Barleymow And Dunghill.

John Gay 1685 – 1732



How many saucy beaux we meet
'Twixt Westminster and Aldgate-street!
Rascals - the mushrooms of a day,
Who sprung and shared the South Sea prey,
Nor in their zenith condescend
To own or know the humble friend.
  
A careful farmer took his way
Across his yard at break of day:
He leant a moment o'er the rail,
To hear the music of the flail;
In his quick eye he viewed his stock, -
The geese, the hogs, the fleecy flock.
  
A barleymow there, fat as mutton,
Then held her master by the button:
"Master, my heart and soul are wrung - till
They can't abide that dirty dunghill:
Master, you know I make your beer -
You boast of me at Christmas cheer;
Then why insult me and disgrace me,
And next to that vile dunghill place me?
By Jove! it gives my nose offence:
Command the hinds to cart it hence."
  
"You stupid Barleymow," said Dunghill;
"You talk about your heart and wrung-ill:
Where would you be, I'd like to know,
Had I not fed and made you grow?
You of October brew brag - pshaw!
You would have been a husk of straw.
And now, instead of gratitude,
You rail in this ungrateful mood."
  
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Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:03 min read
5

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCC BBDDEE FFGDHHIIJJ DGKKXXLL
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,059
Words 212
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 10, 8

John Gay

John Gay, a cousin of the poet John Gay, was an English philosopher, biblical scholar and Church of England clergyman. more…

All John Gay poems | John Gay Books

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