Dow's Flat Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCB DEDEFE DGDGHG IJIJKJ LMLMNM OPQPP RSRSS TUTUVU WXWXYX ZSZSFS A2DB2DSD C2D2C2D2C2D2 E2C2E2C2F2C2 G2E2G2E2H2E2 SI2SI2DI2Dow's Flat That's its name | A |
And I reckon that you | B |
Are a stranger The same | A |
Well I thought it was true | B |
For thar isn't a man on the river as can't spot the place at first | C |
view | B |
- | |
It was called after Dow | D |
Which the same was an ass | E |
And as to the how | D |
Thet the thing kem to pass | E |
Jest tie up your hoss to that buckeye and sit ye down here in the | F |
grass | E |
- | |
You see this 'yer Dow | D |
Hed the worst kind of luck | G |
He slipped up somehow | D |
On each thing thet he struck | G |
Why ef he'd a straddled thet fence rail the derned thing'd get up | H |
and buck | G |
- | |
He mined on the bar | I |
Till he couldn't pay rates | J |
He was smashed by a car | I |
When he tunneled with Bates | J |
And right on the top of his trouble kem his wife and five kids from | K |
the States | J |
- | |
It was rough mighty rough | L |
But the boys they stood by | M |
And they brought him the stuff | L |
For a house on the sly | M |
And the old woman well she did washing and took on when no one | N |
was nigh | M |
- | |
But this 'yer luck of Dow's | O |
Was so powerful mean | P |
That the spring near his house | Q |
Dried right up on the green | P |
And he sunk forty feet down for water but nary a drop to be seen | P |
- | |
Then the bar petered out | R |
And the boys wouldn't stay | S |
And the chills got about | R |
And his wife fell away | S |
But Dow in his well kept a peggin' in his usual ridikilous way | S |
- | |
One day it was June | T |
And a year ago jest | U |
This Dow kem at noon | T |
To his work like the rest | U |
With a shovel and pick on his shoulder and derringer hid in his | V |
breast | U |
- | |
He goes to the well | W |
And he stands on the brink | X |
And stops for a spell | W |
Jest to listen and think | X |
For the sun in his eyes jest like this sir you see kinder made | Y |
the cuss blink | X |
- | |
His two ragged gals | Z |
In the gulch were at play | S |
And a gownd that was Sal's | Z |
Kinder flapped on a bay | S |
Not much for a man to be leavin' but his all as I've heer'd the | F |
folks say | S |
- | |
And That's a peart hoss | A2 |
Thet you've got ain't it now | D |
What might be her cost | B2 |
Eh Oh Well then Dow | D |
Let's see well that forty foot grave wasn't his sir that day | S |
anyhow | D |
- | |
For a blow of his pick | C2 |
Sorter caved in the side | D2 |
And he looked and turned sick | C2 |
Then he trembled and cried | D2 |
For you see the dern cuss had struck Water Beg your parding | C2 |
young man there you lied | D2 |
- | |
It was GOLD in the quartz | E2 |
And it ran all alike | C2 |
And I reckon five oughts | E2 |
Was the worth of that strike | C2 |
And that house with the coopilow's his'n which the same isn't bad | F2 |
for a Pike | C2 |
- | |
Thet's why it's Dow's Flat | G2 |
And the thing of it is | E2 |
That he kinder got that | G2 |
Through sheer contrairiness | E2 |
For 'twas WATER the derned cuss was seekin' and his luck made him | H2 |
certain to miss | E2 |
- | |
Thet's so Thar's your way | S |
To the left of yon tree | I2 |
But a look h'yur say | S |
Won't you come up to tea | I2 |
No Well then the next time you're passin' and ask after Dow | D |
and thet's ME | I2 |
Bret Harte
(1)
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