The Rat-Catcher
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1749 (Frankfurt) – 1832 (Weimar)
I AM the bard known far and wide,
The travell'd rat-catcher beside;
A man most needful to this town,
So glorious through its old renown.
However many rats I see,
How many weasels there may be,
I cleanse the place from ev'ry one,
All needs must helter-skelter run.
Sometimes the bard so full of cheer
As a child-catcher will appear,
Who e'en the wildest captive brings,
Whene'er his golden tales he sings.
However proud each boy in heart,
However much the maidens start,
I bid the chords sweet music make,
And all must follow in my wake.
Sometimes the skillful bard ye view
In the form of maiden-catcher too;
For he no city enters e'er,
Without effecting wonders there.
However coy may be each maid,
However the women seem afraid,
Yet all will love-sick be ere long
To sound of magic lute and song.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 45 sec read
- 100 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AABBCCDD EEFFGGHH IIXXJJKK |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 782 |
Words | 146 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8 |
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"The Rat-Catcher" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/21862/the-rat-catcher>.
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