"Our Strange Lingo" by Lord Cromer, published in the Spectator of August 9th, 1902

When in the English tongue we speak,
Why is break not rhymed with freak?
Will you tell me why it's true;
We say sew but likewise few?

And the maker of the verse,
Cannot rhyme his horse with worse?
Beard is not the same as heard.
Cord is different from word.
Cow is cow, but low is low.
Shoe is never rhymed with foe.

Think of hose, dose, and lose.
& think of goose & yet with choose.
Think of bomb, tomb and comb,
Doll and roll, or some and home.

Since pay is rhymed with say,
Why not paid with said I pray?
Can all be well e'en though I write:
That weight rhymes not with height?

Think of blood, food and good.
Mould is not pronounced like could.
Wherefore done, but gone and lone
Is there any reason known?

Slumber and lumber are still a match,
But not with plumber, what's the catch?
To sum up all, it seems to me
Sound and letters don't agree.