Classic and Contemporary Poetry
IN THE MORNING, by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR Poet's Biography First Line: Lias! 'lias! Bless de land Last Line: "gin us peace an' joy. Amen!" Subject(s): Morning | ||||||||
'LIAS! 'Lias! Bless de Lawd! Don' you know de day's erbroad? Ef you don' git up, you scamp, Dey 'll be trouble in dis camp. T'ink I gwine to let you sleep W'ile I meks yo' boa'd an' keep? Dat 's a putty howdy-do -- Don' you hyeah me, 'Lias -- you? Bet ef I come crost dis flo' You won' fin' no time to sno'. Daylight all a-shinin' in W'ile you sleep -- w'y hit 's a sin! Ain't de can'le-light enough To bu'n out widout a snuff, But you go de mo'nin' thoo Bu'nin' up de daylight too? 'Lias, don' you hyeah me call? No use tu'nin' to'ds de wall; I kin hyeah dat mattuss squeak; Don' you hyeah me w'en I speak? Dis hyeah clock done struck off six -- Ca'line, bring me dem ah sticks! Oh, you down, suh; huh, you down -- Look hyeah, don' you daih to frown. Ma'ch yo'se'f an' wash yo' face, Don' you splattah all de place; I got somep'n else to do, 'Sides jes' cleanin' aftah you. Tek dat comb an' fix yo' haid -- Looks jes' lak a feddah baid. Look hyeah, boy, I let you see You sha' n't roll yo' eyes at me. Come hyeah; bring me dat ah strap! Boy, I'll whup you 'twell you drap; You done felt yo'se'f too strong, An' you sholy got me wrong. Set down at dat table thaih; Jes' you whimpah ef you daih! Evah mo'nin' on dis place, Seem lak I mus' lose my grace. Fol' yo' han's an' bow yo' haid -- Wait ontwell de blessin' 's said; "Lawd, have mussy on ouah souls --" (Don' you daih to tech dem rolls --) "Bless de food we gwine to eat --" (You set still -- I see yo' feet; You jes' try dat trick agin!) "Gin us peace an' joy. Amen!" | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...MORNING SONG by KARLE WILSON BAKER THE WHARF ON THAMES-SIDE: WINTER DAWN by LAURENCE BINYON POEM BEFORE BREAKFAST by TED KOOSER I'VE BEEN ASLEEP by PHILIP LEVINE SPRNG DAY: BREAKFAST TABLE by AMY LOWELL THE WAYSIDE STATION by EDWIN MUIR A BANJO SONG by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR |
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