A Tale Of The Sea Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCC DDBBEE AAFF CCGG HHII IIJJ KKLL DMCC NNOO BBPP BCBC BBQQ RRSS TTUU VVWW FFXX YYFF ZZXX BBA2B2 CCCC C2C2BB

A pathetic tale of the sea I will unfoldA
Enough to make one's blood run coldA
Concerning four fishermen cast adrift in a doryB
As I've been told I'll relate the storyB
T'was on the th April on the afternoon of that dayC
That the village of Louisburg was thrown into a wild state or dismayC
-
And the villagers flew to the beach in a state of wild uproarD
And in a dory they found four men were cast ashoreD
Then the villagers in surprise assembled about the doryB
And they found that the bottom of the boat was goryB
Then their hearts were seized with sudden dreadE
when they discovered that two of the men were deadE
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And the two survivors were exhausted from exposure hunger and coldA
Which used the spectators to shudder when them they did beholdA
And with hunger the poor men couldn't stand on their feetF
They felt so weakly on their legs for want of meatF
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They were carried to a boarding house without delayC
But those that were looking on were stricken with dismayC
When the remains of James and Angus McDonald were found in the boatG
Likewise three pieces or flesh in a pool or blood afloatG
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Angus McDonald's right arm was missing from the elbowH
and the throat was cut in a sickening manner which filled the villagers hearts with woeH
Especially when they saw two pieces of flesh had been cut from each thighI
'Twas then the kind hearted villagers did murmur and sighI
-
Angus McDonald must have felt the pangs of hunger before he did tryI
to cut two pieces of fiesh from James McDonald's thighI
But Oh heaven the pangs of hunger are very hard to tholeJ
And anything that's eatable is precious unto an hungry soulJ
-
Alas it is most pitiful and horrible to thinkK
That with hunger christians will each other's blood drinkK
And eat each other's flesh to save themselves from starvationL
But the pangs or hunger makes them mad and drives them to desperationL
-
An old American soldier that had passed through the Civil WarD
Declared the scene surpassed anything he's seen by farM
And at the sight the crowd in horror turned awayC
which no doubt they will remember for many a dayC
-
Colin Chisholm one of the survivors was looking very paleN
Stretched on a sofa at the boarding house making his wailN
Poor fellow his feet was greatly swollen and with a melancholy airO
He gave the following account of the distressing affairO
-
We belonged to the American fishing schooner named CicelyB
And our captain was a brave man called McKenzieB
And the vessel had fourteen hands altogetherP
And during the passage we had favourable weatherP
-
'Twas on March the th we sailed from Gloucester on the WednesdayB
And all our hearts felt buoyant and gayC
And we arrived on the Western banks on the succeeding TuesdayB
While the time unto us seemed to pass merrily awayC
-
About eight O'clock in the morning we left the vessel in a doryB
And I hope all kind christians will take heed to my storyB
Well while we were at our work the sky began to frownQ
And with a dense fog we were suddenly shut downQ
-
Then we hunted and shouted and every nerve did strainR
Thinking to find our schooner but alas it was all in vainR
Because the thick fog hid the vessel from our viewS
And to keep ourselves warm we closely to each other drewS
-
We had not one drop of water nor provisions of any kindT
Which alas soon began to tell on our mindT
Especially upon James McDonald who was very thinly cladU
And with the cold and hunger he felt almost madU
-
And looking from the stern where he was lyingV
he said Good bye mates Oh I am dyingV
Poor fellow we kept his body thinking the rest of us would be savedW
Then with hunger Angus McDonald began to cry and madly ravedW
-
And he cried Oh God send us some kind of meatF
Because I'm resolved to have something to eatF
Oh do not let us starve on the briny floodX
Or else I will drink of poor Jim's bloodX
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Then he suddenly seized his knife and cut off poor Jim's armY
Not thinking in his madness he'd done any harmY
Then poor Jim's blood he did drink and his flesh did eatF
Declaring that the blood tasted like cream and was a treatF
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Then he asked me to taste it saying It was good without doubtZ
Then I tasted it but in disgust I instantly spat it outZ
Saying if I was to die within an hour on the briny floodX
I would neither eat the flesh nor drink the bloodX
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Then in the afternoon again he turned to meB
Saying I'm going to cut Jim's throat for more blood d'ye seeB
Then I begged of him for God's sake not to cut the throat of poor JimA2
But he cried Ha ha to save my own life I consider it no sinB2
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I tried to prevent him but he struck me without dismayC
And cut poor Jim's throat in defiance of me or all I could sayC
Also a piece of flesh from each thigh and began to eat awayC
But poor fellow he sickened about noon and died on the SundayC
-
Now it is all over and I will thank all my lifeC2
Who has preserved me and my mate McEachern in the midst of danger and strifeC2
And I hope that all landsmen of low and high degreeB
Will think of the hardships of poor mariners while at seaB

William Topaz Mcgonagall



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