Nash's sarcastic tone, through his rhyming pattern, can be seen on the second and third stanza of this poem where he refers to four classical poets,.
"Then a page of Scott or Cooper.
May induce a healthful stupor.".
and.
"Oh the soft luxurious darkness,.
Fit for Morgan, or for Harkness!".
The reference to these poets displays a vast knowledge that Nash possess of classical literature. He incorporates historical contextualization to his poem to show a side of occupying a high culture, albeit he has an extremely different manner on expressing it.
Likewise, in "Man Bites Dog-Days," Nash leads the audience through a rhyme-scheme which ultimately helps to unify the poem. By having an a-a-b-b-c-c-d-d rhyme scheme, this five stanza poem repeats a sound that links one concept to the next, determining the structure of the poem. The poem ends with two separate lines from the stanzas which act as an epigram for the whole poem. The repetition of the lines, .
"Hand me down my rusty hatchet.
Someone murmured, Do not scratch it," .
at the ending of each stanza serves as a reminder towards the audience about the horrid and itchy feeling during summertime, following the humorous tone that Nash uses. Furthermore, the repetition of the phrase, "Summertime is itchy time," on the second line of each stanza, including the second line of the epigram, continues to constantly stitch an itchy feeling on the audience's mind.
The epigram or the last two lines of the poem, .
"Hatchet-killings ain't a crime.
Summertime is itchy time," .
sums the whole poem, justifying Nash's purpose throughout the imageries he depicts in the poem. Nash did not use a specific meter in this poem which gives a comical feel for the audience towards the entirety of the poem.
Continuing Nash's creative rhyme and language, he successfully uses onomatopoeia on the first line of the fifth stanza to a rhyme that pairs perfectly,.