Analysis of A Ballad Of Refreshment

Robert Fuller Murray 1863 – 1894



The lady stood at the station bar,
(Three currants in a bun)
And oh she was proud, as ladies are.
(And the bun was baked a week ago.)

For a weekly wage she was standing there,
(Three currants in a bun)
With a prominent bust and light gold hair.
(And the bun was baked a week ago.)

The express came in at half-past two,
(Three currants in a bun)
And there lighted a man in the navy blue.
(And the bun was baked a week ago.)

A stout sea-captain he was, I ween.
(Three currants in a bun)
Much travel had made him very keen.
(And the bun was baked a week ago.)

A sober man and steady was he.
(Three currants in a bun)
He called not for brandy, but called for tea.
(And the bun was baked a week ago.)

'Now something to eat, for the train is late.'
(Three currants in a bun)
She brought him a bun on a greasy plate.
(And the bun was baked a week ago.)

He left the bun, and he left the tea,
(Three currants in a bun)
She charged him a shilling and let him be,
And the train went on at a quarter to three.
(And the bun is old and weary.)


Scheme aBaC dBdC eBeC bBxC fBfC gBgC fBfff
Poetic Form
Metre 010110101 11001 011111101 001110101 1010111101 11001 1010010111 001110101 001101111 11001 01100100101 001110101 011101111 11001 110111101 001110101 010101011 11001 1111101111 001110101 1101110111 11001 1110110101 001110101 110101101 11001 1110100111 00111101011 00111010
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,009
Words 223
Sentences 18
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5
Lines Amount 29
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 108
Words per stanza (avg) 30
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:06 min read
104

Robert Fuller Murray

Robert Fuller Murray, was a Victorian poet. more…

All Robert Fuller Murray poems | Robert Fuller Murray Books

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