The House of Peers
William Schwenck Gilbert 1836 – 1911
When Britain really ruled the waves -
(In good Queen Bess's time)
The House of Peers made no pretence
To intellectual eminence,
Or scholarship sublime;
Yet Britain won her proudest bays
In good Queen Bess's glorious days!
When Wellington thrashed Bonaparte,
As every child can tell,
The House of Peers, throughout the war,
Did nothing in particular,
And did it very well;
Yet Britain set the world ablaze
In good King George's glorious days!
And while the House of Peers withholds
Its legislative hand,
And noble statesmen do not itch
To interfere with matters which
They do not understand,
As bright will shine Great Britain's rays,
As in King George's glorious days!
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 28, 2023
- 35 sec read
- 136 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAXBCC XDXXDCC XEFFECC |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 656 |
Words | 114 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 7, 7, 7 |
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"The House of Peers" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/41302/the-house-of-peers>.
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