Irony Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABBC DEFG HIJK LMNO GGGG PQDR OSOT UVWX YAOZ R| The twentieth century has often fooled us | A |
| We've been squeezed in by falsehood as by taxes | B |
| The breath of life has denuded our ideas | B |
| as quickly as it strips a dandelion | C |
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| As boys fall back on biting sarcasm | D |
| so we rely for safe defense | E |
| on an irony not too suppressed | F |
| not too naked either | G |
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| It has served as a wall or dam | H |
| to shield us against a flood of lies | I |
| and hands have laughed as they applauded | J |
| and feet sniggered as they marched | K |
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| They could write about us and we've allowed | L |
| them to make movies of this scribbled trash | M |
| but we have reserved the right | N |
| to treat all this with quiet irony | O |
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| In our contempt we felt superior | G |
| All this is so but probing deeper | G |
| irony instead of acting as our savior | G |
| you have become our murderer | G |
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| We're cautious hypocritical in love | P |
| Our friendships are lukewarm not brave | Q |
| and our present seems no different from | D |
| our past so cunningly disguised | R |
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| Through life we scurry In history | O |
| like any Faust we've been prejudged | S |
| With Mephistophelian smile irony | O |
| like a shadow dogs our every step | T |
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| In vain we try to dodge the shadow | U |
| The paths in front behind are blocked | V |
| Irony to you we've sold our soul | W |
| receiving no Margaret in return | X |
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| You have buried us alive | Y |
| Bitter knowledge has made us powerless | A |
| and our weary irony ironically | O |
| has turned against ourselves | Z |
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| Translated by George Reavey revised | R |
Yevgeny Yevtushenko
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Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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