Analysis of Captain Teach alias Black Beard
William Topaz McGonagall 1825 – 1902 (Greyfriars Parish, Edinburgh)
Edward Teach was a native of Bristol, and sailed from that port
On board a privateer, in search of sport,
As one of the crew, during the French War in that station,
And for personal courage he soon gained his Captain's approbation.
'Twas in the spring of 1717, Captajn Harnigold and Teach sailed from Providence
For the continent of America, and no further hence;
And in their way captured a vessel laden with flour,
Which they put on board their own vessels in the space of an hour.
They also seized two other vessels snd took some gallons of wine,
Besides plunder to a considerable value, and most of it most costly design;
And after that they made a prize of a large French Guinea-man,
Then to act an independent part Teach now began.
But the news spread throughout America, far and near,
And filled many of the inhabitants' hearts with fear;
But Lieutenant Maynard with his sloops of war directly steered,
And left James River on the 17th November in quest of Black Beard,
And on the evening of the 21st came in sight of the pirate;
And when Black Beard spied his sloops he felt elate.
When he saw the sloops sent to apprehend him,
He didn't lose his courage, but fiendishly did grin;
And told his men to cease from drinking and their tittle-tattle,
Although he had only twenty men on board, and prepare for battle.
In case anything should happen to him during the engagement,
One of his men asked him, who felt rather discontent,
Whether his wife knew where he had buried his pelf,
When he impiously replied that nobody knew but the devil and himself.
In the Morning Maynard weighed and sent his boat to sound,
Which, coming near the pirate, unfortunately ran aground;
But Maynard lightened his vessel of the ballast and water,
Whilst from the pirates' ship small shot loudly did clatter.
But the pirates' small shot or slugs didn't Maynard appal,
He told his men to take their cutlasses and be ready upon his call;
And to conceal themselves every man below,
While he would remain at the helm and face the foe.
Then Black Beard cried, "They're all knocked on the head,"
When he saw no hand upon deck he thought they were dead;
Then Black Beard boarded Maynard'a sloop without dismay,
But Maynard's men rushed upon deck, then began the deadly fray.
Then Black Beard and Maynard engaged sword in hand,
And the pirate fought manfully and made a bold stand;
And Maynard with twelve men, and Black Beard with fourteen,
Made the most desperate and bloody conflict that ever was seen.
At last with shots and wounds the pirate fell down dead,
Then from his body Maynard severed the pirate's head,
And suspended it upon his bowsprit-end,
And thanked God Who so mercifully did him defend.
Black Beard derived his name from his long black beard,
Which terrified America more than any comet that had ever appeared;
But, thanks be to God, in this age we need not be afeared,
Of any such pirates as the inhuman Black Beard.
Scheme | AABB XXCC DDEE FFGGXX XXHH XXII JJCC HXXI KKLLMMNN KKOO GGAG |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 101101011001111 11010111 11101100110110 0110010111110010 10011110111100 101001010001101 00111001010110 1111111100011110 1101110101111011 0110100100010011111001 010111011011101 111101011101 1011010100101 0110100100111 101010111110101 01110101101001111 010101011011010 01111111101 1110111011 11011101111 011111110011010 1111010111001110 011011011100010 1111111110001 101111111011 111011111010001 0010101011111 110101001000101 110101101010010 1101011110110 1010111110101 1111111101100111 010101100101 111011010101 1111111101 1111101111101 1111010010101 110110111010101 11101001101 0010110001011 010111011111 101100101011011 111101010111 1111010100101 0010101111 0111110001101 11011111111 1100100111010111001 1111101111111 1101101001011 |
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 2,883 |
Words | 524 |
Sentences | 13 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 6, 4, 4, 4, 4, 8, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 50 |
Letters per line (avg) | 46 |
Words per line (avg) | 10 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 210 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 47 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 14, 2023
- 2:39 min read
- 108 Views
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