Madam Life's a Piece in Bloom
William Ernest Henley 1849 (Gloucester) – 1903 (Woking)
Madam Life's a piece in bloom
Death goes dogging everywhere:
She's the tenant of the room,
He's the ruffian on the stair.
You shall see her as a friend,
You shall bilk him once or twice;
But he'll trap you in the end,
And he'll stick you for her price.
With his kneebones at your chest,
And his knuckles in your throat,
You would reason -- plead -- protest!
Clutching at her petticoat;
But she's heard it all before,
Well she knows you've had your fun,
Gingerly she gains the door,
And your little job is done.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 22, 2023
- 31 sec read
- 170 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 503 |
Words | 99 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Madam Life's a Piece in Bloom" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/40517/madam-life's-a-piece-in-bloom>.
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