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Theme with Variations by Lewis Carroll

Analysis

"Theme with Variations" is a poem written by Lewis Carroll. Like most themes with variations, Carroll spreads our mind out, wraps it around an object, then throws it against the wall making us hear the word "Splat!". Essentially, the theme changes so much that we have no idea what the author is talking about.

This poem is written as three stanzas of varying length. The first stanza consists of eight lines while the other two have four lines. The rhyme scheme for the first stanza is ABABCDCD. The scheme for the second and third stanzas is ABAB. The poem is written in iambic tetrameter (two feet with four meters). That's a total of eight syllables in each line.

Poem

Theme with Variations
By 

I never loved a dear Gazelle--
Nor anything that cost me much:
High prices profit those who sell,
But why should I be fond of such?
To glad me with his soft black eye
My son comes trotting home from school;
He's had a fight but can't tell why--
He always was a little fool!

But, when he came to know me well,
He kicked me out, her testy Sire:
And when I stained my hair, that Belle
Might note the change and this admire

And love me, it was sure to dye
A muddy green, or staring blue:
Whilst one might trace, with half an eye,
The still triumphant carrot through
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