The Baby's Vengeance Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABB CCDD EEFF GGHH IIJJ KKAA LLMM NNOO HHPP LLAA A QRQRRR STSTTT URURTT VVVVLL VWVWVV XTXTTT KYKYZZ JJJJVV AAPP JJJJ A2A2AAWeary at heart and extremely ill | A |
Was PALEY VOLLAIRE of Bromptonville | A |
In a dirty lodging with fever down | B |
Close to the Polygon Somers Town | B |
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PALEY VOLLAIRE was an only son | C |
For why His mother had had but one | C |
And PALEY inherited gold and grounds | D |
Worth several hundred thousand pounds | D |
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But he like many a rich young man | E |
Through this magnificent fortune ran | E |
And nothing was left for his daily needs | F |
But duplicate copies of mortgage deeds | F |
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Shabby and sorry and sorely sick | G |
He slept and dreamt that the clock's tick tick | G |
Was one of the Fates with a long sharp knife | H |
Snicking off bits of his shortened life | H |
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He woke and counted the pips on the walls | I |
The outdoor passengers' loud footfalls | I |
And reckoned all over and reckoned again | J |
The little white tufts on his counterpane | J |
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A medical man to his bedside came | K |
I can't remember that doctor's name | K |
And said You'll die in a very short while | A |
If you don't set sail for Madeira's isle | A |
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Go to Madeira goodness me | L |
I haven't the money to pay your fee | L |
Then PALEY VOLLAIRE said the leech good bye | M |
I'll come no more for your're sure to die | M |
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He sighed and he groaned and smote his breast | N |
Oh send said he for FREDERICK WEST | N |
Ere senses fade or my eyes grow dim | O |
I've a terrible tale to whisper him | O |
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Poor was FREDERICK'S lot in life | H |
A dustman he with a fair young wife | H |
A worthy man with a hard earned store | P |
A hundred and seventy pounds or more | P |
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FREDERICK came and he said Maybe | L |
You'll say what you happened to want with me | L |
Wronged boy said PALEY VOLLAIRE I will | A |
But don't you fidget yourself sit still | A |
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THE TERRIBLE TALE | A |
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'Tis now some thirty seven years ago | Q |
Since first began the plot that I'm revealing | R |
A fine young woman whom you ought to know | Q |
Lived with her husband down in Drum Lane Ealing | R |
Herself by means of mangling reimbursing | R |
And now and then at intervals wet nursing | R |
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Two little babes dwelt in their humble cot | S |
One was her own the other only lent to her | T |
HER OWN SHE SLIGHTED Tempted by a lot | S |
Of gold and silver regularly sent to her | T |
She ministered unto the little other | T |
In the capacity of foster mother | T |
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I WAS HER OWN Oh how I lay and sobbed | U |
In my poor cradle deeply deeply cursing | R |
The rich man's pampered bantling who had robbed | U |
My only birthright an attentive nursing | R |
Sometimes in hatred of my foster brother | T |
I gnashed my gums which terrified my mother | T |
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One day it was quite early in the week | V |
I IN MY CRADLE HAVING PLACED THE BANTLING | V |
Crept into his He had not learnt to speak | V |
But I could see his face with anger mantling | V |
It was imprudent well disgraceful maybe | L |
For oh I was a bad blackhearted baby | L |
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So great a luxury was food I think | V |
No wickedness but I was game to try for it | W |
NOW if I wanted anything to drink | V |
At any time I only had to cry for it | W |
ONCE if I dared to weep the bottle lacking | V |
My blubbering involved a serious smacking | V |
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We grew up in the usual way my friend | X |
My foster brother daily growing thinner | T |
While gradually I began to mend | X |
And thrived amazingly on double dinner | T |
And every one besides my foster mother | T |
Believed that either of us was the other | T |
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I came into HIS wealth I bore HIS name | K |
I bear it still HIS property I squandered | Y |
I mortgaged everything and now oh shame | K |
Into a Somers Town shake down I've wandered | Y |
I am no PALEY no VOLLAIRE it's true my boy | Z |
The only rightful PALEY V is YOU my boy | Z |
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And all I have is yours and yours is mine | J |
I still may place you in your true position | J |
Give me the pounds you've saved and I'll resign | J |
My noble name my rank and my condition | J |
So far my wickedness in falsely owning | V |
Your vasty wealth I am at last atoning | V |
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FREDERICK he was a simple soul | A |
He pulled from his pocket a bulky roll | A |
And gave to PALEY his hard earned store | P |
A hundred and seventy pounds or more | P |
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PALEY VOLLAIRE with many a groan | J |
Gave FREDERICK all that he called his own | J |
Two shirts and a sock and a vest of jean | J |
A Wellington boot and a bamboo cane | J |
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And FRED entitled to all things there | A2 |
He took the fever from MR VOLLAIRE | A2 |
Which killed poor FREDERICK WEST Meanwhile | A |
VOLLAIRE sailed off to Madeira's isle | A |
William Schwenck Gilbert
(1)
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