Bill 'Awkins

Rudyard Kipling 1865 (Mumbai) – 1936 (London)



"'As anybody seen Bill 'Awkins?"
    "Now 'ow in the devil would I know?"
"'E's taken my girl out walkin',
    An' I've got to tell 'im so --
       Gawd -- bless -- 'im!
    I've got to tell 'im so."
 
 "D'yer know what 'e's like, Bill 'Awkins?"
    "Now what in the devil would I care?"
"'E's the livin', breathin' image of an organ-grinder's monkey,
    With a pound of grease in 'is 'air --
       Gawd -- bless -- 'im!
    An' a pound o' grease in 'is 'air."
 
 "An' s'pose you met Bill 'Awkins,
    Now what in the devil 'ud ye do?"
"I'd open 'is cheek to 'is chin-strap buckle,
    An' bung up 'is both eyes, too --
       Gawd -- bless -- 'im!
    An' bung up 'is both eyes, too!"
 
 "Look 'ere, where 'e comes, Bill 'Awkins!
    Now what in the devil will you say?"
"It isn't fit an' proper to be fightin' on a Sunday,
    So I'll pass 'im the time o' day --
       Gawd -- bless -- 'im!
    I'll pass 'im the time o' day!"

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 07, 2023

56 sec read
146

Quick analysis:

Scheme abbaCa adxdCd aexECE aaffCf
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 914
Words 185
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6

Rudyard Kipling

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English short-story writer, poet, and novelist chiefly remembered for his tales and poems of British soldiers in India and his tales for children. more…

All Rudyard Kipling poems | Rudyard Kipling Books

33 fans

Discuss the poem Bill 'Awkins with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Bill 'Awkins" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/33158/bill-'awkins>.

    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

    Rudyard Kipling

    »

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    2
    days
    6
    hours
    49
    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?

    »
    "My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night."
    A Edna St. Vincent Millay
    B Lord Byron
    C Wilfred Owen
    D Sylvia Plath