The Ghost, The Gallant, The Gael, And The Goblin Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABABCDCD EBEBBBBB BFBFGHGI JKJKBLBL MBMBNLNL OPOPQDQD OHOIBDBD RPRPSTST URU VPVP BRBRWRWR PUPUURUR BUBUUUUU

O'er unreclaimed suburban claysA
Some years ago were hobblin'B
An elderly ghost of easy waysA
And an influential goblinB
The ghost was a sombre spectral shapeC
A fine old five act fogyD
The goblin imp a lithe young apeC
A fine low comedy bogyD
-
And as they exercised their jointsE
Promoting quick digestionB
They talked on several curious pointsE
And raised this delicate questionB
Which of us two is Number OneB
The ghostie or the goblinB
And o'er the point they raised in funB
They fairly fell a squabblin'B
-
They'd barely speak and each in fineB
Grew more and more reflectiveF
Each thought his own particular lineB
By chalks the more effectiveF
At length they settled some one shouldG
By each of them be hauntedH
And so arrange that either couldG
Exert his prowess vauntedI
-
The Quaint against the StatuesqueJ
By competition lawfulK
The goblin backed the Quaint GrotesqueJ
The ghost the Grandly AwfulK
Now said the goblin here's my planB
In attitude commandingL
I see a stalwart EnglishmanB
By yonder tailor's standingL
-
The very fittest man on earthM
My influence to try onB
Of gentle p'r'aps of noble birthM
And dauntless as a lionB
Now wrap yourself within your shroudN
Remain in easy hearingL
Observe you'll hear him scream aloudN
When I begin appearingL
-
The imp with yell unearthly wildO
Threw off his dark enclosureP
His dauntless victim looked and smiledO
With singular composureP
For hours he tried to daunt the youthQ
For days indeed but vainlyD
The stripling smiled to tell the truthQ
The stripling smiled inanelyD
-
For weeks the goblin weird and wildO
That noble stripling hauntedH
For weeks the stripling stood and smiledO
Unmoved and all undauntedI
The sombre ghost exclaimed Your planB
Has failed you goblin plainlyD
Now watch yon hardy Hieland manB
So stalwart and ungainlyD
-
These are the men who chase the roeR
Whose footsteps never falterP
Who bring with them where'er they goR
A smack of old SIR WALTERP
Of such as he the men sublimeS
Who lead their troops victoriousT
Whose deeds go down to after timeS
Enshrined in annals gloriousT
-
Of such as he the bard has saidU
'Hech thrawfu' raltie rorkieR
Wi' thecht ta' croonie clapperheadU
And fash' wi' unco pawkie '-
He'll faint away when I appearV
Upon his native heatherP
Or p'r'aps he'll only scream with fearV
Or p'r'aps the two togetherP
-
The spectre showed himself aloneB
To do his ghostly battlingR
With curdling groan and dismal moanB
And lots of chains a rattlingR
But no the chiel's stout Gaelic stuffW
Withstood all ghostly harryingR
His fingers closed upon the snuffW
Which upwards he was carryingR
-
For days that ghost declined to stirP
A foggy shapeless giantU
For weeks that splendid officerP
Stared back again defiantU
Just as the Englishman returnedU
The goblin's vulgar staringR
Just so the Scotchman boldly spurnedU
The ghost's unmannered scaringR
-
For several years the ghostly twainB
These Britons bold have hauntedU
But all their efforts are in vainB
Their victims stand undauntedU
This very day the imp and ghostU
Whose powers the imp deridedU
Stand each at his allotted postU
The bet is undecidedU

William Schwenck Gilbert



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