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 BUBUUUUUO'er unreclaimed suburban clays | A |
Some years ago were hobblin' | B |
An elderly ghost of easy ways | A |
And an influential goblin | B |
The ghost was a sombre spectral shape | C |
A fine old five act fogy | D |
The goblin imp a lithe young ape | C |
A fine low comedy bogy | D |
- | |
And as they exercised their joints | E |
Promoting quick digestion | B |
They talked on several curious points | E |
And raised this delicate question | B |
Which of us two is Number One | B |
The ghostie or the goblin | B |
And o'er the point they raised in fun | B |
They fairly fell a squabblin' | B |
- | |
They'd barely speak and each in fine | B |
Grew more and more reflective | F |
Each thought his own particular line | B |
By chalks the more effective | F |
At length they settled some one should | G |
By each of them be haunted | H |
And so arrange that either could | G |
Exert his prowess vaunted | I |
- | |
The Quaint against the Statuesque | J |
By competition lawful | K |
The goblin backed the Quaint Grotesque | J |
The ghost the Grandly Awful | K |
Now said the goblin here's my plan | B |
In attitude commanding | L |
I see a stalwart Englishman | B |
By yonder tailor's standing | L |
- | |
The very fittest man on earth | M |
My influence to try on | B |
Of gentle p'r'aps of noble birth | M |
And dauntless as a lion | B |
Now wrap yourself within your shroud | N |
Remain in easy hearing | L |
Observe you'll hear him scream aloud | N |
When I begin appearing | L |
- | |
The imp with yell unearthly wild | O |
Threw off his dark enclosure | P |
His dauntless victim looked and smiled | O |
With singular composure | P |
For hours he tried to daunt the youth | Q |
For days indeed but vainly | D |
The stripling smiled to tell the truth | Q |
The stripling smiled inanely | D |
- | |
For weeks the goblin weird and wild | O |
That noble stripling haunted | H |
For weeks the stripling stood and smiled | O |
Unmoved and all undaunted | I |
The sombre ghost exclaimed Your plan | B |
Has failed you goblin plainly | D |
Now watch yon hardy Hieland man | B |
So stalwart and ungainly | D |
- | |
These are the men who chase the roe | R |
Whose footsteps never falter | P |
Who bring with them where'er they go | R |
A smack of old SIR WALTER | P |
Of such as he the men sublime | S |
Who lead their troops victorious | T |
Whose deeds go down to after time | S |
Enshrined in annals glorious | T |
- | |
Of such as he the bard has said | U |
'Hech thrawfu' raltie rorkie | R |
Wi' thecht ta' croonie clapperhead | U |
And fash' wi' unco pawkie ' | - |
He'll faint away when I appear | V |
Upon his native heather | P |
Or p'r'aps he'll only scream with fear | V |
Or p'r'aps the two together | P |
- | |
The spectre showed himself alone | B |
To do his ghostly battling | R |
With curdling groan and dismal moan | B |
And lots of chains a rattling | R |
But no the chiel's stout Gaelic stuff | W |
Withstood all ghostly harrying | R |
His fingers closed upon the snuff | W |
Which upwards he was carrying | R |
- | |
For days that ghost declined to stir | P |
A foggy shapeless giant | U |
For weeks that splendid officer | P |
Stared back again defiant | U |
Just as the Englishman returned | U |
The goblin's vulgar staring | R |
Just so the Scotchman boldly spurned | U |
The ghost's unmannered scaring | R |
- | |
For several years the ghostly twain | B |
These Britons bold have haunted | U |
But all their efforts are in vain | B |
Their victims stand undaunted | U |
This very day the imp and ghost | U |
Whose powers the imp derided | U |
Stand each at his allotted post | U |
The bet is undecided | U |
William Schwenck Gilbert
(1)
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