Bec's Birth-Day Nov. 8, 1726
This day, dear Bec, is thy nativity;Had Fate a luckier one, she'd give it ye.She chose a thread of greatest length,And doubly twisted it for strength:Nor will be able with her shearsTo cut it off these forty years.Then who says care will kill a cat?Rebecca shows they're out in that.For she, though overrun with care,Continues healthy, fat, and fair.As, if the gout should seize the head,Doctors pronounce the patient dead;But, if they can, by all their arts,Eject it to the extremest parts,They give the sick man joy, and praiseThe gout that will prolong his days.Rebecca thus I gladly greet,Who drives her cares to hands and feet:For, though philosophers maintainThe limbs are guided by the brain,Quite contrary Rebecca's led;Her hands and feet conduct her head;By arbitrary power convey her,She ne'er considers why or where:Her hands may meddle, feet may wander,Her head is but a mere by-stander:And all her bustling but suppliesThe part of wholesome exercise.Thus nature has resolved to pay herThe cat's nine lives, and eke the care.Long may she live, and help her friendsWhene'er it suits her private ends;Domestic business never mindTill coffee has her stomach lined;But, when her breakfast gives her courage,Then think on Stella's chicken porridge:I mean when Tigerhas been served,Or else poor Stella may be starved.May Bec have many an evening nap,With Tiger slabbering in her lap;But always take a special careShe does not overset the chair;Still be she curious, never hearkenTo any speech but Tiger's barking!And when she's in another scene,Stella long dead, but first the Dean,May fortune and her coffee get herCompanions that will please her better!Whole afternoons will sit beside her,Nor for neglects or blunders chide her.A goodly set as can be foundOf hearty gossips prating round;Fresh from a wedding or a christening,To teach her ears the art of listening,And please her more to hear them tattle,Than the Dean storm, or Stella rattle.Late be her death, one gentle nod,When Hermes, waiting with his rod,Shall to Elysian fields invite her,Where there will be no cares to fright her!
Words in this poem
- overrun v. t.
- To run over; to grow or spread over in excess; to invade and occupy; to take possession of; as, the vine overran its trellis; the farm is overrun with witch grass.
- gladly adv.
- Preferably; by choice. [From Glad, a.]
- meddle v. i.
- To mix; to mingle. [OE. medlen to mix, OF. medler, mesler, F. mêler, LL. misculare, a dim. fr. L. miscere to mix. Mix, and cf. Medley, Mellay.]
- stander n.
- One who stands.
- bustling a.
- Agitated; noisy; tumultuous; characterized by confused activity; as, a bustling crowd.
- overset v. t.
- To turn or tip (anything) over from an upright, or a proper, position so that it lies upon its side or bottom upwards; to upset; as, to overset a chair, a coach, a ship, or a building.
- curious a.
- Difficult to please or satisfy; solicitous to be correct; careful; scrupulous; nice; exact. [OF. curios, curius, F. curieux, L. curiosus careful, inquisitive, fr. cura care. See Cure.]
- goodly a.
- Pleasant; agreeable; desirable. [OE. godlich, AS. g. See Good, and Like.]
- tattle v. i.
- To prate; to talk idly; to use many words with little meaning; to chat. [Akin to OE. tateren, LG. tateln, D. tateren to stammer, and perhaps to E. titter.]
- 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,]
- elysian a.
- Pertaining, or the abode of the blessed after death; hence, yielding the highest pleasures; exceedingly delightful; beatific. [L. Elysius, fr. Elysium.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Bec's Birth-Day Nov. 8, 1726 is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 2, Project Gutenberg ebook #13621; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Jonathan Swift, Bec's Birth-Day Nov. 8, 1726, in Cadenus and Vanessa, and Other Poems (1710–1745), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #13621, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/swift-poems/bec-s-birth-day-nov-8-1726.html, id L09246.
Form and metre
Bec's Birth-Day Nov. 8, 1726 is 60 lines in a single stanza. It is in rhyming couplets, 67% of the lines: octosyllabic couplets. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 90%). 98% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 8.4 syllables. 12 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 18% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in octosyllabic couplets, 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 --AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJ----KK--LLMM----NNOO--PP----QQRRSSTT-- nativity · ye · lengthA · strengthA · shearsB · yearsB · catC · thatC · careD · fairD · headE · deadE · artsF · partsF · praiseG · daysG · greetH · feetH · maintainI · brainI · ledJ · headJ · her · where · wander · stander · suppliesK · exerciseK · her · care · friendsL · endsL · mindM · linedM · courage · porridge · served · starved · napN · lapN · careO · chairO · hearken · barking · sceneP · deanP · her · better · her · her · foundQ · roundQ · christeningR · listeningR · tattleS · rattleS · nodT · rodT · her · her
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 |
|---|---|---|
| This day, dear Bec, is thy nativity; | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| Had Fate a luckier one, she'd give it ye. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| She chose a thread of greatest length, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And doubly twisted it for strength: | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Nor will be able with her shears | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| To cut it off these forty years. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Then who says care will kill a cat? | 8 | ········ |
| Rebecca shows they're out in that. | 8 | ˘/˘····· |
| For she, though overrun with care, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Continues healthy, fat, and fair. | 8 | ˘/˘/˘··· |
| As, if the gout should seize the head, | 8 | ········ |
| Doctors pronounce the patient dead; | 8 | /˘˘/·/˘· |
| But, if they can, by all their arts, | 8 | ········ |
| Eject it to the extremest parts, | 9 | ˘/···˘/˘· |
| They give the sick man joy, and praise | 8 | ········ |
| The gout that will prolong his days. | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| Rebecca thus I gladly greet, | 8 | ˘/˘··/˘· |
| Who drives her cares to hands and feet: | 8 | ········ |
| For, though philosophers maintain | 8 | ··˘/˘˘˘/ |
| The limbs are guided by the brain, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Quite contrary Rebecca's led; | 8 | ·/˘˘˘/˘· |
| Her hands and feet conduct her head; | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| By arbitrary power convey her, | 9 | ·/˘·˘/˘/· |
| She ne'er considers why or where: | 8 | ··˘/˘··· |
| Her hands may meddle, feet may wander, | 9 | ···/˘··/˘ |
| Her head is but a mere by-stander: | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| And all her bustling but supplies | 8 | ···/˘·˘/ |
| The part of wholesome exercise. | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| Thus nature has resolved to pay her | 9 | ·/˘·˘/··· |
| The cat's nine lives, and eke the care. | 8 | ········ |
| Long may she live, and help her friends | 8 | ········ |
| Whene'er it suits her private ends; | 9 | ······/˘· |
| Domestic business never mind | 8 | ˘/˘/˘/˘· |
| Till coffee has her stomach lined; | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| But, when her breakfast gives her courage, | 9 | ···/˘··/˘ |
| Then think on Stella's chicken porridge: | 9 | ···/˘/˘/˘ |
| I mean when Tigerhas been served, | 8 | ········ |
| Or else poor Stella may be starved. | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| May Bec have many an evening nap, | 8 | ···/·/˘· |
| With Tiger slabbering in her lap; | 8 | ·/······ |
| But always take a special care | 8 | ·/···/˘· |
| She does not overset the chair; | 8 | ···/˘˘·· |
| Still be she curious, never hearken | 9 | ···/˘/˘/˘ |
| To any speech but Tiger's barking! | 9 | ·/˘··/˘/˘ |
| And when she's in another scene, | 8 | ····˘/˘· |
| Stella long dead, but first the Dean, | 8 | /˘······ |
| May fortune and her coffee get her | 9 | ·/˘··/˘·· |
| Companions that will please her better! | 9 | ˘/˘····/˘ |
| Whole afternoons will sit beside her, | 9 | ··˘/··˘/· |
| Nor for neglects or blunders chide her. | 9 | ··˘/·/˘·· |
| A goodly set as can be found | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Of hearty gossips prating round; | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Fresh from a wedding or a christening, | 9 | ···/˘··/˘ |
| To teach her ears the art of listening, | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| And please her more to hear them tattle, | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Than the Dean storm, or Stella rattle. | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| Late be her death, one gentle nod, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| When Hermes, waiting with his rod, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Shall to Elysian fields invite her, | 9 | ··˘/˘·˘/· |
| Where there will be no cares to fright her! | 9 | ········· |
Notes from the edition 2
The notes to the Poems of Jonathan Swift, Volume II (Project Gutenberg #13621).
- Line 37 Mrs. Dingley's favourite lap-dog. See next page.--W. E. B.
- Line 58 Mercury.--Virg., "Aeneid," iv.
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.