Analysis of All In a Family Way

Thomas Moore 1779 (Dublin) – 1852 (Bromham)



My banks are all furnished with rags,
So thick, even Freddy can't thin 'em;
I've torn up my old money-bags,
Having little or nought to put in 'em.
My tradesman are smashing by dozens,
But this is all nothing, they say;
For bankrupts, since Adam, are cousins,
So, it's all in the family way.

My Debt not a penny takes from me,
As sages the matter explain; --
Bob owes it to Tom and then Tommy
Just owes it to Bob back again.
Since all have thus taken to owing,
There's nobody left that can pay;
And this is the way to keep going, --
All quite in the family way.

My senators vote away millions,
To put in Prosperity's budget;
And though it were billions or trillions,
The generous rogues wouldn't grudge it.
'Tis all but a family hop,
'Twas Pitt began dancing the hay;
Hands round! -- why the deuce should we stop?
'Tis all in the family way.

My labourers used to eat mutton,
As any great man of the State does;
And now the poor devils are put on
Small rations of tea and potatoes.
But cheer up John, Sawney and Paddy,
The King is your father, they say;
So ev'n if you starve for your Daddy,
'Tis all in the family way.

My rich manufacturers tumble,
My poor ones have nothing to chew;
And, even if themselves do not grumble,
Their stomachs undoubtedly do.
But coolly to fast en famille,
Is as good for the soul as to pray;
And famine itself is genteel,
When one starves in a family way.

I have found out a secret for Freddy,
A secret for next Budget day;
Though, perhaps he may know it already,
As he, too, 's a sage in his way.
When next for the Treasury scene he
Announces "the Devil to pay",
Let him write on the bills, "Nota bene,
'Tis all in the family way."


Scheme ababcdcd exexfdfd cgcghdhD xxxxedeD ijijidxd edededxD
Poetic Form
Metre 11111011 111010111 11111101 1010111101 11110110 11111011 11110110 111001001 111010111 11001001 111110110 11111101 111110110 111111 011011110 11001001 110010110 110110 011010110 010011011 11101001 11011001 11101111 11001001 1111110 110111011 010110111 110110010 11111010 01111011 1111111110 11001001 11010010 11111011 0101011110 11001001 1101111 111101111 01001101 111001001 1111010110 01011101 1011111010 111101011 111010011 01001011 111101110 11001001
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,622
Words 325
Sentences 15
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 48
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 209
Words per stanza (avg) 54
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 30, 2023

1:39 min read
485

Thomas Moore

Thomas Moore was an Irish poet singer songwriter and entertainer now best remembered for the lyrics of The Minstrel Boy and the The Last Rose of Summer more…

All Thomas Moore poems | Thomas Moore Books

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