Analysis of Said I to Myself, Said I
William Schwenck Gilbert 1836 – 1911
When I went to the Bar as a very young man
(Said I to myself - said I),
I'll work on a new and original plan
(Said I to myself - said I),
I'll never assume that a rogue or a thief
Is a gentleman worthy implicit belief,
Because his attorney, has sent me a brief
(Said I to myself - said I!)
I'll never throw dust in a juryman's eyes
(Said I to myself - said I),
Or hoodwink a judge who is not over-wise
(Said I to myself - said I),
Or assume that the witnesses summoned in force
In Exchequer, Queen's Bench, Common Pleas, or Divorce,
Have perjured themselves as a matter of course
(Said I to myself - said I!)
Ere I go into court I will read my brief through
(Said I to myself - said I),
And I'll never take work I'm unable to do
(Said I to myself - said I).
My learned profession I'll never disgrace
By taking a fee with a grin on my face,
When I haven't been there to attend to the case
(Said I to myself - said I!)
In other professions in which men engage
(Said I to myself - said I),
The Army, the Navy, the Church, and the Stage,
(Said I to myself - said I),
Professional licence, if carried too far,
Your chance of promotion will certainly mar -
And I fancy the rule might apply to the Bar
(Said I to myself - said I!)
Scheme | aBaBcccB dBdBeeeB fBfBgggB hBhBiiiB |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111101101011 111111 11101001001 111111 11001101101 101001001001 01101011101 111111 110110011 111111 1101111101 111111 101101001001 01011101101 11001101011 111111 111011111111 111111 011011101011 111111 1101011001 11001101111 111011101101 111111 01001001101 111111 01001001001 111111 01001011011 11101011001 011001101101 111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 1,200 |
Words | 258 |
Sentences | 6 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 32 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 225 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 63 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 30, 2023
- 1:20 min read
- 126 Views
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"Said I to Myself, Said I" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/41261/said-i-to-myself%2C-said-i>.
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