Rhyme crimes

I've just received The Stuffed Owl, a brilliant anthology of bad poetry by lots of proper poets - Wordsworth etc. I shall use it for teaching purposes.

As we're in the middle of a financial crisis, I thought I'd share with you Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton's 'Financial Note', which is a shockingly poor response to an earlier series of bank failures.

A fortnight ago, a report about town

Made me most apprehensive. Alas and alas!

I at once wrote and warned you. Well, now let that pass

A run on the bank about five days ago

Confirm'd my forebodings too terribly, though,

I drove down to the City at once: found the door

Of the bank closed: the Bank had stopp'd payment at four.

Warrant out for McNab; but McNab was abroad:

Gone - we cannot tell where. I endeavour'd to get

Information: have learn'd nothing certain as yet-

Not even the way that old Ridley was gone:

Or with those securities what he had done:

Or whether they had been already call'd out:

If they are not, their fate is, I fear, past a doubt.