbolical | K2 |
And wishing for a place of rest | E2 |
Anything rather than a chest | E2 |
Then stepp'd the poet into bed | E2 |
With this reflection in his head | E2 |
- | |
MORAL | K2 |
- | |
Beware of too sublime a sense | L2 |
Of your own worth and consequence | M2 |
The man who dreams himself so great | E2 |
And his importance of such weight | E2 |
That all around in all that's done | T |
Must move and act for him alone | N2 |
Will learn in school of tribulation | T |
The folly of his expectation | T |
William Cowper
(1)
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