Analysis of Greedy Richard
Jane Taylor 1783 (London) – 1824
"I think I want some pies this morning,"
Said Dick, stretching himself and yawning;
So down he threw his slate and books,
And saunter'd to the pastry-cook's.
And there he cast his greedy eyes
Round on the jellies and the pies,
So to select, with anxious care,
The very nicest that was there.
At last the point was thus decided:
As his opinion was divided
'Twixt pie and jelly, being loth
Either to leave, he took them both.
Now Richard never could be pleased
To stop when hunger was appeased,
But would go on to eat still more
When he had had an ample store.
"No, not another now," said Dick;
"Dear me, I feel extremely sick:
I cannot even eat this bit;
I wish I had not tasted it. "
Then slowing rising from his seat,
He threw his cheesecake in the street,
And left the tempting pastry-cook's
With very discontented looks.
Just then a man with wooden leg
Met Dick, and held his hat to beg;
And while he told his mournful case,
Look'd at him with imploring face.
Dick, wishing to relieve his pain,
His pockets search'd, but search'd in vain;
And so at last he did declare,
He had not left a farthing there.
The beggar turn'd with face of grief,
And look of patient unbelief,
While Richard now his folly blamed,
And felt both sorry and ashamed.
"I wish," said he (but wishing's vain),
"I had my money back again,
And had not spent my last, to pay
For what I only threw away.
"Another time, I'll take advice,
And not buy things because they're nice;
But rather save my little store,
To give to those who want it more."
Scheme | AABB CCDD XXXX EEFF GGHH IIBB JJKK LLDD MMNN LXOO PPFF |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (82%) |
Metre | 111111110 111001010 11111101 0110101 01111101 11010001 11011101 01010111 11011110 110101010 11010101 10111111 11010111 11110101 11111111 11111101 11010111 11110101 11010111 11111101 11010111 1111001 01010101 1100101 11011101 11011111 01111101 11110101 11010111 11011101 01111101 11110101 01011111 011101 11011101 01110001 1111111 11110101 01111111 11110101 01011101 01110111 11011101 11111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,500 |
Words | 291 |
Sentences | 12 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 44 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 105 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 26 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 12, 2023
- 1:28 min read
- 109 Views
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"Greedy Richard" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 14 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/21225/greedy-richard>.
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