Put her in a Pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.
In many ways this historic narrative called forth admiration. One must admit Peter’s great strength of character, his power of quick decision, and immediate achievement. Some hold that his inability to retain the lady’s affection in the first place, argues a defect in his nature; but remembering the lady’s youth and beauty (implied by the spirit of the whole poem), we can only reiterate our appreciation of the way he conquered circumstances, and proved himself master of his fate, and captain of his soul! Truly, the Pumpkin-Eaters must have been a forceful race, able to defend their rights and rule their people.
The Poets at their symposium unanimously felt that the style of the poem, though hardly to be called crude, was a little bare, and they took up with pleasure the somewhat arduous task of rewriting it.
Mr. Ed. Poe opined that there was lack of atmosphere, and that the facts of the narrative called for a more impressive setting. He therefore offered:
The skies, they were ashen and sober,
The lady was shivering with fear;
Her shoulders were shud’ring with fear.
On a dark night in dismal October,
Of his most Matrimonial Year.