Analysis of A Conference, Between Sir Harry Pierce's Chariot, And Mrs. D. Stopford's Chair

Jonathan Swift 1667 (Dublin) – 1745 (Ireland)



My pretty dear Cuz, tho' I've roved the town o'er,
To dispatch in an hour some visits a score;
Though, since first on the wheels, I've been every day
At the 'Change, at a raffling, at church, or a play;
And the fops of the town are pleased with the notion
Of calling your slave the perpetual motion; -
Though oft at your door I have whined [out] my love
As my Knight does grin his at your Lady above;
Yet, ne'er before this, though I used all my care,
I e'er was so happy to meet my dear Chair;
And since we're so near, like birds of a feather,
Let's e'en, as they say, set our horses together.

By your awkward address, you're that thing which should carry,
With one footman behind, our lover Sir Harry.
By your language, I judge, you think me a wench;
He that makes love to me, must make it in French.
Thou that's drawn by two beasts, and carry'st a brute,
Canst thou vainly e'er hope, I'll answer thy suit?
Though sometimes you pretend to appear with your six,
No regard to their colour, their sexes you mix:
Then on the grand-paw you'd look very great,
With your new-fashion'd glasses, and nasty old seat.
Thus a beau I have seen strut with a cock'd hat,
And newly rigg'd out, with a dirty cravat.
You may think that you make a figure most shining,
But it's plain that you have an old cloak for a lining.
Are those double-gilt nails? Where's the lustre of Kerry,
To set off the Knight, and to finish the Jerry?
If you hope I'll be kind, you must tell me what's due
In George's-lane for you, ere I'll buckle to.

Why, how now, Doll Diamond, you're very alert;
Is it your French breeding has made you so pert?
Because I was civil, here's a stir with a pox:
Who is it that values your    -    -    or your fox?
Sure 'tis to her honour, he ever should bed
His bloody red hand to her bloody red head.
You're proud of your gilding; but I tell you each nail
Is only just tinged with a rub at her tail;
And although it may pass for gold on a ninny,
Sure we know a Bath shilling soon from a guinea.
Nay, her foretop's a cheat; each morn she does black it,
Yet, ere it be night, it's the same with her placket.
I'll ne'er be run down any more with your cant;
Your velvet was wore before in a mant,
On the back of her mother; but now 'tis much duller, -
The fire she carries hath changed its colour.
Those creatures that draw me you never would mind,
If you'd but look on your own Pharaoh's lean kine;
They're taken for spectres, they're so meagre and spare,
Drawn damnably low by your sorrel mare.
We know how your lady was on you befriended;
You're not to be paid for 'till the lawsuit is ended:
But her bond it is good, he need not to doubt;
She is two or three years above being out.
Could my Knight be advised, he should ne'er spend his vigour
On one he can't hope of e'er making bigger.
  


Scheme AXBBCCDDEEAA FFGGHHIIXXXBJJFFKK LLMMNNOOFFXBXBAAXCEEXXPPAA
Poetic Form
Metre 110111110110 101011011001 111101111001 10110111101 001101111010 110110010010 11111111111 111111111001 11011111111 110111011111 01111111010 11111111010010 111011111110 1110011010110 11101111101 11111111101 111111010101 111010111011 101101101111 10111111011 1101111101 111101001011 10111111011 0101110101 111111010110 1111111111010 1110111010110 111010110010 111111111111 01011111101 11111011001 11111011111 011110101101 1111101111 1110111011 11011101011 111110111111 11011101101 01111111010 111011011010 10101111111 11111101101 11111101111 1101101001 1011010111110 0101101111 11011111011 1111111111 1101111101 11111101 111110111010 111111101110 10111111111 11111101101 111101111111 111111101010
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 2,764
Words 552
Sentences 20
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 12, 18, 26
Lines Amount 56
Letters per line (avg) 37
Words per line (avg) 10
Letters per stanza (avg) 697
Words per stanza (avg) 184
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Submitted on August 03, 2020

Modified on March 05, 2023

2:57 min read
8

Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer, poet and cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. more…

All Jonathan Swift poems | Jonathan Swift Books

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