An Ode
O! Well may poets make a fussIn summer time, and sigh “O rus!”Of London pleasures sick:My heart is all at pant to restIn greenwood shades--my eyes detestThis endless meal of brick!
What joy have I in June’s return?My feet are parch’d, my eyeballs burn,I scent no flowery gust:But faint the flagging zephyr springs,With dry Macadam on its wings,And turns me “dust to dust.”
My sun his daily course renewsDue east, but with no Eastern dews;The path is dry and hot!His setting shows more tamely still,He sinks behind no purple hill,But down a chimney’s pot!
O! but to hear the milkmaid blithe,Or early mower wet his scytheThe dewy meads among!--My grass is of that sort, alas!That makes no hay--called sparrow-grassBy folks of vulgar tongue!
O! but to smell the woodbines sweet!I think of cowslip cups--but meetWith very vile rebuffs!For meadow-buds I get a whiffOf Cheshire cheese,--or only sniffThe turtle made at Cuft’s.
How tenderly Rousseau reviewedHis periwinkles!--mine are stewed!My rose blooms on a gown!--I hunt in vain for eglantine,And find my blue-bell on the signThat marks the Bell and Crown:
Where are ye, birds! that blithely wingFrom tree to tree, and gaily singOr mourn in thickets deep?My cuckoo has some ware to sell,The watchman is my Philomel,My blackbird is a sweep!
Where are ye, linnet, lark, and thrush!That perch on leafy bough and bush,And tune the various song?Two hurdigurdists, and a poorStreet-Handel grinding at my door,Are all my “tuneful throng.”
Where are ye, early-purling streams,Whose waves reflect the morning beams,And colours of the skies?My rills are only puddle-drainsFrom shambles, or reflect the stainsOf calimanco-dyes!
Sweet are the little brooks that runO’er pebbles glancing in the sun,Singing in soothing tones:--Not thus the city streamlets flow;They make no music as they go,Though never “off the stones.”
Where are ye, pastoral pretty sheep,That wont to bleat, and frisk, and leapBeside your woolly dams?Alas! instead of harmless crooks,My Corydons use iron hooks,And skin--not shear--the lambs.
The pipe whereon, in olden day,The Arcadian herdsman used to playSweetly, here soundeth not;But merely breathes unwholesome fumes,Meanwhile the city boor consumesThe rank weed--“piping hot.”
All rural things are vilely mock’d,On every hand the sense is shock’d,With objects hard to bear:Shades--vernal shades!--where wine is sold!And, for a turfy bank, beholdAn Ingram’s rustic chair!
Where are ye, London meads and bowers,And gardens redolent of flowersWherein the zephyr wons?Alas! Moor Fields are fields no more.See Hatton’s Gardens bricked all o’er,And that bare wood--St. John’s.
No pastoral scenes procure me peace;I hold no Leasowes in my lease,No cot set round with trees:No sheep-white hill my dwelling flanks;And Omnium furnishes my banksWith brokers--not with bees.
O! well may poets make a fussIn summer time, and sigh “O rus!”Of city pleasures sick:My heart is all at pant to restIn greenwood shades--my eyes detestThat endless meal of brick!
Words in this poem 30
- fuss n.
- A tumult; a bustle; unnecessary or annoying ado about trifles. [Cf. Fusome.]
- pant v. i.
- To breathe quickly or in a labored manner, as after exertion or from eagerness or excitement; to respire with heaving of the breast; to gasp. [Cf. F. panteler to gasp for breath, OF. panteisier to be breathless, F. pantois out of breath; perh. akin to E. phantom, the verb prob. orig. meaning, to have t]
- greenwood n.
- A forest as it appears is spring and summer.
- detest v. t.
- To witness against; to denounce; to condemn. [L. detestare, detestatum, and detestari, to curse while calling a deity to witness, to execrate, detest; de + testari to be a witness, testify, testis a witness]
- parch v. t.
- To burn the surface of; to scorch; to roast over the fire, as dry grain; as, to parch the skin; to parch corn. [OE. perchen to pierce, hence used of a piercing heat or cold, OF. perchier, another form of percier, F. percer. See Pierce.]
- flagging n.
- A pavement or sidewalk of flagstones; flagstones, collectively.
- zephyr n.
- The west wind; poetically, any soft, gentle breeze. [L. zephyrus, Gr. zéphyr.]
- tamely adv.
- In a tame manner.
- chimney n.
- A fireplace or hearth. Sir W. Raleigh.
- milkmaid n.
- A woman who milks cows or is employed in the dairy.
- blithe a.
- Gay; merry; sprightly; joyous; glad; cheerful; as, a blithe spirit. [AS. bli blithe, kind; akin to Goth. blei kind, Icel. bli mild, gentle, Dan. & Sw. blid gentle, D. blijd blithe, OHG. blidi kind, blithe.]
- mower n.
- One who, or that which, mows; a mowing machine; as, a lawn mower.
- folks n.
- In Anglo-Saxon times, the people of a group of townships or villages; a community; a tribe. [AS. folc; akin to D. volk, OS. & OHG. folk, G. volk, Icel. f, Sw. & Dan. folk, Lith. pulkas crowd, and perh. to E. follow.]
- cowslip n.
- A common flower in England (Primula veris) having yellow blossoms and appearing in early spring. It is often cultivated in the United States. [AS. c, c, prob. orig., cow's droppings. Cf. Slop, n.]
- whiff n.
- A sudden expulsion of air from the mouth; a quick puff or slight gust, as of air or smoke. [OE. weffe vapor, whiff, probably of imitative origin; cf. Dan. vift a puff, gust, W. chwiff a whiff, puff.]
- tenderly adv.
- In a tender manner; with tenderness; mildly; gently; softly; in a manner not to injure or give pain; with pity or affection; kindly.
- blithely adv.
- In a blithe manner.
- gaily adv.
- Merrily; showily. See gaily. [From Gay.]
- watchman n.
- One set to watch; a person who keeps guard; a guard; a sentinel.
- tuneful a.
- Harmonious; melodious; musical; as, tuneful notes.
- purling n.
- The motion of a small stream running among obstructions; also, the murmur it makes in so doing. [See 3d Purl.]
- glancing a.
- Shooting, as light.
- bleat v. i.
- To make the noise of, or one like that of, a sheep; to cry like a sheep or calf. [OE. bleten, AS. bl; akin to D. blaten, bleeten, OHG. blazan, plazan; prob. of imitative origin.]
- whereon adv.
- On which; -- used relatively; as, the earth whereon we live.
- olden a.
- Old; ancient; as, the olden time.
- arcadian a.
- Of or pertaining to Arcadia; pastoral; ideally rural; as, Arcadian simplicity or scenery. [L. Arcadius, Arcadicus, fr. Arcadia: cf. F. Arcadien, Arcadique.]
- meanwhile n.
- The intervening time; as, in the meantime (or mean time).
- piping a.
- Playing on a musical pipe. [From Pipe, v.]
- redolent a.
- Diffusing odor or fragrance; spreading sweet scent; scented; odorous; smelling; -- usually followed by of. [L. redolens, -entis, p. pr. of redolere to emit a scent, diffuse an odor; pref. red-, re-, re- + olere to emit a smell. See Odor.]
- omnium n.
- The aggregate value of the different stocks in which a loan to government is now usually funded. M'Culloch. [L., of all, gen. pl. of omnis all.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
An Ode is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Comic Poems of Thomas Hood A New and Complete Edition, Project Gutenberg ebook #56712; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Thomas Hood, An Ode, in Poems (1827–1845), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #56712, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/hood-poems/an-ode.html, id L18529.
Form and metre
An Ode is 96 lines in 16 stanzas of 6 lines each. The rhyme scheme is AABCCB, complete in 11 of its 16 stanzas. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 93%). 97% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 7.4 syllables. 4 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 27% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AABCCB fussA · rusA · sickB · restC · detestC · brickB
- 2 AABCCB returnA · burnA · gustB · springsC · wingsC · dustB
- 3 AABCCB renewsA · dewsA · hotB · stillC · hillC · potB
- 4 --ABBA blithe · scythe · amongA · alasB · grassB · tongueA
- 5 AA-BB- sweetA · meetA · rebuffs · whiffB · sniffB · cuft's
- 6 AABCCB reviewedA · stewedA · gownB · eglantineC · signC · crownB
- 7 AAB--B wingA · singA · deepB · sell · philomel · sweepB
- 8 --A--A thrush · bush · songA · poor · door · throngA
- 9 AABCCB streamsA · beamsA · skiesB · drainsC · stainsC · dyesB
- 10 AABCCB runA · sunA · tonesB · flowC · goC · stonesB
- 11 AABCCB sheepA · leapA · damsB · crooksC · hooksC · lambsB
- 12 AABCCB dayA · playA · notB · fumesC · consumesC · hotB
- 13 AABCCB mock'dA · shock'dA · bearB · soldC · beholdC · chairB
- 14 AAB--B bowersA · flowersA · wonsB · more · o'er · john'sB
- 15 AABCCB peaceA · leaseA · treesB · flanksC · banksC · beesB
- 16 AABCCB fussA · rusA · sickB · restC · detestC · brickB
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| O! Well may poets make a fuss | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| In summer time, and sigh “O rus!” | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Of London pleasures sick: | 6 | ·/˘/˘· |
| My heart is all at pant to rest | 8 | ········ |
| In greenwood shades--my eyes detest | 8 | ·/····˘/ |
| This endless meal of brick! | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| What joy have I in June’s return? | 8 | ······˘/ |
| My feet are parch’d, my eyeballs burn, | 8 | ·····/·· |
| I scent no flowery gust: | 7 | ···/˘˘· |
| But faint the flagging zephyr springs, | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| With dry Macadam on its wings, | 8 | ··˘/˘··· |
| And turns me “dust to dust.” | 6 | ······ |
| My sun his daily course renews | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| Due east, but with no Eastern dews; | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| The path is dry and hot! | 6 | ······ |
| His setting shows more tamely still, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| He sinks behind no purple hill, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| But down a chimney’s pot! | 6 | ···/˘· |
| O! but to hear the milkmaid blithe, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Or early mower wet his scythe | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| The dewy meads among!-- | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| My grass is of that sort, alas! | 8 | ······˘/ |
| That makes no hay--called sparrow-grass | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| By folks of vulgar tongue! | 6 | ···/˘· |
| O! but to smell the woodbines sweet! | 8 | ········ |
| I think of cowslip cups--but meet | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| With very vile rebuffs! | 6 | ·/˘·˘/ |
| For meadow-buds I get a whiff | 8 | ·/······ |
| Of Cheshire cheese,--or only sniff | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| The turtle made at Cuft’s. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| How tenderly Rousseau reviewed | 8 | ·/˘˘˘/˘/ |
| His periwinkles!--mine are stewed! | 8 | ·······˘ |
| My rose blooms on a gown!-- | 6 | ······ |
| I hunt in vain for eglantine, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And find my blue-bell on the sign | 8 | ········ |
| That marks the Bell and Crown: | 6 | ······ |
| Where are ye, birds! that blithely wing | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| From tree to tree, and gaily sing | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Or mourn in thickets deep? | 6 | ···/˘· |
| My cuckoo has some ware to sell, | 8 | ·/······ |
| The watchman is my Philomel, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘˘ |
| My blackbird is a sweep! | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Where are ye, linnet, lark, and thrush! | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| That perch on leafy bough and bush, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| And tune the various song? | 7 | ···/˘˘· |
| Two hurdigurdists, and a poor | 8 | ········ |
| Street-Handel grinding at my door, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Are all my “tuneful throng.” | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Where are ye, early-purling streams, | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| Whose waves reflect the morning beams, | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| And colours of the skies? | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| My rills are only puddle-drains | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| From shambles, or reflect the stains | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| Of calimanco-dyes! | 6 | ······ |
| Sweet are the little brooks that run | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| O’er pebbles glancing in the sun, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Singing in soothing tones:-- | 6 | /˘·/˘· |
| Not thus the city streamlets flow; | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| They make no music as they go, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Though never “off the stones.” | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Where are ye, pastoral pretty sheep, | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| That wont to bleat, and frisk, and leap | 8 | ········ |
| Beside your woolly dams? | 6 | ˘/·/˘· |
| Alas! instead of harmless crooks, | 8 | ˘/˘/·/˘· |
| My Corydons use iron hooks, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And skin--not shear--the lambs. | 6 | ······ |
| The pipe whereon, in olden day, | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| The Arcadian herdsman used to play | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| Sweetly, here soundeth not; | 6 | /˘·/˘· |
| But merely breathes unwholesome fumes, | 9 | ·/˘······ |
| Meanwhile the city boor consumes | 8 | /··/˘·˘/ |
| The rank weed--“piping hot.” | 6 | ···/˘· |
| All rural things are vilely mock’d, | 9 | ·/˘······ |
| On every hand the sense is shock’d, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| With objects hard to bear: | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Shades--vernal shades!--where wine is sold! | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And, for a turfy bank, behold | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| An Ingram’s rustic chair! | 6 | ·/˘/˘· |
| Where are ye, London meads and bowers, | 9 | ···/˘··/˘ |
| And gardens redolent of flowers | 9 | ·/˘/˘˘·/˘ |
| Wherein the zephyr wons? | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Alas! Moor Fields are fields no more. | 8 | ˘/······ |
| See Hatton’s Gardens bricked all o’er, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| And that bare wood--St. John’s. | 6 | ······ |
| No pastoral scenes procure me peace; | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| I hold no Leasowes in my lease, | 8 | ········ |
| No cot set round with trees: | 6 | ······ |
| No sheep-white hill my dwelling flanks; | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And Omnium furnishes my banks | 8 | ·/˘˘/˘·· |
| With brokers--not with bees. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| O! well may poets make a fuss | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| In summer time, and sigh “O rus!” | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Of city pleasures sick: | 6 | ·/˘/˘· |
| My heart is all at pant to rest | 8 | ········ |
| In greenwood shades--my eyes detest | 8 | ·/····˘/ |
| That endless meal of brick! | 6 | ·/˘··· |
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