Sonnet: Before He Went

John Keats 1795 (Moorgate) – 1821 (Rome)



BEFORE he went to feed with owls and bats
Nebuchadnezzar had an ugly dream,
Worse than an Hus'if's when she thinks her cream
Made a Naumachia for mice and rats.
So scared, he sent for that 'Good King of Cats'
Young Daniel, who soon did pluck away the beam
From out his eye, and said he did not deem
The sceptre worth a straw his Cushions old door-mats.
A horrid nightmare similar somewhat
Of late has haunted a most motley crew,
Most loggerheads and Chapmen we are told
That any Daniel tho' he be a sot
Can make the lying lips turn pale of hue
By belching out 'ye are that head of Gold.'

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 10, 2023

35 sec read
131

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBACDEFDE
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 583
Words 117
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

John Keats

John Keats was an English Romantic poet. more…

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