Analysis of Lodgings For Single Gentlemen.
George Colman 1762 (London,) – 1836 (Brompton, London)
Who has e'er been in London, that overgrown place,
Has seen "Lodgings to Let" stare him full in the face:
Some are good, and let dearly; while some, 'tis well known,
Are so dear, and so bad, they are best let alone.
WILL WADDLE, whose temper was studious and lonely,
Hire'd lodgings that took Single Gentlemen only;
But WILL was so fat he appear'd like a ton;--
Or like Two Single Gentlemen roll'd into One.
He enter'd his rooms, and to bed he retreated;
But, all the night long, he felt fever'd, and heated;
And, tho' heavy to weigh, as a score of fat sheep,
He was not, by any means, heavy to sleep.
Next night 'twas the same!--and the next;--and the next;
He perspire'd like an ox; he was nervous, and vex'd;
Week past after week; till, by weekly succession,
His weakly condition was past all expression.
In six months, his acquaintance began much to doubt him:
For his skin, "like a lady's loose gown," hung about him.
He sent for a Doctor; and cried, like a ninny,
"I have lost many pounds--make me well--there's a guinea."
The Doctor look'd wise:--"a slow fever," he said:
Prescribe'd sudorificks,--and going to bed.
"Sudorificks in bed," exclaim'd WILL, "are humbugs!
I've enough of them there, without paying for drugs!"
WILL kick'd out the Doctor:--but, when ill indeed,
E'en dismissing the Doctor don't always succeed;
So, calling his host--he said--"Sir, do you know,
I'm the fat Single Gentleman, six months ago?
"Look'e, landlord, I think," argued WILL, with a grin,
"That with honest intentions you first took me in:
But from the first night--and to say it I'm bold--
I have been so damn'd hot, that I'm sure I caught cold."
Quoth the landlord--"till now, I ne'er had a dispute;
I've let lodgings ten years;--I'm a Baker, to boot;
In airing your sheets, Sir, my wife is no sloven;
And your bed is immediately over my Oven."
"The Oven!!!" says WILL;--says the host, "why this passion?
In that excellent bed died three people of fashion.
Why so crusty, good Sir?"--"Zounds!" cries WILL, in a taking,
"Who wouldn't be crusty, with half a year's baking?"
WILL paid for his rooms;--cried the host, with a sneer,
"Well, I see you've been going away half a year:"
"Friend, we can't well agree,--yet no quarrel"--WILL said;--
"But I'd rather not perish, while you make your bread."
Scheme | AABB CCDD EEFF GGDD HHCC IIAX JJKK LLMM NNBD DDOO PPII |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain |
Metre | 111010101011 111011111001 111011011111 111011111101 1101101100010 110111010010 11111101101 111101001011 110110111010 110111110010 011011101111 11111011011 11101001001 11111111001 111011110010 110010111010 0111010011111 1111010111011 111010011010 1111011111010 01011011011 1101011 10101111 101111011011 11101011101 110100101101 11011111111 101101001101 11111101101 111001011110 11011011111 111111111111 10111111001 111011101011 01011111111 01110100010110 010111011110 0110011110110 1110111110010 110110110110 11111101101 111111001101 111101111011 111011011111 |
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 2,274 |
Words | 434 |
Sentences | 21 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 44 |
Letters per line (avg) | 38 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 152 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 36 |
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Submitted on August 03, 2020
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 2:16 min read
- 4 Views
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"Lodgings For Single Gentlemen." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/55342/lodgings-for-single-gentlemen.>.
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