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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
SPEAKIN' AT DE COU'THOUSE, by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR Poet's Biography First Line: Dey been speakin' at de cou'thouse Last Line: "but you wait for jones nex' week." | |||
DEY been speakin' at de cou't-house, An' laws-a-massy me, 'T was de beatness kin' o' doin's Dat evah I did see. Of cose I had to be dah In de middle o' de crowd, An' I hallohed wid de othahs, W'en de speakah riz and bowed. I was kind o' disapp'inted At de smallness of de man, Case I'd allus pictered great folks On a mo' expansive plan; But I t'ought I could respect him An' tek in de wo'ds he said, Fu' dey sho was somp'n knowin' In de bald spot on his haid. But hit did seem so't o' funny Aftah waitin' fu' a week Dat de people kep' on shoutin' So de man des couldn't speak; De ho'ns dey blared a little, Den dey let loose on de drums, -- Some one tol' me dey was playin' "See de conkerin' hero comes." "Well," says I, "you all is white folks, But you 's sutny actin' queer, What's de use of heroes comin' Ef dey cain't talk w'en dey 's here?" Aftah while dey let him open, An' dat man he waded in, An' he fit de wahs all ovah Winnin' victeries lak sin. W'en he come down to de present, Den he made de feathahs fly. He des waded in on money, An' he played de ta'iff high. An' he said de colah question, Hit was ovah, solved, an' done, Dat de dahky was his brothah, Evah blessed mothah's son. Well he settled all de trouble Dat 's been pesterin' de lan', Den he set down mid de cheerin' An' de playin' of de ban'. I was feelin' moughty happy 'Twell I hyeahed somebody speak, "Well, dat 's his side of de bus'ness, But you wait for Jones nex' week." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...A BOY'S SUMMER SONG by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR A CHRISTMAS FOLKSONG by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR A CORN SONG by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR A DEATH SONG by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR A HYMN; AFTER READING 'LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT' by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR A LITTLE CHRISTMAS BASKET by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR A LOVE LETTER by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR A LOVE SONG by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR A MUSICAL by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR A NEGRO LOVE SONG by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR |
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