Laurel · Thomas Hood · The Song of the Shirt, and Other Poems

The Aeronaut

Thomas Hood (1799–1845) · 1826–1845

iambic tetrameter · AABCCB · 222 lines · from The Song of the Shirt, and Other Poems

Dear Graham, whilst the busy crowd,The vain, the wealthy, and the proud,Their meaner flights pursue,Let us cast off the foolish tiesThat bind us to the earth, and riseAnd take a bird's-eye view!--

A few more whiffs of my segarAnd then, in Fancy's airy car,Have with thee for the skies:--How oft this fragrant smoke upcurl'dHath borne me from this little world,And all that in it lies!--

Away!--away!--the bubble fills--Farewell to earth and all its hills!--We seem to cut the wind!--So high we mount, so swift we go,The chimney tops are far below,The Eagle's left behind!--

Ah me! my brain begins to swim!--The world is growing rather dim;The steeples and the trees--My wife is getting very small!I cannot see my babe at all!--The Dollond, if you please!--

Do, Graham, let me have a quiz;Lord! what a Lilliput it is.That little world of Mogg's!--Are those the London Docks?--that channel,The mighty Thames?--a proper kennelFor that small Isle of Dogs!--

What is that seeming tea-urn there?That fairy dome, St. Paul's!--I swear,Wren must have been a Wren!--And that small stripe?--it cannot beThe City Road!--Good lack! to seeThe little ways of men!

Little, indeed!--my eyeballs acheTo find a turnpike.--I must takeTheir tolls upon my trust!--And where is mortal labor gone?Look, Graham, for a little stoneMac Adamiz'd to dust!

Look at the horses!--less than flies!--Oh, what a waste it was of sighsTo wish to be a Mayor!What is the honor?--none at all,One's honor must be very smallFor such a civic chair!--

And there's Guildhall!--'tis far aloof--Methinks, I fancy through the roofIts little guardian Gogs,Like penny dolls--a tiny show!--Well,--I must say they're rul'd belowBy very little logs!--

Oh, Graham! how the upper airAlters the standards of compare;One of our silken flagsWould cover London all about--Nay, then--let's even empty outAnother brace of bags!

Now for a glass of bright champagneAbove the clouds!--Come, let us drainA bumper as we go!--But hold!--for God's sake do not cantThe cork away--unless you wantTo brain your friends below.

Think! what a mob of little menAre crawling just within our ken,Like mites upon a cheese!--Pshaw!--how the foolish sight rebukesAmbitious thoughts!--can there be DukesOf Gloster such as these!--

Oh! what is glory?--what is fame?Hark to the little mob's acclaim,'Tis nothing but a hum!--A few near gnats would trump as loudAs all the shouting of a crowdThat has so far to come!--

Well--they are wise that choose the near,A few small buzzards in the ear,To organs ages hence!--Ah me! how distance touches all;It makes the true look rather small,But murders poor pretence

"The world recedes!--it disappears!Heav'n opens on my eyes--my earsWith buzzing noises ring!"--A fig for Southey's Laureat lore!"--What's Rogers here?--Who cares for MooreThat hears the Angels sing!--"

A fig for earth, and all its minions!--We are above the world's opinions,Graham! we'll have our own!--Look what a vantage height we've got!--Now--do you think Sir Walter ScottIs such a Great Unknown?

Speak up!--or hath he hid his nameTo crawl thro' "subways" unto fame,Like Williams of Cornhill?--Speak up, my lad!--when men run smallWe'll show what's little in them all,Receive it how they will!--

Think now of Irving!--shall he preachThe princes down,--shall he impeachThe potent and the rich,Merely on ethic stilts,--and INot moralize at two mile highThe true didactic pitch!

Come:--what d'ye think of Jeffrey, sir?Is Gifford such a GulliverIn Lilliput's Review,That like Colossus he should strideCertain small brazen inches wideFor poets to pass through?

Look down! the world is but a spot.Now say--Is Blackwood's low or not,For all the Scottish tone?It shall not weigh us here--not whereThe sandy burden's lost in air--Our lading--where is't flown?

Now,--like you Croly's verse indeed--In heaven--where one cannot readThe "Warren" on a wall?What think you here of that man's fame?Tho' Jerdan magnified his name,To me 'tis very small!

And, truly, is there such a spellIn those three letters, L. E. L.,To witch a world with song?On clouds the Byron did not sit,Yet dar'd on Shakspeare's head to spit,And say the world was wrong!

And shall not we? Let's think aloud!Thus being couch'd upon a cloud,Graham, we'll have our eyes!We felt the great when we were less,But we'll retort on littlenessNow we are in the skies.

O Graham, Graham, how I blameThe bastard blush,--the petty shame,That used to fret me quite,--The little sores I cover'd then,No sores on earth, nor sorrows whenThe world is out of sight!

My name is Tims.--I am the manThat North's unseen diminish'd clanSo scurvily abused!I am the very P. A. Z.The London's Lion's small pin's headSo often hath refused!

Campbell--(you cannot see him here)--Hath scorn'd my lays:--do his appearSuch great eggs from the sky?--And Longman, and his lengthy Co.Long, only, in a little Row,Have thrust my poems by!

What else?--I'm poor, and much besetWith damn'd small duns--that is--in debtSome grains of golden dust!But only worth, above, is worth.--What's all the credit of the earth?An inch of cloth on trust?

What's Rothschild here, that wealthy man!Nay, worlds of wealth?--Oh, if you canSpy out,--the Golden Ball!Sure as we rose, all money sank:What's gold or silver now?--the BankIs gone--the 'Change and all!

What's all the ground-rent of the globe?--Oh, Graham, it would worry JobTo hear its landlords prate!But after this survey, I thinkI'll ne'er be bullied more, nor shrinkFrom men of large estate!

And less, still less, will I submitTo poor mean acres' worth of wit--I that have heaven's span--I that like Shakspeare's self may dreamBeyond the very clouds, and seemAn Universal Man!

Mark, Graham, mark those gorgeous crowds!Like Birds of Paradise the cloudsAre winging on the wind!But what is grander than their range?More lovely than their sunset change?--The free creative mind!

Well! the Adults' School's in the air!The greatest men are lesson'd thereAs well as the Lessee!Oh could Earth's Ellistons thus smallBehold the greatest stage of all,How humbled they would be!

"Oh would some Power the giftie gie 'em,To see themselves as others see 'em,"'Twould much abate their fuss!If they could think that from the iskiesThey are as little in our eyesAs they can think of us!

Of us! are we gone out of sight?Lessen'd! diminish'd! vanish'd quite!Lost to the tiny town!Beyond the Eagle's ken--the gropeOf Dollond's longest telescope!Graham! we're going down!

Ah me! I've touch'd a string that opesThe airy valve!--the gas elopes--Down goes our bright Balloon!--Farewell the skies! the clouds! I smellThe lower world! Graham, farewell,Man of the silken moon!

The earth is close! the City nears--Like a burnt paper it appears,Studded with tiny sparks!Methinks I hear the distant routOf coaches rumbling all about--We're close above the Parks!

I hear the watchmen on their beats,Hawking the hour about the streets.Lord! what a cruel jarIt is upon the earth to light!Well--there's the finish of our flight!I've smoked my last segar!

Words in this poem 31

chimney n.: A fireplace or hearth. Sir W. Raleigh.
babe n.: An infant; a young child of either sex; a baby. [Cf. Ir. bab, baban, W. baban, maban.]
kennel n.: The water course of a street; a little canal or channel; a gutter; also, a puddle. Bp. Hall. [See Channel, Canal.]
isle v. t.: To cause to become an island, or like an island; to surround or encompass; to island.
ache n.: A name given to several species of plants; as, smallage, wild celery, parsley. Holland. [F. ache, L. apium parsley.]
civic a.: Relating to, or derived from, a city or citizen; relating to man as a member of society, or to civil affairs. Civic crown (Rom. [L.civicus, fr. civis citizen. See City.]
guildhall n.: The hall where a guild or corporation usually assembles; a townhall.
methinks v.: It seems to me; I think. See Me. [AS. þyncan to seem, me þynceedh, me þuhte, OE. me thinketh, me thoughte; akin to G. dünken to seem, denken to think, and E. think. See Me, and Think.]
champagne n.: A light wine, of several kinds, originally made in the province of Champagne, in France. [F. See Champaign.]
bumper n.: A cup or glass filled to the brim, or till the liquor runs over, particularly in drinking a health or toast. [A corruption of bumbard, bombard, a large drinking vessel.]
pshaw interj.: Pish! pooch! -- an exclamation used as an expression of contempt, disdain, dislike, etc. [Of imitative origin.]
acclaim v. i.: To shout applause.
pretence n.: The act of laying claim; the claim laid; assumption; pretension. [LL. praetensus, for L. praetentus, p. p. of praetendere. See Pretend, and cf. Tension.]
vantage v. t.: To profit; to aid.
walter v. i.: To roll or wallow; to welter. [Obs. or Prov. Eng. & Scot.] [See Welter.]
crawl v. i.: To move slowly by drawing the body along the ground, as a worm; to move slowly on hands and kness; to creep. [Dan. kravle, or Icel. krafla, to paw, scrabble with the hands; akin to Sw. kr to crawl; cf. LG. krabbeln, D. krabbelen to scratch.]
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,]
impeach v. t.: To hinder; to impede; to prevent. [OE. empeechier to prevent, hinder, bar, F. empêcher, L. impedicare to entangle; pref. im- in + pedica fetter, fr. pes, pedis, foot. See Foot, and Appeach, Dispa]
ethic a.: Of, or belonging to, morals; treating of the moral feelings or duties; containing percepts of morality; moral; as, ethic discourses or epistles; an ethical system; ethical philosophy. [L. ethicus, Gr. sidus, G. sitte, Skr. svadh, prob. orig., one's own doing; sva self + dh to set: cf. F. éthique. See So, Do.]
moralize v. t.: To apply to a moral purpose; to explain in a moral sense; to draw a moral from. [Cf. F. moraliser.]
colossus n.: A statue of gigantic size. The name was especially applied to certain famous statues in antiquity, as the Colossus of Nero in Rome, the Colossus of Apollo at Rhodes.
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]
flown a.: Flushed, inflated.
aloud adv.: With a loud voice, or great noise; loudly; audibly. [Pref. a- + loud.]
unseen a.: Not seen or discovered.
scurvily adv.: In a scurvy manner.
lengthy a.: Having length; rather long or too long; prolix; not brief; -- said chiefly of discourses, writings, and the like.
wealth n.: Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]
gorgeous a.: Imposing through splendid or various colors; showy; fine; magnificent. [OF. gorgias beautiful, glorious, vain, luxurious; cf. OF. gorgias ruff, neck handkerchief, and F. gorge throat, and se pengorger to assume airs. Cf. Gorge, n.]
fuss n.: A tumult; a bustle; unnecessary or annoying ado about trifles. [Cf. Fusome.]
rumbling: a. & n. from Rumble, v. i.

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

The Aeronaut 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, The Aeronaut, 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/the-aeronaut.html, id L20121.

Form and metre

The Aeronaut is 222 lines in 37 stanzas of 6 lines each. The rhyme scheme is AABCCB, complete in 28 of its 37 stanzas. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 92%).

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 crowd^A · proud^A · pursue^B · ties^C · rise^C · view^B
2 --ABBA segar · car · skies^A · upcurl'd^B · world^B · lies^A
3 AABCCB fills^A · hills^A · wind^B · go^C · below^C · behind^B
4 AABCCB swim^A · dim^A · trees^B · small^C · all^C · please^B
5 AAB--B quiz^A · is^A · mogg's^B · channel · kennel · dogs^B
6 AABCCB there^A · swear^A · wren^B · be^C · see^C · men^B
7 AAB--B ache^A · take^A · trust^B · gone · stone · dust^B
8 AA-BB- flies^A · sighs^A · mayor · all^B · small^B · chair
9 AABCCB aloof^A · roof^A · gogs^B · show^C · below^C · logs^B
10 AABCCB air^A · compare^A · flags^B · about^C · out^C · bags^B
11 AAB--B champagne^A · drain^A · go^B · cant · want · below^B
12 AABCCB men^A · ken^A · cheese^B · rebukes^C · dukes^C · these^B
13 AABCCB fame^A · acclaim^A · hum^B · loud^C · crowd^C · come^B
14 AABCCB near^A · ear^A · hence^B · all^C · small^C · pretence^B
15 AABCCB disappears^A · ears^A · ring^B · lore^C · moore^C · sing^B
16 AABCCB minions^A · opinions^A · own^B · got^C · scott^C · unknown^B
17 AABCCB name^A · fame^A · cornhill^B · small^C · all^C · will^B
18 AABCCB preach^A · impeach^A · rich^B · i^C · high^C · pitch^B
19 --ABBA sir · gulliver · review^A · stride^B · wide^B · through^A
20 AABCCB spot^A · not^A · tone^B · where^C · air^C · flown^B
21 AABCCB indeed^A · read^A · wall^B · fame^C · name^C · small^B
22 AABCCB spell^A · l^A · song^B · sit^C · spit^C · wrong^B
23 AABCCB aloud^A · cloud^A · eyes^B · less^C · littleness^C · skies^B
24 AABCCB blame^A · shame^A · quite^B · then^C · when^C · sight^B
25 AAB--B man^A · clan^A · abused^B · z · head · refused^B
26 AABCCB here^A · appear^A · sky^B · co^C · row^C · by^B
27 AABCCB beset^A · debt^A · dust^B · worth^C · earth^C · trust^B
28 AABCCB man^A · can^A · ball^B · sank^C · bank^C · all^B
29 AABCCB globe^A · job^A · prate^B · think^C · shrink^C · estate^B
30 AABCCB submit^A · wit^A · span^B · dream^C · seem^C · man^B
31 AABCCB crowds^A · clouds^A · wind^B · range^C · change^C · mind^B
32 AABCCB air^A · there^A · lessee^B · small^C · all^C · be^B
33 AAB--B em^A · em^A · fuss^B · iskies · eyes · us^B
34 AABCCB sight^A · quite^A · town^B · grope^C · telescope^C · down^B
35 AABCCB opes^A · elopes^A · balloon^B · smell^C · farewell^C · moon^B
36 AABCCB nears^A · appears^A · sparks^B · rout^C · about^C · parks^B
37 AA-BB- beats^A · streets^A · jar · light^B · flight^B · segar

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
Dear Graham, whilst the busy crowd,	8	·/˘··/˘·
The vain, the wealthy, and the proud,	8	···/˘···
Their meaner flights pursue,	6	·/˘·˘/
Let us cast off the foolish ties	8	·····/˘·
That bind us to the earth, and rise	8	········
And take a bird's-eye view!--	6	······
A few more whiffs of my segar	8	······/˘
And then, in Fancy's airy car,	8	···/˘/˘·
Have with thee for the skies:--	6	······
How oft this fragrant smoke upcurl'd	8	···/˘···
Hath borne me from this little world,	8	·····/˘·
And all that in it lies!--	6	······
Away!--away!--the bubble fills--	8	˘/˘/·/˘·
Farewell to earth and all its hills!--	8	·/······
We seem to cut the wind!--	6	······
So high we mount, so swift we go,	8	········
The chimney tops are far below,	8	·/˘·····
The Eagle's left behind!--	6	·/˘···
Ah me! my brain begins to swim!--	8	····˘/··
The world is growing rather dim;	8	···/˘/˘·
The steeples and the trees--	6	·/˘···
My wife is getting very small!	8	···/˘/˘·
I cannot see my babe at all!--	8	·/˘·····
The Dollond, if you please!--	6	······
Do, Graham, let me have a quiz;	8	·/˘·····
Lord! what a Lilliput it is.	8	········
That little world of Mogg's!--	6	·/˘···
Are those the London Docks?--that channel,	9	···/˘··/˘
The mighty Thames?--a proper kennel	9	·/˘··/˘/˘
For that small Isle of Dogs!--	6	······
What is that seeming tea-urn there?	8	···/˘···
That fairy dome, St. Paul's!--I swear,	8	·/˘·····
Wren must have been a Wren!--	6	······
And that small stripe?--it cannot be	8	·····/˘·
The City Road!--Good lack! to see	8	·/˘·····
The little ways of men!	6	·/˘···
Little, indeed!--my eyeballs ache	8	/˘˘/·/··
To find a turnpike.--I must take	8	···/····
Their tolls upon my trust!--	6	······
And where is mortal labor gone?	8	···/˘/˘·
Look, Graham, for a little stone	8	·/˘··/˘·
Mac Adamiz'd to dust!	6	······
Look at the horses!--less than flies!--	8	···/˘···
Oh, what a waste it was of sighs	8	········
To wish to be a Mayor!	7	·····/˘
What is the honor?--none at all,	8	···/˘···
One's honor must be very small	8	·/˘··/˘·
For such a civic chair!--	6	···/˘·
And there's Guildhall!--'tis far aloof--	8	··/···˘/
Methinks, I fancy through the roof	8	˘/·/˘···
Its little guardian Gogs,	7	·/˘/˘˘·
Like penny dolls--a tiny show!--	8	·/˘··/˘·
Well,--I must say they're rul'd below	8	········
By very little logs!--	6	·/˘/˘·
Oh, Graham! how the upper air	8	·/˘··/˘·
Alters the standards of compare;	8	/˘·/˘·˘/
One of our silken flags	7	··/˘/˘·
Would cover London all about--	8	·/˘/˘···
Nay, then--let's even empty out	8	···/˘/˘·
Another brace of bags!	6	˘/˘···
Now for a glass of bright champagne	8	······˘/
Above the clouds!--Come, let us drain	8	········
A bumper as we go!--	6	·/˘···
But hold!--for God's sake do not cant	8	········
The cork away--unless you want	8	··˘/····
To brain your friends below.	6	······
Think! what a mob of little men	8	·····/˘·
Are crawling just within our ken,	8	·/˘···/·
Like mites upon a cheese!--	6	······
Pshaw!--how the foolish sight rebukes	8	···/˘·˘/
Ambitious thoughts!--can there be Dukes	8	˘/˘·····
Of Gloster such as these!--	6	·/˘···
Oh! what is glory?--what is fame?	8	···/˘···
Hark to the little mob's acclaim,	8	···/˘·˘/
'Tis nothing but a hum!--	6	·/˘···
A few near gnats would trump as loud	8	········
As all the shouting of a crowd	8	···/˘···
That has so far to come!--	6	······
Well--they are wise that choose the near,	8	········
A few small buzzards in the ear,	8	···/˘···
To organs ages hence!--	6	·/˘/˘·
Ah me! how distance touches all;	8	···/˘/˘·
It makes the true look rather small,	8	·····/˘·
But murders poor pretence	6	·/˘···
"The world recedes!--it disappears!	8	··˘/··˘/
Heav'n opens on my eyes--my ears	8	·/˘·····
With buzzing noises ring!"--	6	·/˘/˘·
A fig for Southey's Laureat lore!"--	8	········
What's Rogers here?--Who cares for Moore	8	·/˘·····
That hears the Angels sing!--"	6	···/˘·
A fig for earth, and all its minions!--	9	·······/˘
We are above the world's opinions,	9	······˘/˘
Graham! we'll have our own!--	7	/˘··/˘·
Look what a vantage height we've got!--	8	···/˘···
Now--do you think Sir Walter Scott	8	·····/˘·
Is such a Great Unknown?	6	····˘/
Speak up!--or hath he hid his name	8	········
To crawl thro' "subways" unto fame,	8	···/····
Like Williams of Cornhill?--	6	·/˘···
Speak up, my lad!--when men run small	8	········
We'll show what's little in them all,	8	···/˘···
Receive it how they will!--	6	˘/····
Think now of Irving!--shall he preach	8	···/˘···
The princes down,--shall he impeach	8	·/˘···˘/
The potent and the rich,	6	·/˘···
Merely on ethic stilts,--and I	8	/˘·/˘···
Not moralize at two mile high	8	·/˘·····
The true didactic pitch!	6	··˘/˘·
Come:--what d'ye think of Jeffrey, sir?	8	·····/˘·
Is Gifford such a Gulliver	8	·/˘··/˘˘
In Lilliput's Review,	6	·····/
That like Colossus he should stride	8	··˘/˘···
Certain small brazen inches wide	8	/˘·/˘/˘·
For poets to pass through?	6	·/˘···
Look down! the world is but a spot.	8	········
Now say--Is Blackwood's low or not,	8	···/····
For all the Scottish tone?	6	···/˘·
It shall not weigh us here--not where	8	········
The sandy burden's lost in air--	8	·/˘/˘···
Our lading--where is't flown?	7	/˘/˘···
Now,--like you Croly's verse indeed--	8	······˘/
In heaven--where one cannot read	8	·/˘··/˘·
The "Warren" on a wall?	6	·/˘···
What think you here of that man's fame?	8	········
Tho' Jerdan magnified his name,	8	···/˘···
To me 'tis very small!	6	···/˘·
And, truly, is there such a spell	8	·/˘·····
In those three letters, L. E. L.,	8	···/˘···
To witch a world with song?	6	······
On clouds the Byron did not sit,	8	···/˘···
Yet dar'd on Shakspeare's head to spit,	8	········
And say the world was wrong!	6	······
And shall not we? Let's think aloud!	8	······˘/
Thus being couch'd upon a cloud,	8	·/˘·····
Graham, we'll have our eyes!	7	/˘··/˘·
We felt the great when we were less,	8	········
But we'll retort on littleness	8	··/··/˘˘
Now we are in the skies.	6	······
O Graham, Graham, how I blame	8	·/˘/˘···
The bastard blush,--the petty shame,	8	·/˘··/˘·
That used to fret me quite,--	6	······
The little sores I cover'd then,	8	·/˘··/˘·
No sores on earth, nor sorrows when	8	·····/˘·
The world is out of sight!	6	······
My name is Tims.--I am the man	8	········
That North's unseen diminish'd clan	8	··˘/˘/˘·
So scurvily abused!	6	·/˘˘˘/
I am the very P. A. Z.	8	···/˘···
The London's Lion's small pin's head	8	·/˘/˘···
So often hath refused!	6	·/˘·˘/
Campbell--(you cannot see him here)--	8	/˘·˘/···
Hath scorn'd my lays:--do his appear	8	······˘/
Such great eggs from the sky?--	6	······
And Longman, and his lengthy Co.	8	·/˘··/˘·
Long, only, in a little Row,	8	·/˘··/˘·
Have thrust my poems by!	6	···/˘·
What else?--I'm poor, and much beset	8	······˘/
With damn'd small duns--that is--in debt	8	········
Some grains of golden dust!	6	···/˘·
But only worth, above, is worth.--	8	·/˘·····
What's all the credit of the earth?	8	···/˘···
An inch of cloth on trust?	6	······
What's Rothschild here, that wealthy man!	8	·/···/˘·
Nay, worlds of wealth?--Oh, if you can	8	········
Spy out,--the Golden Ball!	6	···/˘·
Sure as we rose, all money sank:	8	·····/˘·
What's gold or silver now?--the Bank	8	···/˘···
Is gone--the 'Change and all!	6	······
What's all the ground-rent of the globe?--	8	········
Oh, Graham, it would worry Job	8	·/˘··/˘·
To hear its landlords prate!	6	···/··
But after this survey, I think	8	····˘/··
I'll ne'er be bullied more, nor shrink	8	···/˘···
From men of large estate!	6	····˘/
And less, still less, will I submit	8	······˘/
To poor mean acres' worth of wit--	8	···/˘···
I that have heaven's span--	6	···/˘·
I that like Shakspeare's self may dream	8	········
Beyond the very clouds, and seem	8	···/˘···
An Universal Man!	6	··˘/˘·
Mark, Graham, mark those gorgeous crowds!	8	·/˘··/˘·
Like Birds of Paradise the clouds	8	···/˘···
Are winging on the wind!	6	·/˘···
But what is grander than their range?	8	···/˘···
More lovely than their sunset change?--	8	·/˘··/··
The free creative mind!	6	··˘/˘·
Well! the Adults' School's in the air!	8	··˘/····
The greatest men are lesson'd there	8	·/˘·····
As well as the Lessee!	6	····˘/
Oh could Earth's Ellistons thus small	8	···/˘˘··
Behold the greatest stage of all,	8	˘/·/˘···
How humbled they would be!	6	·/˘···
"Oh would some Power the giftie gie 'em,	9	···/·····
To see themselves as others see 'em,"	9	··˘/·/˘··
'Twould much abate their fuss!	6	··˘/··
If they could think that from the iskies	8	········
They are as little in our eyes	8	···/˘·/·
As they can think of us!	6	······
Of us! are we gone out of sight?	8	········
Lessen'd! diminish'd! vanish'd quite!	8	/˘˘/˘/˘·
Lost to the tiny town!	6	···/˘·
Beyond the Eagle's ken--the grope	8	···/˘···
Of Dollond's longest telescope!	8	···/˘/˘·
Graham! we're going down!	6	/˘·/˘·
Ah me! I've touch'd a string that opes	8	········
The airy valve!--the gas elopes--	8	·/˘···˘/
Down goes our bright Balloon!--	7	··/˘·˘/
Farewell the skies! the clouds! I smell	8	·/······
The lower world! Graham, farewell,	8	·/˘·/˘·/
Man of the silken moon!	6	···/˘·
The earth is close! the City nears--	8	·····/˘·
Like a burnt paper it appears,	8	···/˘·˘/
Studded with tiny sparks!	6	/˘·/˘·
Methinks I hear the distant rout	8	˘/···/˘·
Of coaches rumbling all about--	8	·/˘/˘···
We're close above the Parks!	6	······
I hear the watchmen on their beats,	8	···/˘···
Hawking the hour about the streets.	8	/˘·/····
Lord! what a cruel jar	6	···/˘·
It is upon the earth to light!	8	········
Well--there's the finish of our flight!	8	···/˘·/·
I've smoked my last segar!	6	····/˘

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.

More by Thomas Hood

Poems The Song of the Shirt, and Other Poems