The Ruined Maid
Thomas Hardy 1840 (Stinsford) – 1928 (Dorchester, Dorset)
"O 'Melia, my dear, this does everything crown!
Who could have supposed I should meet you in Town?
And whence such fair garments, such prosperi-ty?"-
"O didn't you know I'd been ruined?" said she.
-"You left us in tatters, without shoes or socks,
Tired of digging potatoes, and spudding up docks;
And now you've gay bracelets and bright feathers three!"-
"Yes: that's how we dress when we're ruined," said she.
-"At home in the barton you said 'thee' and 'thou,'
And 'thik oon' and 'theäs oon' and 't'other'; but now
Your talking quite fits 'ee for high compan-ny!"-
"Some polish is gained with one's ruin," said she.
-"Your hands were like paws then, you face blue and bleak
But now I'm bewitched by your delicate cheek,
And your little gloves fit as on any la-dy!"-
"We never do work when we're ruined," said she.
-"You used to call home-life a hag-ridden dream,
And you'd sigh, and you'd sock; but at present you seem
To know not of megrims or melancho-ly!"-
"True. One's pretty lively when ruined," said she.
-"I wish I had feathers, a fine sweeping gown,
And a delicate face, and could strut about Town"-
"My dear - raw country girl, such as you be,
Cannot quite expect that. You ain't ruined," said she.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 14, 2023
- 1:12 min read
- 169 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AABC DDCC EEAC FFBC GGBC AAC C |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic hexameter |
Characters | 1,195 |
Words | 229 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 1 |
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"The Ruined Maid" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/36552/the-ruined-maid>.
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