A Bear Family Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBAACCDD EEBAFFCCGGD D HEEIIJJKK LLKKM MCCKKJJKKNOAAEEAA AAKKAAKK AAKKKK HH E PQAARRWunst 'way West in Illinoise | A |
Wuz two Bears an' their two boys | A |
An' the two boys' names you know | B |
Wuz like ours is Jim an' Jo | B |
An' their parunts' names wuz same's | A |
All big grown up people's names | A |
Ist Miz Bear the neighbers call | C |
'Em an' Mister Bear 'at's all | C |
Yes an' Miz Bear scold him too | D |
Ist like grown folks shouldn't do | D |
- | |
Wuz a grea' big river there | E |
An' 'crosst that 's a mountain where | E |
Old Bear said some day he'd go | B |
Ef she don't quit scoldin'so | A |
So one day when he been down | F |
The river fishin' 'most to town | F |
An' come back 'thout no fish a tall | C |
An' Jim an' Jo they run an' bawl | C |
An' tell their ma their pa hain't fetch' | G |
No fish she scold again an' ketch | G |
Her old broom up an' biff him too | D |
- | |
An' he ist cry an' say ' Boo hoo | D |
I told you what I 'd do some day' ' | - |
An' he ist turned an' runned away | H |
To where's the grea' big river there | E |
An' ist splunged in an' swum to where | E |
The mountain's at 'way th'other side | I |
An' clumbed up there An' Miz Bear cried | I |
An' little Jo an' little Jim | J |
Ist like their ma bofe cried fer him | J |
But he clumbed on clean out o' sight | K |
He wuz so mad An' served 'em right | K |
- | |
Nen when the Bear got 'way on top | L |
The mountain he heerd somepin' flop | L |
Its wings an' somepin' else he heerd | K |
A rattlin' like An' he wuz skeerd | K |
An' looked 'way up an' Mercy sake | M |
- | |
It wuz a' Eagul an' a SNAKE | M |
An' sir the Snake he bite an' kill' | C |
The Eagul an' they bofe fall till | C |
They strike the ground k'spang k'spat | K |
Wite where the Bear wuz standin' at | K |
An' when here come the Snake at him | J |
The Bear he think o' little Jim | J |
An' Jo he did an' their ma too | K |
All safe at home an' he ist flew | K |
Back down the mountain an' could hear | N |
The old Snake rattlin' sharp an' clear | O |
Wite clos't behind An' Bear he's so | A |
All tired out by time you know | A |
He git down to the river there | E |
He know' he can't swim back to where | E |
His folks is at But ist wite nen | A |
He see a boat an' six big men | A |
- | |
'At's been a shootin' ducks An' so | A |
He skeerd them out the boat you know | A |
An' ist jumped in an' Snake he tried | K |
To jump in too but failed outside | K |
Where all the water wuz an' so | A |
The Bear grabs one the things you row | A |
The boat wiv an' ist whacks the head | K |
Of the old Snake an' kills him dead | K |
- | |
An' when he's killed him dead w'y nen | A |
The old Snake's drownded dead again | A |
Nen Bear set in the boat an' bowed | K |
His back an' rowed an' rowed an' rowed | K |
Till he's safe home so tired he can't | K |
Do nothin' but lay there an' pant | K |
An' tell his childern 'Bresh my coat ' | - |
An' tell his wife 'Go chain my boat ' | - |
An' they're so glad he's back they say | H |
'They knowed he's comin' thataway | H |
To ist surprise the dear ones there ' | - |
An' Jim an' Jo they dried his hair | E |
- | |
An' pulled the burrs out an' their ma | P |
She ist set there an' helt his paw | Q |
Till he wuz sound asleep an' nen | A |
She tell' him she won't scold again | A |
Never never never | R |
Ferever an' ferever | R |
James Whitcomb Riley
(1)
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Write your comment about A Bear Family poem by James Whitcomb Riley
Karen: Yes! I loved this story :)
Scott King: My Dad used to read us poems by JWR when we were little. My favorites were The Raggety man and Little Orphan Aunty. I do remember the above poem as well.
Karen Sabo: Yes! I had so many nightmares about being chased by a bear, but I always asked for my dad to read it to me every night. Silly me :)
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