Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, OLD CANADA; OR, GEE BUCK GEE, by ALEXANDER MCLACHLAN


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

OLD CANADA; OR, GEE BUCK GEE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: The country's goin' fast to ruin!
Last Line: Ain't it a caution?—gee buck gee!
Subject(s): Canada; Education; Farm Life; Progress; Canadians; Agriculture; Farmers


The country's goin' fast to ruin!
This edication's our undoin',
We're comin' to a pretty pass,
Our boys who scarce have been to grass,
Have all gone off, bound to the teachers,
Or city clerks, or peddlin' preachers;
Our darters too, are quite Sultanas,
All strummin' on them cuss'd pianos,
And try to trip us up with rules
They've learn'd away at Grammar Schools,
And look upon the likes o' me—
Who nurs'd them criters on my knee—
As far beneath them,—Gee Buck Gee!

And then they're all Book Farmers too!
And they would teach me what to do;
Manurin', ploughin', drainin', seedin',
All farmin's to be done by readin'!
O Lord! O Lord! it makes me mad,
When every striplin' o' a lad,
And every edicated ass,
Who scarce knows growin' wheat from grass,
Must teach the like o' me to farm,
Wi' Latin names as long's my arm;
Them criters teach the like o' me?
Who farm'd ere they could reach my knee,
Ain't it presumption?—Gee Buck Gee!

I tell ye what! them and their books,
Are getting to be perfect pukes;
And sure enough this edication
Will be the ruin o' the nation;
We'll not ha' men, it's my opinion,
Fit to defend our New Dominion;
Not one o' them can swing an axe,
But they will bore you with the facts;
I'd send the criters off to work,
But that, by any means they'll shirk!
Grandad to some o' them I be,
O, that's what riles and vexes me!
Ain't it a caution?—Gee Buck Gee!





Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net