Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, NORTHERN FARMER, NEW STYLE, by ALFRED TENNYSON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

NORTHERN FARMER, NEW STYLE, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Dosn't thou 'ear my 'erse's legs, as they canters awaawy?
Last Line: Proputty, proputty, proputty -- canter an' canter awaay.
Alternate Author Name(s): Tennyson, Lord Alfred; Tennyson, 1st Baron; Tennyson Of Aldworth And Farringford, Baron
Subject(s): Cynicism; Farm Life; Agriculture; Farmers


I

DOSN'T thou 'ear my 'erse's legs, as they canters awaay?
Proputty, proputty, proputty -- that's what I 'ears 'em saay.
Proputty, proputty, proputty -- Sam, thou's an ass for thy pains;
Theer's moor sense i' one o' 'is legs, nor in all thy brains.

II

Woa -- theer's a craw to pluck wi' tha, Sam: yon's parson's 'ouse --
Dosn't thou knaw that a man mun be eather a man or a mouse?
Time to think on it then; for thou'll be twenty to weeak.
Proputty, proputty -- woa then, woa -- let ma 'ear mysen speak.

III

Me an' thy muther, Sammy, 'as bean a-talkin' o' thee;
Thou's bean talkin' to muther, an' she bean a-tellin' it me.
Thou'll not marry for munny -- thou's sweet upo' parson's lass --
Noa -- thou'll marry for luvv -- an' we boath on us thinks tha an ass.

IV

Seea'd her to-daay goa by -- Saaint's-daay -- they was
ringing the bells.
She's a beauty, thou thinks -- an' soa is scoors o' gells,
Them as 'as munny an' all -- wot's a beauty? -- the flower as blaws.
But proputty, proputty sticks, an' proputty, proputty graws.

V

Do'ant be stunt; taake time. I knaws what maakes tha sa mad.
Warn't I craazed fur the lasses mysen when I wur a lad?
But I knaw'd a Quaaker feller as often 'as towd ma this:
'Doant thou marry for munny, but goa wheer munny is!'

VI

An' I went wheer munny war; an' thy muther coom to 'and,
Wi' lots o' munny laaid by, an' a nicetish bit o' land.
Maaybe she warn't a beauty -- I niver giv it a thowt --
But warn't she as good to cuddle an' kiss as a lass as 'ant nowt?

VII

Parson's lass 'ant nowt, an' she weant 'a nowt when 'e 's dead,
Mun be a guvness, lad, or summut, and addle her bread.
Why? fur 'e 's nobbut a curate, an' weant niver get hissen clear,
An' 'e maade the bed as 'e ligs on afoor 'e coom'd to the shere.

VIII

An' thin 'e coom'd to the parish wi' lots o' Varsity debt,
Stook to his taail they did, an' 'e 'ant got shut on 'em yet.
An' 'e ligs on 'is back i' the grip, wi' noan to lend 'im a shove,
Woorse nor a far-welter'd yowe; fur, Sammy, 'e married fur luvv.

IX

Luvv? what's luvv? thou can luvv thy lass an' 'er munny too,
Maakin' 'em goa togither, as they've good right to do.
Couldn I luvv thy muther by cause o' 'er munny laaid by?
Naay -- fur I luvv'd 'er a vast sight moor fur it; reason why.

X

Ay, an' thy muther says thou wants to marry the lass,
Cooms of a gentleman burn; an' we boath on us thinks tha an ass.
Woa then, proputty, wiltha? -- an ass as near as mays nowt --
Woa then, wiltha? dangtha! -- the bees is as fell as owt.

XI

Break me a bit o' the esh for his 'ead, lad, out o' the fence!
Gentleman burn! what's gentleman burn? is it shillins an' pence?
Proputty, proputty's ivrything 'ere, an', Sammy, I'm blest
If it is n't the saame oop yonder, fur them as 'as it's the best.

XII

Tis 'n them as 'as munny as breaks into 'ouses an' steals,
Them as 'as coats to their backs an' taakes their regular meals.
Noa, but it's them as niver knaws wheer a meal's to be 'ad.
Taake my word for it, Sammy, the poor in a loomp is bad.

XIII

Them or thir feythers, tha sees, mun 'a bean a laazy lot,
Fur work mun 'a gone to the gittin' whiniver munny was got.
Feyther 'ad ammost nowt; leastways 'is munny was 'id.
But 'e tued an' moil'd issen dead, an' 'e died a good un, 'e did.

XIV

Loook thou theer wheer Wrigglesby beck cooms out by the 'ill!
Feyther run oop to the farm, an' I runs oop to the mill;
An' I'll run oop to the brig, an' that thou 'll live to see;
And if thou marries a good un I'll leave the land to thee.

XV

Thim's my noations, Sammy, wheerby I means to stick;
But if thou marries a bad un, I'll leave the land to Dick. --
Coom oop, proputty, proputty -- that's what I 'ears 'im saay --
Proputty, proputty, proputty -- canter an' canter awaay.







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