Classic and Contemporary Poetry
MARTHY ELLEN, by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: They's nothin' in the name to Last Line: And die fer marthy ellen! Alternate Author Name(s): Johnson Of Boone, Benj. F. Subject(s): Flowers; Love; Roses | ||||||||
THEY'S nothin' in the name to strike A feller more'n common like! 'Taint liable to git no praise Ner nothin' like it nowadays; An' yit that name o' her'n is jest As purty as the purtiest -- And more'n that, I'm here to say I'll live a-thinkin' thataway And die fer Marthy Ellen! It may be I was prejudust In favor of it from the fust -- 'Cause I kin ricollect jest how We met, and hear her mother now A-callin' of her down the road -- And, aggervatin' little toad! -- I see her now, jest sort o' half-Way disapp'inted, turn and laugh And mock her -- "Marthy Ellen!" Our people never had no fuss, And yit they never tuck to us; We neighbered back and foreds some; Until they see she liked to come To our house -- and me and her Was jest together ever'whur And all the time -- and when they'd see That I liked her and she liked me, They'd holler "Marthy Ellen!" When we growed up, and they shet down On me and her a-runnin' roun' Together, and her father said He'd never leave her nary red, So he'p him, ef she married me, And so on -- and her mother she Jest agged the gyrl, and said she 'lowed She'd ruther see her in her shroud, I writ to Marthy Ellen -- That is, I kind o' tuck my pen In hand, and stated whur and when The undersigned would be that night, With two good hosses, saddled right Fer lively travelin', in case Her folks 'ud like to jine the race. She sent the same note back, and writ "The rose is red!" right under it -- "Your'n allus, Marthy Ellen," That's all, I reckon -- Nothin' more To tell but what you've heerd afore -- The same old story, sweeter though Fer all the trouble, don't you know. Old-fashioned name! and yit it's jest As purty as the purtiest; And more'n that, I'm here to say I'll live a-thinkin' thataway, And die fer Marthy Ellen! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE WHISPER OF THE ROSE by EDMUND JOHN ARMSTRONG THE WISDOM OF THE ROSE by ELSA BARKER LOVE PLANTED A ROSE by KATHARINE LEE BATES ROSES; A VILANELLE by LOUISA SARAH BEVINGTON THE PAINTER ON SILK by AMY LOWELL VARIATIONS: 17 by CONRAD AIKEN WORDS IN A CERTAIN APPROPRIATE MODE by HAYDEN CARRUTH A BOY'S MOTHER by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY |
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