Why Not Do It, Sir, Today?
Charles Lamb 1775 (Inner Temple, London) – 1834 (Edmonton, London)
'Why so I will, you noisy bird,
This very day I'll advertise you,
Perhaps some busy ones may prize you.
A fine-tongued parrot as was ever heard,
I'll word it thus-set forth all charms about you,
And say no family should be without you.'
Thus far a gentleman addressed a bird,
Then to his friend: 'An old procrastinator,
Sir, I am: do you wonder that I hate her?
Though she but seven words can say,
Twenty and twenty times a day
She interferes with all my dreams,
My projects, plans, and airy schemes,
Mocking my foible to my sorrow:
I'll advertise this bird to-morrow.'
To this the bird seven words did say:
'Why not do it, sir, to-day?'
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 28, 2023
- 36 sec read
- 84 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBABB ACCDDEEFF DD |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 629 |
Words | 123 |
Stanzas | 3 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 9, 2 |
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"Why Not Do It, Sir, Today?" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/5436/why-not-do-it,-sir,-today?>.
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