Analysis of James And The Shoulder Of Mutton
Ann Taylor 1782 (Islington) – 1866
YOUNG Jem at noon return'd from school,
As hungry as could be,
He cried to Sue, the servant-maid,
'My dinner give to me. '
Said Sue, 'It is not yet come home;
Besides, it is not late. '
'No matter that, ' cries little Jem,
'I do not like to wait. '
Quick to the baker's Jemmy went
And ask'd, 'Is dinner done?'
'It is,' replied the baker's man.
'Then home with it I'll run.'
'Nay, Sir, ' replied he prudently,
'I tell you 'tis too hot,
And much too heavy 'tis for you. '
'I tell you it is not.'
'Papa, mamma, are both gone out,
And I for dinner long;
So give it me, it is all mine,
And baker, hold your tongue.
'A shoulder 'tis of mutton nice!
And batter-pudding too;
I'm glad of that, it is so good;
How clever is our Sue! '
Now near the door young Jem was come,
He round the corner turn'd,
But oh, sad fate! unlucky chance!
The dish his fingers burn'd.
Now in the kennel down fell dish,
And down fell all the meat:
Swift went the pudding in the stream,
And sail'd along the street.
The people laugh'd, and rude boys grinn'd
At mutton's hapless fall;
But though ashamed, young Jemmy cried,
'Better lose part than all.'
The shoulder by the knuckle seized,
His hands both grasp'd it fast,
And deaf to all their gibes and cries,
He gain'd his home at last.
'Impatience is a fault,' cries Jem,
'The baker told me true;
In future I will patient be,
And mind what says our Sue. '
Scheme | XAXA XBCB XDXD AEFE XXXX XFXF XGXG XHXH XIXI XJXJ CFAF |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (91%) |
Metre | 11110111 110111 11110101 110111 11111111 011111 11011101 111111 1101011 011101 11010101 111111 11011100 111111 01110111 111111 10101111 011101 11111111 010111 01011101 010101 11111111 1101101 11011111 110101 11110101 011101 10010111 011101 11010001 010101 01010111 11101 1101111 101111 01010101 111111 01111101 111111 01010111 010111 01011101 0111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,375 |
Words | 277 |
Sentences | 19 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 44 |
Letters per line (avg) | 23 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 91 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 24 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:23 min read
- 67 Views
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