Analysis of Limited Liability
William Schwenck Gilbert 1836 – 1911
Some seven men form an Association
(If possible, all Peers and Baronets),
They start off with a public declaration
To what extent they mean to pay their debts.
That's called their Capital: if they are wary
They will not quote it at a sum immense.
The figure's immaterial - it may vary
From eighteen million down to eighteenpence.
I should put it rather low;
The good sense of doing so
Will be evident at once to any debtor.
When it's left to you to say
What amount you mean to pay,
Why, the lower you can put it at, the better.
They then proceed to trade with all who'll trust 'em,
Quite irrespective of their capital
(It's shady, but it's sanctified by custom);
Bank, Railway, Loan, or Panama Canal.
You can't embark on trading too tremendous -
It's strictly fair, and based on common sense -
If you succeed, your profits are stupendous -
And if you fail, pop goes your eighteenpence.
Make the money-spinner spin!
For you only stand to win,
And you'll never with dishonesty be twitted.
For nobody can know,
To a million or so,
To what extent your capital's committed!
If you come to grief, and creditors are craving
(For nothing that is planned by mortal head
Is certain in this Vale of Sorrow - saving
That one's Liability is Limited), -
Do you suppose that signifies perdition?
If so you're but a monetary dunce -
You merely file a Winding-Up Petition,
And start another Company at once!
Though a Rothschild you may be
In your own capacity,
As a Company you've come to utter sorrow -
But the Liquidators say,
"Never mind - you needn't pay,"
So you start another Company to-morrow!
Scheme | ABAXCDCBEEFGGF XXXXHDHBIIJEEJ KJKJABAXCCEGGE |
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Poetic Form | |
Metre | 1101110010 1100110100 1111010010 1101111111 11110011110 1111110101 01001001110 10110111 1111101 0111101 111001111010 1111111 1011111 101011111010 11011111111 1001011100 110111110 11111001 11011101010 1101011101 11011101010 01111111 1010101 1110111 01101010011 1111 101011 11011100010 111110100110 1101111101 11001111010 1101001100 11011101 111101001 11010101010 0101010011 101111 0110100 101001111010 101001 1011101 111010100110 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,551 |
Words | 290 |
Sentences | 14 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 14, 14, 14 |
Lines Amount | 42 |
Letters per line (avg) | 29 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 408 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 96 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:30 min read
- 127 Views
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"Limited Liability" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 9 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/41244/limited-liability>.
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