poetical economy

What hours I spent of precious time, 
What pints of ink I used to waste,
Attempting to secure a rhyme
 To suit the public taste,
 Until I found a simple plan
 Which makes the lamest lyric scan!

When I've a syllable de trop,
 I cut it off, without apol.:
This verbal sacrifice, I know,
 May irritate the schol.;
 But all may praise my dev'lish cunn.
 Who realize that Time is Mon.
My sense remains as clear as cryst., 
My style as pure as any Duch.
 Who does not boast a bar sinist.
 Upon her fam. escutch.;
And I can treat with scornful pit.
 The sneers of ev'ry captious crit.

We gladly publish to the pop.
 A scheme of which I make no myst.;
And beg my fellow scribes to cop.
 This labor-saving syst.
I offer it to the consid.
 Of ev'ry thoughtful individ.
 The author, working like a beav.,
 His readers' pleasure could redoub.
 Did he but now and then abbrev.
 The work he gives his pub.
(This view I most partie. suggest 
To A. C. Bens. and G. K. Chest.)

 If Mr. Caine rewrote The Scape.,
 And Miss Corell. condensed Barabb.,
What could they save in foolscap pape. 
Did they but cult. the hab.
 Which teaches people to suppress
 All syllables that are unnec.!

 If playwrights would but thus dimin.
 The length of time each drama takes,
(The Second Mrs. Tanq. by Pin.
 Or even Ham. by Shakes.),
We could maintain a watchful att.
 When at a mat. on Wed. or Sat.
Have done, ye bards, with dull monot.!
 Fall. my examp., 0 Stephen Phill.,
0 Owen Seam., 0 William Wat.,
 0 Ella Wheeler Wil.,
And share with me the grave res pons.
 Of writing this amazing nons.!

Harry Graham