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Poem
June 23, 1861
Daily National Democrat
Marysville, Yuba County, California
What is this article about?
Humorous elegy for a deceased printer, employing puns on printing terms like galley-slave, types, craft, ad, devil, and caps to describe his life, death, and funeral.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
At once a king and a galley-slave
Such woe was in his mien:
It seemed to bow him down, for he
Was always on the lean.
Day after day we saw new proofs
That life must soon depart;
His case was hard—and all in vain
The doctor plied his art.
He died: the cold dead matter there
We carefully laid away—
To be distributed by sub-
terranean decay.
Yes, he was loved: and when he died
The "craft" set up a cry—
Each "ad" composed an elegy,
The "devil" coined a sigh.
Youths followed to his grave, with plumes
Set in small caps they wore;
And him who'd left his types behind
Soft damsels did deplore.
May earth press lightly on his form,
Locked up securely under;
In Heaven his name and virtues be
Copied without a blunder.
TYPO.
Such woe was in his mien:
It seemed to bow him down, for he
Was always on the lean.
Day after day we saw new proofs
That life must soon depart;
His case was hard—and all in vain
The doctor plied his art.
He died: the cold dead matter there
We carefully laid away—
To be distributed by sub-
terranean decay.
Yes, he was loved: and when he died
The "craft" set up a cry—
Each "ad" composed an elegy,
The "devil" coined a sigh.
Youths followed to his grave, with plumes
Set in small caps they wore;
And him who'd left his types behind
Soft damsels did deplore.
May earth press lightly on his form,
Locked up securely under;
In Heaven his name and virtues be
Copied without a blunder.
TYPO.
What sub-type of article is it?
Elegy
Satire
What themes does it cover?
Death Mourning
Satire Society
What keywords are associated?
Printer Elegy
Printing Puns
Galley Slave
Types
Devil
Typo
What entities or persons were involved?
Typo.
Poem Details
Author
Typo.
Subject
Death Of A Printer
Form / Style
Rhymed Quatrains
Key Lines
At Once A King And A Galley Slave
Such Woe Was In His Mien:
It Seemed To Bow Him Down, For He
Was Always On The Lean.
Each "Ad" Composed An Elegy,
The "Devil" Coined A Sigh.
In Heaven His Name And Virtues Be
Copied Without A Blunder.