The Periwinkle Girl Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCB DEDE FGFG HIHF JBJB KLKL MNOP FLFL QPQP FRFR PIPI FLFL SBSB PIPI FLFL FFFL FFFF LPLF TBTB LGLG FBFB| I've often thought that headstrong youths | A |
| Of decent education | B |
| Determine all important truths | C |
| With strange precipitation | B |
| - | |
| The ever ready victims they | D |
| Of logical illusions | E |
| And in a self assertive way | D |
| They jump at strange conclusions | E |
| - | |
| Now take my case Ere sorrow could | F |
| My ample forehead wrinkle | G |
| I had determined that I should | F |
| Not care to be a winkle | G |
| - | |
| quot A winkle quot I would oft advance | H |
| With readiness provoking | I |
| quot Can seldom flirt and never dance | H |
| Or soothe his mind by smoking quot | F |
| - | |
| In short I spurned the shelly joy | J |
| And spoke with strange decision | B |
| Men pointed to me as a boy | J |
| Who held them in derision | B |
| - | |
| But I was young too young by far | K |
| Or I had been more wary | L |
| I knew not then that winkles are | K |
| The stock in trade of MARY | L |
| - | |
| I had not watched her sunlight blithe | M |
| As o'er their shells it dances | N |
| I've seen those winkles almost writhe | O |
| Beneath her beaming glances | P |
| - | |
| Of slighting all the winkly brood | F |
| I surely had been chary | L |
| If I had known they formed the food | F |
| And stock in trade of MARY | L |
| - | |
| Both high and low and great and small | Q |
| Fell prostrate at her tootsies | P |
| They all were noblemen and all | Q |
| Had balances at COUTTS'S | P |
| - | |
| Dukes with the lovely maiden dealt | F |
| DUKE BAILEY and DUKE HUMPHY | R |
| Who ate her winkles till they felt | F |
| Exceedingly uncomfy | R |
| - | |
| DUKE BAILEY greatest wealth computes | P |
| And sticks they say at no thing | I |
| He wears a pair of golden boots | P |
| And silver underclothing | I |
| - | |
| DUKE HUMPHY as I understand | F |
| Though mentally acuter | L |
| His boots are only silver and | F |
| His underclothing pewter | L |
| - | |
| A third adorer had the girl | S |
| A man of lowly station | B |
| A miserable grov'ling Earl | S |
| Besought her approbation | B |
| - | |
| This humble cad she did refuse | P |
| With much contempt and loathing | I |
| He wore a pair of leather shoes | P |
| And cambric underclothing | I |
| - | |
| quot Ha ha quot she cried quot Upon my word | F |
| Well really come I never | L |
| Oh go along it's too absurd | F |
| My goodness Did you ever | L |
| - | |
| quot Two Dukes would Mary make a bride | F |
| And from her foes defend her quot | F |
| quot Well not exactly that quot they cried | F |
| quot We offer guilty splendour | L |
| - | |
| quot We do not offer marriage rite | F |
| So please dismiss the notion quot | F |
| quot Oh dear quot said she quot that alters quite | F |
| The state of my emotion quot | F |
| - | |
| The Earl he up and says says he | L |
| quot Dismiss them to their orgies | P |
| For I am game to marry thee | L |
| Quite reg'lar at St George's quot | F |
| - | |
| He'd had it happily befell | T |
| A decent education | B |
| His views would have befitted well | T |
| A far superior station | B |
| - | |
| His sterling worth had worked a cure | L |
| She never heard him grumble | G |
| She saw his soul was good and pure | L |
| Although his rank was humble | G |
| - | |
| Her views of earldoms and their lot | F |
| All underwent expansion | B |
| Come Virtue in an earldom's cot | F |
| Go Vice in ducal mansion | B |
William Schwenck Gilbert
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