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Poem
June 7, 1823
Edwardsville Spectator
Edwardsville, Madison County, Illinois
What is this article about?
A satirical parody contrasting the joyful, comforting life of a married man surrounded by family with the lonely, miserable existence of a bachelor, facing neglect, deceit, and rejection in old age.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
From the Washington Republican.
PARODY ON THE ABOVE.
THE MARRIED MAN'S FARE.
Happy and free are a married man's reveries,
Cheerily, merrily, passes his life
He knows not the Bachelor's revelries, devilries,
Caress'd by, and bless'd by his children and wife:
From lassitude free, too, sweet home still to flee to,
A pet on his knee, too, his kindness to share :
A fire-side so cheery, the smiles of his deary-
O, this boys, this, is the married man's fare.
Wife, kind as an angel, sees things never range ill,
Busy promoting his comfort around,
Dispelling dejection with smiles of affection,
Sympathising, advising, when fortune has frown'd,
Old ones relating, droll tales never sating ;
Little ones prating-all strangers to care;
Come romping, some jumping, some punching some munching,
Economy dealing the married man's fare.
Thus is each jolly day, one lively holy-day :
Not so the Bachelor, lonely depress'd-
No gentle one near him, no home to endear him;
In sorrow to cheer him, no friend if no guest ;
No children to climb up-'twould fill all my rhyme up,
And take too much time up, to tell his despair;
Cross housekeeper meeting him, cheating him, beating him,
Bills pouring-maids scouring, devouring his fare.
He has no one to put on a sleeve or neck button;
Shirts mangled to rags-drawers, stringless at knee;
The cook, to his grief, too, spoils pudding and beef, too,
With overdone, underdone, undone is he :
No son, still a treasure, in business or leisure ;
No daughter, with pleasure new joys to prepare;
But old maids and cousins, kind souls ! rush in dozens,
Relieving him soon of his Bachelor's fare.
He calls children apes, Sir,-[the fox and the grapes, Sir,]
And fain would he wed when his locks are like snow ;
But widows throw scorn out, and tell him he's worn out;
And maidens deriding, cry "No my love no!"
Old age comes with sorrow, with wrinkle, with furrow,
No hope in to-morrow-none sympathy spares;
And, when unfit to rise up, he looks to the skies up--
None close his old eyes up-he dies--and who cares?
PARODY ON THE ABOVE.
THE MARRIED MAN'S FARE.
Happy and free are a married man's reveries,
Cheerily, merrily, passes his life
He knows not the Bachelor's revelries, devilries,
Caress'd by, and bless'd by his children and wife:
From lassitude free, too, sweet home still to flee to,
A pet on his knee, too, his kindness to share :
A fire-side so cheery, the smiles of his deary-
O, this boys, this, is the married man's fare.
Wife, kind as an angel, sees things never range ill,
Busy promoting his comfort around,
Dispelling dejection with smiles of affection,
Sympathising, advising, when fortune has frown'd,
Old ones relating, droll tales never sating ;
Little ones prating-all strangers to care;
Come romping, some jumping, some punching some munching,
Economy dealing the married man's fare.
Thus is each jolly day, one lively holy-day :
Not so the Bachelor, lonely depress'd-
No gentle one near him, no home to endear him;
In sorrow to cheer him, no friend if no guest ;
No children to climb up-'twould fill all my rhyme up,
And take too much time up, to tell his despair;
Cross housekeeper meeting him, cheating him, beating him,
Bills pouring-maids scouring, devouring his fare.
He has no one to put on a sleeve or neck button;
Shirts mangled to rags-drawers, stringless at knee;
The cook, to his grief, too, spoils pudding and beef, too,
With overdone, underdone, undone is he :
No son, still a treasure, in business or leisure ;
No daughter, with pleasure new joys to prepare;
But old maids and cousins, kind souls ! rush in dozens,
Relieving him soon of his Bachelor's fare.
He calls children apes, Sir,-[the fox and the grapes, Sir,]
And fain would he wed when his locks are like snow ;
But widows throw scorn out, and tell him he's worn out;
And maidens deriding, cry "No my love no!"
Old age comes with sorrow, with wrinkle, with furrow,
No hope in to-morrow-none sympathy spares;
And, when unfit to rise up, he looks to the skies up--
None close his old eyes up-he dies--and who cares?
What sub-type of article is it?
Satire
Song
What themes does it cover?
Marriage Celebration
Satire Society
What keywords are associated?
Married Life
Bachelor Misery
Family Joys
Domestic Satire
Parody Marriage
What entities or persons were involved?
From The Washington Republican
Poem Details
Title
The Married Man's Fare
Author
From The Washington Republican
Subject
Parody On Married Versus Bachelor Life
Form / Style
Rhymed Stanzas In Anapestic Tetrameter
Key Lines
Happy And Free Are A Married Man's Reveries,
Cheerily, Merrily, Passes His Life
O, This Boys, This, Is The Married Man's Fare.
None Close His Old Eyes Up He Dies And Who Cares?