Analysis of Oh! Mr Best You're Very Bad

Jane Austen 1775 (Steventon Rectory, Hampshire) – 1817 (Winchester, Hampshire)



Oh! Mr. Best, you're very bad
And all the world shall know it;
Your base behaviour shall be sung
By me, a tunefull Poet.--
You used to go to Harrowgate
Each summer as it came,
And why I pray should you refuse
To go this year the same?--

The way's as plain, the road's as smooth,
The Posting not increased;
You're scarcely stouter than you were,
Not younger Sir at least.--

If e'er the waters were of use
Why now their use forego?
You may not live another year,
All's mortal here below.--

It is your duty Mr Best
To give your health repair.
Vain else your Richard's pills will be,
And vain your Consort's care.

But yet a nobler Duty calls
You now towards the North.
Arise ennobled--as Escort
Of Martha Lloyd stand forth.

She wants your aid--she honours you
With a distinguished call.
Stand forth to be the friend of her
Who is the friend of all.--

Take her, and wonder at your luck,
In having such a Trust.
Her converse sensible and sweet
Will banish heat and dust.--

So short she'll make the journey seem
You'll bid the Chaise stand still.
T'will be like driving at full speed
From Newb'ry to Speen hill.--

Convey her safe to Morton's wife
And I'll forget the past,
And write some verses in your praise
As finely and as fast.

But if you still refuse to go
I'll never let your rest,
Buy haunt you with reproachful song
Oh! wicked Mr. Best!--


Scheme AXXXABXB XCDC XEXE FGXG XHXH XIDI XJXJ XKXK XLXL EFXF
Poetic Form
Metre 11011101 0101111 111111 110110 111111 110111 01111101 111101 01110111 010101 1101110 110111 110010011 111101 11110101 110101 11110101 111101 11110111 01111 11010101 110101 01010101 110111 1111111 100101 11110110 110111 10010111 010101 01010001 110101 11110101 110111 111110111 11111 01011101 010101 01110011 110011 11110111 110111 111111 110101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,315
Words 261
Sentences 22
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 8, 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) 102
Words per stanza (avg) 25
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:22 min read
117

Jane Austen

Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature. more…

All Jane Austen poems | Jane Austen Books

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