The Demon Drink Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABB CCAA DDEE DFGG HHII FFJJ AAKK BBLL FFMM FFAA EEFF NNEE OPBB AAEE EEEE BBFF| Oh thou demon Drink thou fell destroyer | A |
| Thou curse of society and its greatest annoyer | A |
| What hast thou done to society let me think | B |
| I answer thou hast caused the most of ills thou demon Drink | B |
| - | |
| Thou causeth the mother to neglect her child | C |
| Also the father to act as he were wild | C |
| So that he neglects his loving wife and family dear | A |
| By spending his earnings foolishly on whisky rum and beer | A |
| - | |
| And after spending his earnings foolishly he beats his wife | D |
| The man that promised to protect her during life | D |
| And so the man would if there was no drink in society | E |
| For seldom a man beats his wife in a state of sobriety | E |
| - | |
| And if he does perhaps he finds his wife fou' | D |
| Then that causes no doubt a great hullaballo | F |
| When he finds his wife drunk he begins to frown | G |
| And in a fury of passion he knocks her down | G |
| - | |
| And in that knock down she fractures her head | H |
| And perhaps the poor wife she is killed dead | H |
| Whereas if there was no strong drink to be got | I |
| To be killed wouldn't have been the poor wife's lot | I |
| - | |
| Then the unfortunate husband is arrested and cast into jail | F |
| And sadly his fate he does bewail | F |
| And he curses the hour that ever was born | J |
| And paces his cell up and down very forlorn | J |
| - | |
| And when the day of his trial draws near | A |
| No doubt for the murdering of his wife he drops a tear | A |
| And he exclaims Oh thou demon Drink through thee I must die | K |
| And on the scaffold he warns the people from drink to fly | K |
| - | |
| Because whenever a father or a mother takes to drink | B |
| Step by step on in crime they do sink | B |
| Until their children loses all affection for them | L |
| And in justice we cannot their children condemn | L |
| - | |
| The man that gets drunk is little else than a fool | F |
| And is in the habit no doubt of advocating for Home Rule | F |
| But the best Home Rule for him as far as I can understand | M |
| Is the abolition of strong drink from the land | M |
| - | |
| And the men that get drunk in general wants Home Rule | F |
| But such men I rather think should keep their heads cool | F |
| And try and learn more sense I most earnestlty do pray | A |
| And help to get strong drink abolished without delay | A |
| - | |
| If drink was abolished how many peaceful homes would there be | E |
| Just for instance in the beautiful town of Dundee | E |
| then this world would be heaven whereas it's a hell | F |
| An the people would have more peace in it to dwell | F |
| - | |
| Alas strong drink makes men and women fanatics | N |
| And helps to fill our prisons and lunatics | N |
| And if there was no strong drink such cases wouldn't be | E |
| Which would be a very glad sight for all christians to see | E |
| - | |
| O admit a man may be a very good man | O |
| But in my opinion he cannot be a true Christian | P |
| As long as he partakes of strong drink | B |
| The more that he may differently think | B |
| - | |
| But no matter what he thinks I say nay | A |
| For by taking it he helps to lead his brither astray | A |
| Whereas if he didn't drink he would help to reform society | E |
| And we would soon do away with all inebriety | E |
| - | |
| Then for the sake of society and the Church of God | E |
| Let each one try to abolish it at home and abroad | E |
| Then poverty and crime would decrease and be at a stand | E |
| And Christ's Kingdom would soon be established throughout the land | E |
| - | |
| Therefore brothers and sisters pause and think | B |
| And try to abolish the foul fiend Drink | B |
| Let such doctrine be taught in church and school | F |
| That the abolition of strong drink is the only Home Rule | F |
William Topaz Mcgonagall
(1)
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