How Lucy Backslid Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABB CCDD EEFF GHII AAJJ KKLL BAAA AAAA AAMM BBAA NNAA NNOO PPQQ RSMM AAKK NAAA AAAA AAAA IITT AAAA AAAA KKUU JJKK| De times is mighty stirrin' 'mong de people up ouah way | A |
| Dey 'sputin' an' dey argyin' an' fussin' night an' day | A |
| An' all dis monst'ous trouble dat hit meks me tiahed to tell | B |
| Is 'bout dat Lucy Jackson dat was sich a mighty belle | B |
| - | |
| She was de preachah's favoured an' he tol' de chu'ch one night | C |
| Dat she travelled thoo de cloud o' sin a bearin' of a light | C |
| But now I 'low he t'inkin' dat she mus' 'a' los' huh lamp | D |
| Case Lucy done backslided an' dey trouble in de camp | D |
| - | |
| Huh daddy wants to beat huh but huh mammy daihs him to | E |
| Fu' she lookin' at de question f'om a ooman's pint o' view | E |
| An' she say dat now she would n't have it diff'ent ef she could | F |
| Dat huh darter only acted jes' lak any othah would | F |
| - | |
| Cose you know w'en women argy dey is mighty easy led | G |
| By dey hea'ts an' don't go foolin' 'bout de reasons of de haid | H |
| So huh mammy laid de law down she ain' reckernizin' wrong | I |
| But you got to mek erlowance fu' de cause dat go along | I |
| - | |
| Now de cause dat made Miss Lucy fu' to th'ow huh grace away | A |
| I 's afeard won't baih no 'spection w'en hit come to jedgement day | A |
| Do' de same t'ing been a wo'kin' evah sence de worl' began | J |
| De ooman disobeyin' fu' to 'tice along a man | J |
| - | |
| Ef you 'tended de revivals which we held de wintah pas' | K |
| You kin rickolec' dat convuts was a comin' thick an' fas' | K |
| But dey ain't no use in talkin' dey was all lef' in de lu'ch | L |
| W'en ol' Mis' Jackson's dartah foun' huh peace an' tuk de chu'ch | L |
| - | |
| W'y she shouted ovah evah inch of Ebenezah's flo' | B |
| Up into de preachah's pulpit an' f'om dah down to de do' | A |
| Den she hugged an' squeezed huh mammy an' she hugged an' kissed huh dad | A |
| An' she struck out at huh sistah people said lak she was mad | A |
| - | |
| I has 'tended some revivals dat was lively in my day | A |
| An' I 's seed folks git 'uligion in mos' evah kin' o' way | A |
| But I tell you an' you b'lieve me dat I 's speakin' true indeed | A |
| Dat gal tuk huh 'ligion ha'dah dan de ha'dest yit I 's seed | A |
| - | |
| Well f'om dat 't was Sistah Jackson won't you please do dis er dat | A |
| She mus' allus sta't de singin' w'en dey 'd pass erroun' de hat | A |
| An' hit seemed dey was n't nuffin' in dat chu'ch dat could go by | M |
| 'Dout sistah Lucy Jackson had a finger in de pie | M |
| - | |
| But de sayin' mighty trufeful dat hit easiah to sail | B |
| W'en de sea is ca'm an' gentle dan to weathah out a gale | B |
| Dat 's whut made dis ooman's trouble ef de sto'm had kep' away | A |
| She 'd 'a' had enough 'uligion fu' to lasted out huh day | A |
| - | |
| Lucy went wid 'Lishy Davis but w'en she jined chu'ch you know | N |
| Dah was lots o' little places dat of cose she could n't go | N |
| An' she had to gin up dancin' an' huh singin' an' huh play | A |
| Now hit's nachul dat sich goin's on 'u'd drive a man away | A |
| - | |
| So w'en Lucy got so solemn Ike he sta'ted fu' to go | N |
| Wid a gal who was a sinnah an' could mek a bettah show | N |
| Lucy jes' went on to meetin' lak she did n't keer a rap | O |
| But my 'sperunce kep' me t'inkin dah was somep'n' gwine to drap | O |
| - | |
| Fu' a gal won't let 'uligion er no othah so't o' t'ing | P |
| Stop huh w'en she teks a notion dat she wants a weddin' ring | P |
| You kin p'omise huh de blessin's of a happy aftah life | Q |
| An' hit's nice to be a angel but she 'd ravah be a wife | Q |
| - | |
| So w'en Chrismus come an' mastah gin a frolic on de lawn | R |
| Did n't 'sprise me not de littlest seein' Lucy lookin' on | S |
| An' I seed a wa'nin' lightnin' go a flashin' f'om huh eye | M |
| Jest ez 'Lishy an' his new gal went a gallivantin' by | M |
| - | |
| An' dat Tildy umph she giggled an' she gin huh dress a flirt | A |
| Lak de people she was passin' was ez common ez de dirt | A |
| An' de minit she was dancin' w'y dat gal put on mo' aihs | K |
| Dan a cat a tekin' kittens up a paih o' windin' staihs | K |
| - | |
| She could 'fo'd to show huh sma'tness fu' she could n't he'p but know | N |
| Dat wid jes' de present dancahs she was ownah of de flo' | A |
| But I t'ink she 'd kin' o' cooled down ef she happened on de sly | A |
| Fu' to noticed dat 'ere lightnin' dat I seed in Lucy's eye | A |
| - | |
| An' she would n't been so 'stonished w'en de people gin a shout | A |
| An' Lucy th'owed huh mantle back an' come a glidin' out | A |
| Some ahms was dah to tek huh an' she fluttahed down de flo' | A |
| Lak a feddah f'om a bedtick w'en de win' commence to blow | A |
| - | |
| Soon ez Tildy see de trouble she jes' tu'n an' toss huh haid | A |
| But seem lak she los' huh sperrit all huh darin'ness was daid | A |
| Did n't cut anothah capah nary time de blessid night | A |
| But de othah one hit looked lak could n't git enough delight | A |
| - | |
| W'en you keeps a colt a stan'nin' in de stable all along | I |
| W'en he do git out hit 's nachul he 'll be pullin' mighty strong | I |
| Ef you will tie up yo' feelin's hyeah 's de bes' advice to tek | T |
| Look out fu' an awful loosin' w'en de string dat hol's 'em brek | T |
| - | |
| Lucy's mammy groaned to see huh an' huh pappy sto'med an' to' | A |
| But she kep' right on a hol'in' to de centah of de flo' | A |
| So dey went an' ast de pastoh ef he could n't mek huh quit | A |
| But de tellin' of de sto'y th'owed de preachah in a fit | A |
| - | |
| Tildy Taylor chewed huh hank'cher twell she 'd chewed it in a hole | A |
| All de sinnahs was rejoicin' 'cause a lamb had lef de fol' | A |
| An' de las' I seed o' Lucy she an' 'Lish was side an' side | A |
| I don't blame de gal fu' dancin' an' I could n't ef I tried | A |
| - | |
| Fu' de men dat wants to ma'y ain't a growin' 'roun' on trees | K |
| An' de gal dat wants to git one sholy has to try to please | K |
| Hit's a ha'd t'ing fu' a ooman fu 'to pray an' jes' set down | U |
| An' to sacafice a husban' so 's to try to gain a crown | U |
| - | |
| Now I don' say she was justified in follerin' huh plan | J |
| But aldough she los' huh 'ligion yit she sholy got de man | J |
| Latah on w'en she is suttain dat de preachah 's made 'em fas' | K |
| She kin jes' go back to chu'ch an' ax fu'giveness fu' de pas' | K |
Paul Laurence Dunbar
(1)
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