The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #161620   Message #3843916
Posted By: Steve Gardham
09-Mar-17 - 09:12 AM
Thread Name: overused rhymes
Subject: RE: overused rhymes
Henry
The internal rhyming is pretty random and I'd say there is a strong likelihood that's how it was written. Although there are slight differences pretty much the same 7 stanzas were printed throughout England from c1820 onwards.

Kendrew of York's copy has an interesting variation in st. 6.
'So we unite together like ants we will have her. Like bees.......

The internal rhyme pattern in earliest versions runs:
St 2 line 3.
St 4 line 3
St 5 line 1, line 3
St 6 line 3

However there are internal assonant rhymes in other lines
'posed/rover' 'used/usion' 'proach/sort' 'rive/wife' 'round me/story' and the odd bit of alliteration 'Rotherham/ramble'