Ode to Joseph Grimaldi, Senior
Joseph! they say thou'st left the stage,To toddle down the hill of life,And taste the flannel'd ease of age,Apart from pantomimic strife--"Retir'd--(for Young would call it so)--The world shut out"--in Pleasant Row!
And hast thou really wash'd at lastFrom each white cheek the red half-moon!And all thy public Clownship cast,To play the private Pantaloon?All youth--all ages--yet to beShall have a heavy miss of thee!
Thou didst not preach to make us wise--Thou hadst no finger in our schooling--Thou didst not "lure us to the skies"--Thy simple, simple trade was--Fooling!And yet, Heav'n knows! we could--we canMuch "better spare a better man!"
Oh, had it pleased the gout to takeThe reverend Croly from the stage,Or Southey, for our quiet's sake,Or Mr. Fletcher, Cupid's sage,Or, damme! namby-pamby Poole,--Or any other clown or fool!
Go, Dibdin--all that bear the name,Go, Byeway Highway man! go! go!Go, Skeffy--man of painted fame,But leave thy partner, painted Joe!I could bear Kirby on the wane,Or Signor Paulo with a sprain!
Had Joseph Wilfrid Parkins madeHis gray hairs scarce in private peace--Had Waithman sought a rural shade--Or Cobbett ta'en a turnpike lease--Or Lisle Bowles gone to Balaam Hill--I think I could be cheerful still!
Had Medwin left off, to his praise,Dead lion kicking, like--a friend!--Had long, long Irving gone his ways,To Muse on death at Ponder's EndOr Lady Morgan taken leaveOf Letters--still I might not grieve!
But, Joseph--everybody's Jo!--Is gone--and grieve I will and must!As Hamlet did for Yorick, soWill I for thee (though not yet dust),And talk as he did when he miss'dThe kissing-crust that he had kiss'd!
Ah, where is now thy rolling head!Thy winking, reeling, drunken eyes,(As old Catullus would have said),Thy oven-mouth, that swallow'd pies--Enormous hunger--monstrous drowth!Thy pockets greedy as thou mouth!
Ah, where thy ears, so often cuff'd!--Thy funny, flapping, filching hands!--Thy partridge body, always stuff'dWith waifs, and strays, and contrabands!--Thy foot--like Berkeley's Foote--for why?'Twas often made to wipe an eye!
Ah, where thy legs--that witty pair!For "great wits jump"--and so did they!Lord! how they leap'd in lamplight air!Caper'd--and bounc'd--and strode away!--That years should tame the legs--alack!I've seen spring thro' an Almanack!
But bounds will have their bound--the shocksOf Time will cramp the nimblest toes;And those that frisk'd in silken clocksMay look to limp in fleecy hose--One only--(Champion of the ring)Could ever make his Winter,--Spring!
And gout, that owns no odds betweenThe toe of Czar and toe of Clown,Will visit--but I did not meanTo moralize, though I am grownThus sad,--Thy going seem'd to beatA muffled drum for Fun's retreat!
And, may be--'tis no time to smotherA sigh, when two prime wags of LondonAre gone--thou, Joseph, one,--the otherA Joe!--"sic transit gloria Munden!"A third departure some insist on,--Stage-apoplexy threatens Liston!--
Nay, then, let Sleeping Beauty sleepWith ancient "Dozey" to the dregs--Let Mother Goose wear mourning deep,And put a hatchment o'er her eggs!Let Farley weep--for Magic's manIs gone,--his Christmas Caliban!
Let Kemble, Forbes, and Willet rain,As tho' they walk'd behind thy bier,--For since thou wilt not play again,What matters,--if in heav'n or here!Or in thy grave, or in thy bed!--There's Quick might just as well be dead!
Oh, how will thy departure cloudThe lamplight of the little breast!The Christmas child will grieve aloudTo miss his broadest friend and best,--Poor urchin! what avails to himThe cold New Monthly's Ghost of Grimm?
For who like thee could ever stride!Some dozen paces to the mile!--The motley, medley coach provide--Or like Joe Frankenstein compileThe vegetable man complete!--A proper Covent Garden feat!
Oh, who like thee could ever drink,Or eat,--swill, swallow--bolt--and choke!Nod, weep, and hiccup--sneeze and wink?--Thy very yawn was quite a joke!Tho' Joseph, Junior, acts not ill,"There's no Fool like the old Fool" still!
Joseph, farewell! dear funny Joe!We met with mirth,--we part in pain!For many a long, long year must goEre Fun can see thy like again--For Nature does not keep great storesOf perfect Clowns--that are not Boors!
Words in this poem 33
- toddle v. i.
- To walk with short, tottering steps, as a child. [Akin to tottle, totter.]
- pantomimic a.
- Of or pertaining to the pantomime; representing by dumb show. [Cf. F. pantomimique.]
- strife n.
- The act of striving; earnest endeavor. [OF. estrif. See Strive.]
- hast
- , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
- pantaloon n.
- Aridiculous character, or an old dotard, in the Italian comedy; also, a buffoon in pantomimes.
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- didst
- , the 2d pers. sing. imp. of Do.
- schooling n.
- Instruction in school; tuition; education in an institution of learning; act of teaching.
- reverend a.
- Worthy of reverence; entitled to respect mingled with fear and affection; venerable. [F. révérend, L. reverendus, fr. revereri. See Revere.]
- fletcher n.
- One who fletches of feathers arrows; a manufacturer of bows and arrows. Mortimer. [OF. flechier.]
- damme n.
- A female parent; -- used of beasts, especially of quadrupeds; sometimes applied in contempt to a human mother. [OE. dame mistress, lady; also, mother, dam. See Dame.]
- signor n.
- Sir; Mr; -- a title of address or respect among the Italians. [It. See Seignior.]
- scarce a.
- Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon. [OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See C]
- lisle n.
- A city of France celebrated for certain manufactures. Lisle glove, a fine summer glove, made of Lisle thread.
- morgan n.
- One of a celebrated breed of American trotting horses; -- so called from the name of the stud from which the breed originated in Vermont.
- funny a.
- Droll; comical; amusing; laughable. Funny bone. See crazy bone, under Crazy. [From Fun.]
- witty a.
- Possessed of wit; knowing; wise; skillful; judicious; clever; cunning. [AS. witig, wittig. See Wit, n.]
- lamplight n.
- Light from a lamp.
- alack interj.
- An exclamation expressive of sorrow. [Prob. from ah! lack! OE. lak loss, failure, misfortune. See Lack.]
- fleecy a.
- Covered with, made of, or resembling, a fleece.
- odds n.
- Difference in favor of one and against another; excess of one of two things or numbers over the other; inequality; advantage; superiority; hence, excess of chances; probability. [See Odd, a.]
- moralize v. t.
- To apply to a moral purpose; to explain in a moral sense; to draw a moral from. [Cf. F. moraliser.]
- departure n.
- Division; separation; putting away. [From Depart.]
- insist v. i.
- To stand or rest; to find support; -- with in, on, or upon. [F. insister, L. insistere to set foot upon, follow, persist; pref. in- in + sistere to stand, cause to stand. See Stand.]
- willet n.
- A large North American snipe (Symphemia semipalmata); -- called also pill-willet, will-willet, semipalmated tattler, or snipe, duck snipe, and stone curlew. Carolina willet, the Hudsonian godwit.
- bier n.
- A handbarrow or portable frame on which a corpse is placed or borne to the grave. [OE. bæe, beere, AS. b, b; akin to D. baar, OHG. bara, G. bahre, Icel barar, Dbaare, L. feretrum, Gr. , from the same bear to produce. See 1st Bear, and cf. Barr]
- aloud adv.
- With a loud voice, or great noise; loudly; audibly. [Pref. a- + loud.]
- ghost n.
- The spirit; the soul of man. [OE. gast, gost, soul, spirit, AS. gast breath, spirit, soul; akin to OS. g spirit, soul, D. geest, G. geist, and prob. to E. gaze, ghastly.]
- grimm a.
- Of forbidding or fear-inspiring aspect; fierce; stern; surly; cruel; frightful; horrible.
- stride v. t.
- To walk with long steps, especially in a measured or pompous manner. [AS. stridan to stride, to strive; akin to LG. striden, OFries. strida to strive, D. strijden to strive, to contend, G. streiten, OHG. stritan; of uncertain orig]
- compile v. t.
- To put together; to construct; to build. [F. compiler, fr.L. compilare to plunder, pillage; com- + pilare to plunder. See Pill, v. t., Pillage.]
- covent n.
- A convent or monastery. Bale. Covent Garden, a large square in London, so called because originally it was the garden of a monastery. [OF. covent, F. couvent. See Convent.]
- swill v. t.
- To wash; to drench. [OE. swilen to wash, AS. swilian.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Ode to Joseph Grimaldi, Senior is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poetical Works of Thomas Hood, Project Gutenberg ebook #15652; 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, Ode to Joseph Grimaldi, Senior, in The Song of the Shirt, and Other Poems (1826–1845), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #15652, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/hood-poetical-works/ode-to-joseph-grimaldi-senior.html, id L20125.
Form and metre
Ode to Joseph Grimaldi, Senior is 120 lines in 20 stanzas of 6 lines each. The rhyme scheme is ABABCC, complete in 16 of its 20 stanzas. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 93%).
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 ABABCC stageA · lifeB · ageA · strifeB · soC · rowC
- 2 ABABCC lastA · moonB · castA · pantaloonB · beC · theeC
- 3 ABABCC wiseA · schoolingB · skiesA · foolingB · canC · manC
- 4 ABABCC takeA · stageB · sakeA · sageB · pooleC · foolC
- 5 ABABCC nameA · goB · fameA · joeB · waneC · sprainC
- 6 ABABCC madeA · peaceB · shadeA · leaseB · hillC · stillC
- 7 ABABCC praiseA · friendB · waysA · endB · leaveC · grieveC
- 8 ABABCC joA · mustB · soA · dustB · miss'dC · kiss'dC
- 9 ABAB-- headA · eyesB · saidA · piesB · drowth · mouth
- 10 ABABCC cuff'dA · handsB · stuff'dA · contrabandsB · whyC · eyeC
- 11 ABABCC pairA · theyB · airA · awayB · alackC · almanackC
- 12 ABABCC shocksA · toesB · clocksA · hoseB · ringC · springC
- 13 A-A-BB betweenA · clown · meanA · grown · beatB · retreatB
- 14 ABABBB smotherA · londonB · otherA · mundenB · onB · listonB
- 15 ABABCC sleepA · dregsB · deepA · eggsB · manC · calibanC
- 16 ABABCC rainA · bierB · againA · hereB · bedC · deadC
- 17 ABABCC cloudA · breastB · aloudA · bestB · himC · grimmC
- 18 ABABCC strideA · mileB · provideA · compileB · completeC · featC
- 19 ABABCC drinkA · chokeB · winkA · jokeB · illC · stillC
- 20 ABAB-- joeA · painB · goA · againB · stores · boors
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph! they say thou'st left the stage, | 8 | /˘······ |
| To toddle down the hill of life, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And taste the flannel'd ease of age, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Apart from pantomimic strife-- | 8 | ˘/······ |
| "Retir'd--(for Young would call it so)-- | 8 | ˘/······ |
| The world shut out"--in Pleasant Row! | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And hast thou really wash'd at last | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| From each white cheek the red half-moon! | 8 | ········ |
| And all thy public Clownship cast, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| To play the private Pantaloon? | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| All youth--all ages--yet to be | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Shall have a heavy miss of thee! | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Thou didst not preach to make us wise-- | 8 | ········ |
| Thou hadst no finger in our schooling-- | 9 | ···/˘·//˘ |
| Thou didst not "lure us to the skies"-- | 8 | ········ |
| Thy simple, simple trade was--Fooling! | 9 | ·/˘/˘··/˘ |
| And yet, Heav'n knows! we could--we can | 8 | ········ |
| Much "better spare a better man!" | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Oh, had it pleased the gout to take | 8 | ········ |
| The reverend Croly from the stage, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Or Southey, for our quiet's sake, | 8 | ····//˘· |
| Or Mr. Fletcher, Cupid's sage, | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘· |
| Or, damme! namby-pamby Poole,-- | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Or any other clown or fool! | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Go, Dibdin--all that bear the name, | 8 | ········ |
| Go, Byeway Highway man! go! go! | 8 | ···/···· |
| Go, Skeffy--man of painted fame, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| But leave thy partner, painted Joe! | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| I could bear Kirby on the wane, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Or Signor Paulo with a sprain! | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Had Joseph Wilfrid Parkins made | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘· |
| His gray hairs scarce in private peace-- | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Had Waithman sought a rural shade-- | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Or Cobbett ta'en a turnpike lease-- | 8 | ·/˘··/·· |
| Or Lisle Bowles gone to Balaam Hill-- | 9 | ·/˘···/˘· |
| I think I could be cheerful still! | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Had Medwin left off, to his praise, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Dead lion kicking, like--a friend!-- | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Had long, long Irving gone his ways, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| To Muse on death at Ponder's End | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Or Lady Morgan taken leave | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘· |
| Of Letters--still I might not grieve! | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| But, Joseph--everybody's Jo!-- | 8 | ·/˘/˘·˘· |
| Is gone--and grieve I will and must! | 8 | ········ |
| As Hamlet did for Yorick, so | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Will I for thee (though not yet dust), | 8 | ········ |
| And talk as he did when he miss'd | 8 | ········ |
| The kissing-crust that he had kiss'd! | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Ah, where is now thy rolling head! | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Thy winking, reeling, drunken eyes, | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘· |
| (As old Catullus would have said), | 8 | ········ |
| Thy oven-mouth, that swallow'd pies-- | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Enormous hunger--monstrous drowth! | 8 | ˘/˘/˘/˘· |
| Thy pockets greedy as thou mouth! | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Ah, where thy ears, so often cuff'd!-- | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Thy funny, flapping, filching hands!-- | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘· |
| Thy partridge body, always stuff'd | 8 | ·/˘/˘/·· |
| With waifs, and strays, and contrabands!-- | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Thy foot--like Berkeley's Foote--for why? | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| 'Twas often made to wipe an eye! | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Ah, where thy legs--that witty pair! | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| For "great wits jump"--and so did they! | 8 | ········ |
| Lord! how they leap'd in lamplight air! | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Caper'd--and bounc'd--and strode away!-- | 8 | ······˘/ |
| That years should tame the legs--alack! | 8 | ······˘/ |
| I've seen spring thro' an Almanack! | 8 | ········ |
| But bounds will have their bound--the shocks | 8 | ········ |
| Of Time will cramp the nimblest toes; | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And those that frisk'd in silken clocks | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| May look to limp in fleecy hose-- | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| One only--(Champion of the ring) | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Could ever make his Winter,--Spring! | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| And gout, that owns no odds between | 8 | ········ |
| The toe of Czar and toe of Clown, | 8 | ········ |
| Will visit--but I did not mean | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| To moralize, though I am grown | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Thus sad,--Thy going seem'd to beat | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| A muffled drum for Fun's retreat! | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| And, may be--'tis no time to smother | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| A sigh, when two prime wags of London | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Are gone--thou, Joseph, one,--the other | 9 | ···/˘··/˘ |
| A Joe!--"sic transit gloria Munden!" | 9 | ···/˘/˘/˘ |
| A third departure some insist on,-- | 9 | ··˘/˘·˘/· |
| Stage-apoplexy threatens Liston!-- | 9 | ·/˘·˘/˘/˘ |
| Nay, then, let Sleeping Beauty sleep | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| With ancient "Dozey" to the dregs-- | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Let Mother Goose wear mourning deep, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| And put a hatchment o'er her eggs! | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Let Farley weep--for Magic's man | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Is gone,--his Christmas Caliban! | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Let Kemble, Forbes, and Willet rain, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| As tho' they walk'd behind thy bier,-- | 8 | ········ |
| For since thou wilt not play again, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| What matters,--if in heav'n or here! | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Or in thy grave, or in thy bed!-- | 8 | ········ |
| There's Quick might just as well be dead! | 8 | ········ |
| Oh, how will thy departure cloud | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| The lamplight of the little breast! | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| The Christmas child will grieve aloud | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| To miss his broadest friend and best,-- | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Poor urchin! what avails to him | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| The cold New Monthly's Ghost of Grimm? | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| For who like thee could ever stride! | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Some dozen paces to the mile!-- | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| The motley, medley coach provide-- | 8 | ·/˘/˘·˘/ |
| Or like Joe Frankenstein compile | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| The vegetable man complete!-- | 7 | ·/˘˘·˘/ |
| A proper Covent Garden feat! | 8 | ·/˘/˘/˘· |
| Oh, who like thee could ever drink, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Or eat,--swill, swallow--bolt--and choke! | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Nod, weep, and hiccup--sneeze and wink?-- | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Thy very yawn was quite a joke! | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Tho' Joseph, Junior, acts not ill, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| "There's no Fool like the old Fool" still! | 8 | ········ |
| Joseph, farewell! dear funny Joe! | 8 | /˘·/·/˘· |
| We met with mirth,--we part in pain! | 8 | ········ |
| For many a long, long year must go | 8 | ·/······ |
| Ere Fun can see thy like again-- | 8 | ······˘/ |
| For Nature does not keep great stores | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Of perfect Clowns--that are not Boors! | 8 | ·˘/····· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.