Kitchen Clock, The

John Vance Cheney 1848 (Groveland) – 1922




Knitting is the maid o' the kitchen, Milly,
Doing nothing sits the chore boy, Billy:
"Seconds reckoned,
Seconds reckoned;
Every minute,
Sixty in it.
Milly, Billy,
Billy, Milly,
Tick-tock, tock-tick,
Nick-knock, knock-nick,
Knockety-nick, nickety-knock,"
Goes the kitchen clock.
  
Closer to the fire is rosy Milly,
Every whit as close and cosy, Billy:
"Time's a-flying,
Worth your trying;
Pretty Milly,
Kiss her, Billy!
Milly, Billy,
Billy, Milly,
Tick-tock, tock-tick,
Now, now, quick, quick!
Knockety-nick, nickety-knock,"
Goes the kitchen clock.
  
Something's happened, very red is Milly,
Billy boy is looking very silly;
"Pretty misses,
Plenty kisses;
Make it twenty,
Take a plenty.
Billy, Milly,
Milly, Billy,
Right, left, left, right,
That's right, all right,
Knockety-nick, nickety-knock,"
Goes the kitchen clock.
  
Weeks gone, still they're sitting, Milly, Billy;
O, the winter winds are wondrous chilly!
"Winter weather,
Close together;
Wouldn't tarry,
Better marry.
Milly, Billy,
Billy, Milly,
Two, one, one, two,
Don't wait, 'twon't do,
Knockety-nick, nickety-knock,"
Goes the kitchen clock.
  
Winters two have gone, and where is Milly?
Spring has come again, and where is Billy?
"Give me credit,
For I did it;
Treat me kindly,
Mind you wind me.
Mister Billy,
Mistress Milly,
My, O, O, my,
By-by, by-by,
Nickety-knock, cradle rock,"
Goes the kitchen clock.
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Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:05 min read
7

Quick analysis:

Scheme aaBBcdAAEeFF aaggaaAAEeFF aahhaaAAiiFF aajjaaAAkkFF aacdaaaallfF
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,312
Words 215
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 12, 12, 12, 12, 12

John Vance Cheney

John Vance Cheney was an American poet, essayist and librarian. Educated in Geneseo, New York, Cheney practiced law briefly in Woodstock, Vermont and New York City before moving to California with his first wife Abigail Perkins Vance Cheney, teaching music, lecturing, and working as a postal clerk. In 1887 he assumed the position of librarian of the Free Public Library of San Francisco, where he oversaw the openings of the system's first branch libraries and hosted the first west coast conference of the American Library Association in 1891. In 1894 he moved to Chicago, where he served as librarian of the Newberry Library. In 1909 he retired and moved to San Diego with his second wife, Sara Barker Chamberlain. Cheney was a regular contributor to major literary magazines, including The Century, Atlantic Monthly, New England Magazine, and Harper's Monthly. His collected works, written between 1887 and his death in 1922, fill eight volumes. more…

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