Deacon Jones' Grievance Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDEBEFGBHFIJIKLJL BMLMFBFBFBFBLNMNBBBB LOBPLQRQELELDJSJLTLT BBFBLMBMJELE| I'VE been watchin' of 'em parson | A |
| An' I'm sorry fur to say | B |
| 'At my mind is not contented | C |
| With the loose an' keerless way | B |
| 'At the young folks treat the music | D |
| 'Tain't the proper sort o' choir | E |
| Then I don't believe in Christuns | B |
| A singin' hymns for hire | E |
| But I never would 'a' murmured | F |
| An' the matter might 'a' gone | G |
| Ef it wasn't fur the antics | B |
| 'At I've seen 'em kerry on | H |
| So I thought it was my dooty | F |
| Fur to come to you an' ask | I |
| Ef you wouldn't sort o' gently | J |
| Take them singin' folks to task | I |
| Fust the music they're be'n singin' | K |
| Will disgrace us mighty soon | L |
| It's a cross between a opry | J |
| An' a ol' cotillion tune | L |
| With its dashes an' its quavers | B |
| An' its hifalutin style | M |
| Why it sets my head to swimmin' | L |
| When I'm comin' down the aisle | M |
| Now it might be almost decent | F |
| Ef it wasn't fur the way | B |
| 'At they git up there an' sing it | F |
| Hey dum diddle loud and gay | B |
| Why it shames the name o' sacred | F |
| In its brazen worldliness | B |
| An' they're even got 'Ol' Hundred' | F |
| In a bold new fangled dress | B |
| You'll excuse me Mr Parson | L |
| Ef I seem a little sore | N |
| But I've sung the songs of Isr'el | M |
| For threescore years an' more | N |
| An ' it sort o' hurts my feelin's | B |
| Fur to see 'em put away | B |
| Fur these harum scarum ditties | B |
| 'At is capturin' the day | B |
| There's anuther little happ'nin' | L |
| 'At I'll mention while I'm here | O |
| Jes' to show 'at my objections | B |
| All is offered sound and clear | P |
| It was one day they was singin' | L |
| An' was doin' well enough | Q |
| Singin' good as people could sing | R |
| Sich an awful mess o' stuff | Q |
| When the choir give a holler | E |
| An' the organ give a groan | L |
| An' they left one weak voiced feller | E |
| A singin' there alone | L |
| But he stuck right to the music | D |
| Tho' 't was tryin' as could be | J |
| An' when I tried to help him | S |
| Why the hull church scowled at me | J |
| You say that's so low singin' | L |
| Well I pray the Lord that I | T |
| Growed up when folks was willin' | L |
| To sing their hymns so high | T |
| Why we never had sich doin's | B |
| In the good ol' Bethel days | B |
| When the folks was all contented | F |
| With the simple songs of praise | B |
| Now I may have spoke too open | L |
| But 't was too hard to keep still | M |
| An' I hope you'll tell the singers | B |
| 'At I bear 'em no ill will | M |
| 'At they all may git to glory | J |
| Is my wish an' my desire | E |
| But they'll need some extry trainin' | L |
| 'Fore they jine the heavenly choir | E |
Paul Laurence Dunbar
(1)
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