Familiarity Dangerous
William Cowper 1731 (Berkhamsted) – 1800 (Dereham)
As in her ancient mistress’ lap
The youthful tabby lay,
They gave each other many a tap,
Alike disposed to play.
But strife ensues. Puss waxes warm,
And with protruded claws
Ploughs all the length of Lydia’s arm,
Mere wantonness the cause.
At once, resentful of the deed,
She shakes her to the ground
With many a threat that she shall bleed
With still a deeper wound.
But, Lydia, bid thy fury rest:
It was a venial stroke:
For she that will with kittens jest
Should bear a kitten’s joke.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 27 sec read
- 68 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAB XXXX CDCD EFEF |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 486 |
Words | 92 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Familiarity Dangerous" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/39857/familiarity-dangerous>.
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