Old Paul And Old Tim Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCC DDEE FFGG BAHH IIJK LLMM NNOO PPQQ RRSS TTUU VVWW XXUU YYZZ A2A2WW B2B2WW C2C2WW

When rival adorers come courting a maidA
There's something or other may often be saidB
Why HE should be pitched upon rather than HIMC
This wasn't the case with Old PAUL and Old TIMC
-
No soul could discover a reason at allD
For marrying TIMOTHY rather than PAULD
Though all could have offered good reasons on oathE
Against marrying either or marrying bothE
-
They were equally wealthy and equally oldF
They were equally timid and equally boldF
They were equally tall as they stood in their shoesG
Between them in fact there was nothing to chooseG
-
Had I been young EMILY I should have saidB
You're both much too old for a pretty young maidA
Threescore at the least you are verging uponH
But I wasn't young EMILY Let us get onH
-
No coward's blood ran in young EMILY'S veinsI
Her martial old father loved bloody campaignsI
At the rumours of battles all over the globeJ
He pricked up his ears like the war horse in JobK
-
He chuckled to hear of a sudden surpriseL
Of soldiers compelled through an enemy's spiesL
Without any knapsacks or shakos to fleeM
For an eminent army contractor was heM
-
So when her two lovers whose patience was triedN
Implored her between them at once to decideN
She told them she'd marry whichever might bringO
Good proofs of his doing the pluckiest thingO
-
They both went away with a qualified joyP
That coward Old PAUL chose a very small boyP
And when no one was looking in spite of his fearsQ
He set to work boxing that little boy's earsQ
-
The little boy struggled and tugged at his hairR
But the lion was roused and Old PAUL didn't careR
He smacked him and whacked him and boxed him and kickedS
Till the poor little beggar was royally lickedS
-
Old TIM knew a trick worth a dozen of thatT
So he called for his stick and he called for his hatT
I'll cover myself with cheap glory I'll goU
And wallop the Frenchmen who live in SohoU
-
The German invader is ravaging FranceV
With infantry rifle and cavalry lanceV
And beautiful Paris is fighting her bestW
To shake herself free from her terrible guestW
-
The Frenchmen in London in craven alarmsX
Have all run away from the summons to armsX
They haven't the pluck of a pigeon I'll goU
And wallop the Frenchmen who skulk in SohoU
-
Old TIMOTHY tried it and found it succeedY
That day he caused many French noses to bleedY
Through foggy Soho he spread fear and dismayZ
And Frenchmen all round him in agony layZ
-
He took care to abstain from employing his fistA2
On the old and the crippled for they might resistA2
A crippled old man may have pluck in his breastW
But the young and the strong ones are cowards confestW
-
Old TIM and Old PAUL with the list of their foesB2
Prostrated themselves at their EMILY'S toesB2
Oh which of us two is the pluckier bladeW
And EMILY answered and EMILY saidW
-
Old TIM has thrashed runaway Frenchmen in scoresC2
Who ought to be guarding their cities and shoresC2
Old PAUL has made little chaps' noses to bleedW
Old PAUL has accomplished the pluckier deedW

William Schwenck Gilbert



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