Verse and Worse
Harry Graham's heartless comic quatrains and travesties, including the Ruthless Rhymes "Aunt Eliza" and "Absent-Mindedness".
Measured across the book
Across its 2,439 lines, 93% of stressed syllables fall on the beat (95% interval 92% to 93%). Alliteration runs at 1.09 times what shuffling the words would give (0.25 observed against 0.23 expected). 21% of the lines have a feminine ending.
Baselines and intervals are described in the methods.
Contents
Forewordiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 84 linesAbroadiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 48 linesUnited States of Americaiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 36 linesGreat Britainiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 24 linesScotlandiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 18 linesIrelandiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 18 linesWalesiambic tetrameter · 6 linesChinaiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 36 linesMoraliambic tetrameter · 6 linesFranceiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 24 linesGermanyiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 18 linesMoraliambic tetrameter · AABB · 4 linesHollandiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 36 linesMoraliambic tetrameter · AABB · 4 linesIcelandiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 6 linesMoraliambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 6 linesItalyiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 30 linesMoraliambic tetrameter · AABB · 4 linesJapaniambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 18 linesPortugaliambic tetrameter · 6 linesRussiaiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 30 linesMoraliambic tetrameter · 6 linesSpainiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 42 linesMoraliambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 6 linesSwitzerlandiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 12 linesMoraliambic tetrameter · AABB · 6 linesTurkeyiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 36 linesMoraltrochaic tetrameter · ABABCC · 6 linesDreamlandiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 30 linesStagelandiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 6 linesMoraliambic tetrameter · 6 linesLoverlandiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 72 linesMoraliambic tetrameter · AABB · 4 linesHomelandiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 24 linesPreludeiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 60 linesChildish Complaintsiambic tetrameter · 24 linesMother-Witiambic tetrameter · ABAB · 4 linesUncle Joeiambic tetrameter · ABAB · 4 linesAunt Elizaiambic tetrameter · 4 linesAbsent-Mindednesstrochaic tetrameter · AAABBB · 18 linesJohntrochaic tetrameter · ABAB · 32 linesBabytrochaic tetrameter · ABABCC · 6 linesThe Catiambic tetrameter · ABABABCC · 16 lines'Virtue Is Its Own Reward'iambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 144 lines'Enough Is as Good as a Feast'iambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 42 lines'Don't Buy a Pig in a Poke'iambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 30 lines'Learn to Take Things Easily'iambic tetrameter · 12 lines'A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss'iambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 54 lines'It Is Never Too Late to Mend'iambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 42 lines'A Bad Workman Complains of His Tools'iambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 12 lines'Don't Look a Gift-Horse in the Mouth'iambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 36 linesPotpourriiambic tetrameter · 77 linesBilliambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 48 linesThe Legend of the Authoranapaestic tetrameter · AABB · 212 linesThe Motriotiambic pentameter · ABABA · 25 linesThe Ballad of the Artistanapaestic trimeter · 75 linesThe Ballad of Ping-Ponganapaestic common measure · ABAB · 36 linesThe Pessimistiambic tetrameter · ABAAB · 25 linesThe Place Where the Old Cleek Brokeiambic heptameter · 32 linesThe Homes of Londoniambic trimeter · 40 linesThe Happiest Landcommon measure · 76 linesA London Involuntaryiambic tetrameter · 42 linesBluebeardiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 204 lines'The Woman with the Dead Soles'iambic pentameter · AABB · 54 linesRosemaryanapaestic trimeter · ABAB · 24 linesPortknockie's Porteriambic tetrameter · 60 lines'When the Mother Country Calls!'iambic heptameter · AABB · 60 linesAftwordiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 48 linesEnvoiiambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 12 linesMoraliambic tetrameter · ABABCC · 6 linesIllustrated by 'G. H'iambic tetrameter · 16 linesBooks of Traveliambic tetrameter · 9 lines
About this text
Public domain. Text from Verse and Worse, Project Gutenberg ebook #36702. Free to read, print, copy and reuse.