Analysis of Mr Fitzmickle Has A Test Match Fright

Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis 1876 (Auburn) – 1938 (Melbourne)



Mr Fitzmickle, the martinet,
Stern lord of his house and kin,
Is a small, bald man, and a cricket fan
Since the night he listened in
On his young son's set one winter morn.
Now his Test complex grows tireless;
But his small, meek wife tends a lonely life,
And the small son mourns his wireless.

Mr Fitzmickle, the martinet,
Was met at his door last night
By the low-voiced maid whose eye betrayed
A state of chronic fright,
And Mary stammered in nervous tones
'Mum-Madam's took a chill, sir.'
Fitzmickle gasped, 'What's that?' he asked,
Said Mary, 'Madam's ill, sir.'

Mr Fitzmickle, the martinet,
Clutched at his brow and groaned,
His face grew white in the evening light,
'Oh, this is the end!' he moaned.
'All hope has gone!'  But Mary said,
'Please, sir; don't look so sad, sir.
A 'eadache's wot the missus got.
Don't fret.  She ain't that bad, sir.'

Mr Fitzmickle, the martinet,
Glared, as his voice came back
Glared at the maid, 'You mumbling jade!
Wretch!  You deserve the sack!'
'But, sir -'  'Enough! Can't you speak plain?
'Madam?''  He raved like a madman,
'Out of my sight! . . . Lord!  What a fright!
 I thought that you said 'Bradman'!'


Scheme Abcbxxxx Aaaaxdad Aaaaadad Aeaexcab
Poetic Form
Metre 10101 1111101 1011100101 1011100 111111101 111101100 1111110101 00111110 10101 1111111 101111101 011101 01010101 111011 111111 110111 10101 111101 111100101 1110111 11111101 1111111 0110101 1111111 10101 111111 110111001 110101 11011111 111101 11111101 111111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,127
Words 214
Sentences 26
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 211
Words per stanza (avg) 53
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:04 min read
47

Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis

Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis, better known as C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet known for his humorous poems, especially "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke", published in the early 20th century. Though Dennis's work is less well known today, his 1915 publication of The Sentimental Bloke sold 65,000 copies in its first year, and by 1917 he was the most prosperous poet in Australian history. Together with Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson, both of whom he had collaborated with, he is often considered among Australia's three most famous poets. While attributed to Lawson by 1911, Dennis later claimed he himself was the 'laureate of the larrikin'. When he died at the age of 61, the Prime Minister of Australia Joseph Lyons suggested he was destined to be remembered as the 'Australian Robert Burns'. more…

All Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis poems | Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis Books

1 fan

Discuss this Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Mr Fitzmickle Has A Test Match Fright" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/6461/mr-fitzmickle-has-a-test-match-fright>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    More poems by

    Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis

    »

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    1
    day
    6
    hours
    22
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem "The Road Not Taken"?
    A Emily Dickinson
    B Walt Whitman
    C Robert Frost
    D Langston Hughes