Classic and Contemporary Poetry
DECORATION DAY ON THE PLACE, by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: It's lonesome - sorto' lonesome, - it's Last Line: On ev'ry soldier's grave I'd love to lay a lily thare. Alternate Author Name(s): Johnson Of Boone, Benj. F. Subject(s): Flowers; Fourth Of July; Graves; Patriotism; Roses; Soldiers; Independence Day; Tombs; Tombstones | ||||||||
IT'S lonesome -- sorto' lonesome, -- it's a Sund'y-day, to me, It 'pears-like -- more'n any day I nearly ever see! -- Yit, with the Stars and Stripes above, a-flutterin' in the air, On ev'ry Soldier's grave I'd love to lay a lily thare. They say, though, Decoration Days is giner'ly observed 'Most ev'rywheres -- espeshally by soldier-boys that's served. -- But me and Mother's never went -- we seldom git away, -- In p'int o' fact, we're allus home on Decoration Day. They say the old boys marches through the streets in colum's grand, A-follerin' the old war-tunes they're playin' on the band -- And citizuns all jinin' in -- and little children, too -- All marchin', under shelter of the old Red White and Blue. -- With roses! roses! roses! -- ev'rybody in the town! -- And crowds o' little girls in white, jest fairly loaded down! -- Oh! don't THE BOYS know it, from theyr camp acrost the hill? -- Don't they see theyr com'ards comin' and the old flag wavin' still? Oh! can't they hear the bugul and the rattle of the drum? -- Ain't they no way under heavens they can rickollect us some? Ain't they no way we can coax 'em, through the roses, jest to say They know that ev'ry day on earth's theyr Decoration Day? We've tried that -- me and Mother, -- whare Elias takes his rest, In the orchurd -- in his uniform, and hands acrost his brest, And the flag he died fer, smilin' and a-ripplin' in the breeze Above his grave -- and over that, -- the robin in the trees! And yit it's lonesome -- lonesome! -- It's a Sund'y-day, to me, It 'pears-like -- more'n any day I nearly ever see! -- Still, with the Stars and Stripes above, a-flutterin' in the air, On ev'ry soldier's grave I'd love to lay a lily thare. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE SURVIVOR AMONG GRAVES by RANDALL JARRELL SUBJECTED EARTH by ROBINSON JEFFERS THE GRAVE OF MRS. HEMANS by CECIL FRANCES ALEXANDER THOSE GRAVES IN ROME by LARRY LEVIS NOT TO BE DWELLED ON by HEATHER MCHUGH ONE LAST DRAW OF THE PIPE by PAUL MULDOON ETRUSCAN TOMB by JOHN FREDERICK NIMS ENDING WITH A LINE FROM LEAR by MARVIN BELL A BOY'S MOTHER by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY |
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