Chrismus On The Plantation Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABC D EE AAFF EEGG HHAA CCII GGJJ AAEE GKCC| It was Chrismus Eve I mind hit fu' a mighty gloomy day | A |
| Bofe de weathah an' de people not a one of us was gay | A |
| Cose you 'll t'ink dat 's mighty funny 'twell I try to mek hit cleah | B |
| Fu' a da'ky 's allus happy when de holidays is neah | C |
| - | |
| But we wasn't fu' dat mo'nin' Mastah 'd tol' us we mus' go | D |
| He 'd been payin' us sence freedom but he couldn't pay no mo' ' | - |
| He wa'n't nevah used to plannin' 'fo' he got so po' an' ol' | E |
| So he gwine to give up tryin' an' de homestead mus' be sol' | E |
| - | |
| I kin see him stan'in' now erpon de step ez cleah ez day | A |
| Wid de win' a kind o' fondlin' thoo his haih all thin an' gray | A |
| An' I 'membah how he trimbled when he said It's ha 'd fu' me | F |
| Not to mek yo' Chrismus brightah but I 'low it wa'n't to be | F |
| - | |
| All de women was a cryin' an' de men too on de sly | E |
| An' I noticed somep'n shinin' even in ol' Mastah's eye | E |
| But we all stood still to listen ez ol' Ben come f'om de crowd | G |
| An' spoke up a try'n' to steady down his voice and mek it loud | G |
| - | |
| Look hyeah Mastah I 's been servin' you' fu' lo dese many yeahs | H |
| An' now sence we 's got freedom an' you 's kind o' po' hit 'pears | H |
| Dat you want us all to leave you 'cause you don't t'ink you can pay | A |
| Ef my membry has n't fooled me seem dat whut I hyead you say | A |
| - | |
| Er in othah wo'ds you wants us to fu'git dat you 's been kin' | C |
| An' ez soon ez you is he'pless we 's to leave you hyeah behin' | C |
| Well ef dat 's de way dis freedom ac's on people white er black | I |
| You kin jes' tell Mistah Lincum fu' to tek his freedom back | I |
| - | |
| We gwine wo'k dis ol' plantation fu' whatevah we kin git | G |
| Fu' I know hit did suppo't us an' de place kin do it yit | G |
| Now de land is yo's de hands is ouahs an' I reckon we 'll be brave | J |
| An' we 'll bah ez much ez you do w'en we has to scrape an' save | J |
| - | |
| Ol' Mastah stood dah trimblin' but a smilin' thoo his teahs | A |
| An' den hit seemed jes' nachul like de place fah rung wid cheahs | A |
| An' soon ez dey was quiet some one sta'ted sof an' low | E |
| Praise God an' den we all jined in from whom all blessin's flow | E |
| - | |
| Well dey was n't no use tryin' ouah min's was sot to stay | G |
| An' po' ol' Mastah could n't plead ner baig ner drive us 'way | K |
| An' all at once hit seemed to us de day was bright agin | C |
| So evahone was gay dat night an' watched de Chrismus in | C |
Paul Laurence Dunbar
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about Chrismus On The Plantation poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Best Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar