Analysis of Infidelity
My husband put some poison in my beer,
And fondly hoped that I would drink it up.
He would get rid of me - no bloody fear,
For when his back was turned I changed the cup.
He took it all, and if he did not die,
Its just because he's heartier than I.
And now I watch and watch him night and day
dreading that he will try it on again.
I'm getting like a skeleton they say,
And every time I feel the slightest pain
I think: he's got me this time. . . . Oh the beast!
He might have let me starve to death, at least.
But all he thinks of is that shell-pink nurse.
I know as well as well that they're in loe.
I'm sure they kiss, and maybe do things worse,
Although she looks as gentle as a dove.
I see their eyes with passion all aglow:
I know they only wait for me to go.
Ah well, I'll go (I have to, anyway),
But they will pay the price of lust and sin.
I've sent a letter to the police to say:
"If I should die its them have dome me in."
And now a lot of vernal I'll take,
And go to sleep, and never, never wake.
But won't I laugh! Aye, even when I'm dead,
To think of them both hanging by the head.
My wife's a fancy bit of stuff it's true;
But that's no reason she should do me dirt.
Of course I know a girl is tempted to,
With mountain men a-fussin' round her skirt.
A 'andome women's bound to 'ave a 'eart,
But that's no reason she should be a tart.
I didn't oughter give me 'ome address
To sergeant when 'e last went on 'is leave;
And now the 'ole shebang's a bloody mess;
I didn't think the missis would deceive.
And 'ere was I, a-riskin' of me life,
And thee was 'e, a-sleepin' wiv me wife.
Go blimy, but this thing 'as got to stop.
Well, next time when we makes a big attack,
As soon as we gets well across the top,
I'll plug 'em (accidental) in the back.
'E'll cop a blinkin' packet in 'is spine,
And that'll be the end of 'im, the swine.
It's easy in the muck-up of a fight;
And all me mates'll think it was the foe.
And 'oo can say it doesn't serve 'im right?
And I'll go 'ome and none will ever know,
My missis didn't oughter do that sort o' thing,
Seein' as 'ow she wears my weddin' ring.
Well, we'll be just as 'appy as before,
When otherwise she might a' bin a 'ore.
It's fun to see Joe fuss around that kid.
I know 'e loves 'er more than all the rest,
Because she's by a lot the prettiest.
'E wouldn't lose 'er for a 'undred quid.
I love 'er too, because she isn't his'n;
But Jim, his brother's, wot they've put in prision.
It's 'ard to 'ave a 'usband wot you 'ate;
So soft that if 'e knowed you'd 'ad a tup,
'E wouldn't 'ave the guts to beat you up.
Now Jim - 'e's wot I call a proper mate.
I daren't try no monkey tricks wiv 'im.
'E'd flay be 'ide off (quite right, too) would Jim.
I won't let on to Jim when 'e comes out;
But Joe - each time I see 'im kissin' Nell,
I 'ave to leave the room and laughlike 'ell.
"E'll 'ave the benefit (damn little) of the doubt.
So let 'im kiss our Nellie fit to smother;
There ain't no proof 'er father is 'is brother.
Well, anyway I've no remorse. You see,
I've kept my frailty in the family.
Scheme | ABABCC DEDXFF GHGXHH D IDIJJ KK LMLMCX NONOPP QRQRSS THTHUU VV WXXWEE XBBXYY Z1 1 Z2 2 3 3 |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101110011 0101111111 1111111101 1111111101 1111011111 1101110011 0111011101 1011111101 1101010011 01001110101 1111111101 1111111111 1111111111 1111111101 1111010111 111110101 1111110101 1111011111 111111110 1111011101 11010100111 1111111110 010111011 0111010101 1111110111 1111110101 1101011111 1111011111 1111011101 110101101 011011101 1111011101 11011111 1101111111 010110101 110101101 0111010111 011101111 111111111 1111110101 1111110101 111010001 110110011 0101011101 1100011101 011111101 0111110111 0111011101 1110111111 11111111 111111101 110110101 1111110111 1111011101 0111010100 110101011 11010111011 1111011101 111101111 1111111101 1101011111 1111110101 11011110111 1111111111 1111111111 111111111 111101011 110100110101 111110101110 11110101110 110110111 1111000100 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 3,033 |
Words | 636 |
Sentences | 45 |
Stanzas | 15 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 1, 5, 2, 6, 6, 6, 6, 2, 6, 6, 6, 2 |
Lines Amount | 72 |
Letters per line (avg) | 31 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 147 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 42 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 3:24 min read
- 71 Views
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"Infidelity" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/32185/infidelity>.
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