The Last Of The Flock Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BCDDEFGFHH A IIJJK LMNN A OOPQRSTSUU VVRRW U AS S XX OWYW A WWZA2SB2C2B2JJ A D2D2E2E2AF2G2H2I2I2 A J2J2SSJ2K2SK2L2L2 S SSUUG2SPSJJ S SSVVJF2M2F2NI | A |
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In distant countries have I been | B |
And yet I have not often seen | C |
A healthy man a man full grown | D |
Weep in the public roads alone | D |
But such a one on English ground | E |
And in the broad highway I met | F |
Along the broad highway he came | G |
His cheeks with tears were wet | F |
Sturdy he seemed though he was sad | H |
And in his arms a Lamb he had | H |
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II | A |
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He saw me and he turned aside | I |
As if he wished himself to hide | I |
And with his coat did then essay | J |
To wipe those briny tears away | J |
I followed him and said 'My friend | K |
What ails you wherefore weep you so ' | - |
'Shame on me Sir this lusty Lamb | L |
He makes my tears to flow | M |
To day I fetched him from the rock | N |
He is the last of all my flock | N |
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III | A |
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'When I was young a single man | O |
And after youthful follies ran | O |
Though little given to care and thought | P |
Yet so it was an ewe I bought | Q |
And other sheep from her I raised | R |
As healthy sheep as you might see | S |
And then I married and was rich | T |
As I could wish to be | S |
Of sheep I numbered a full score | U |
And every year increased my store | U |
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IV | - |
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'Year after year my stock it grew | V |
And from this one this single ewe | V |
Full fifty comely sheep I raised | R |
As fine a flock as ever grazed | R |
Upon the Quantock hills they fed | W |
They throve and we at home did thrive | - |
This lusty Lamb of all my store | U |
Is all that is alive | - |
And now I care not if we die | A |
And perish all of poverty | S |
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V | S |
- | |
'Six Children Sir had I to feed | X |
Hard labour in a time of need | X |
My pride was tamed and in our grief | - |
I of the Parish asked relief | - |
They said I was a wealthy man | O |
My sheep upon the uplands fed | W |
And it was fit that thence I took | Y |
Whereof to buy us bread | W |
'Do this how can we give to you ' | - |
They cried 'what to the poor is due ' | - |
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VI | A |
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'I sold a sheep as they had said | W |
And bought my little children bread | W |
And they were healthy with their food | Z |
For me it never did me good | A2 |
A woeful time it was for me | S |
To see the end of all my gains | B2 |
The pretty flock which I had reared | C2 |
With all my care and pains | B2 |
To see it melt like snow away | J |
For me it was a woeful day | J |
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VII | A |
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'Another still and still another | D2 |
A little lamb and then its mother | D2 |
It was a vein that never stopped | E2 |
Like blood drops from my heart they dropped | E2 |
'Till thirty were not left alive | A |
They dwindled dwindled one by one | F2 |
And I may say that many a time | G2 |
I wished they all were gone | H2 |
Reckless of what might come at last | I2 |
Were but the bitter struggle past | I2 |
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VIII | A |
- | |
'To wicked deeds I was inclined | J2 |
And wicked fancies crossed my mind | J2 |
And every man I chanced to see | S |
I thought he knew some ill of me | S |
No peace no comfort could I find | J2 |
No ease within doors or without | K2 |
And crazily and wearily | S |
I went my work about | K2 |
And oft was moved to flee from home | L2 |
And hide my head where wild beasts roam | L2 |
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IX | S |
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'Sir 'twas a precious flock to me | S |
As dear as my own children be | S |
For daily with my growing store | U |
I loved my children more and more | U |
Alas it was an evil time | G2 |
God cursed me in my sore distress | S |
I prayed yet every day I thought | P |
I loved my children less | S |
And every week and every day | J |
My flock it seemed to melt away | J |
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X | S |
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'They dwindled Sir sad sight to see | S |
From ten to five from five to three | S |
A lamb a wether and a ewe | V |
And then at last from three to two | V |
And of my fifty yesterday | J |
I had but only one | F2 |
And here it lies upon my arm | M2 |
Alas and I have none | F2 |
To day I fetched it from the rock | N |
It is the last of all my flock ' | - |
William Wordsworth
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