As Sir Toby reel'd home, with his skin full of wine, To his house in ——— Square, from his friends at the Vine, He snuffed the fresh air, and his noddle turned round: He staggered,—but gained not an inch of his ground. "Get home!" quoth the knight: "why this ne'er can do, If for one step gained forward, I @3backward@1 reel two. I'll return to the Vine."—So, as one may suppose, Sir Toby intended to follow his nose. But this retrograde knight ne'er alter'd his pace, And gaining ground @3backwards@1, found out the right place. The sot's mathematicks at last did prevail, And Sir Toby steer'd home by the help of his tail. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...POETRY by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON LA RONDE DU DIABLE by AMY LOWELL SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: J. MILTON MILES by EDGAR LEE MASTERS THE PASSIONS: AN ODE FOR MUSIC by WILLIAM COLLINS (1721-1759) SONNET: 144 by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE TO - (4) by WILLIAM WORDSWORTH |