The Corn-stalk Fiddle Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABCC DEDECC FGCGCC HIHICC FGCGCC CJCJCC KLMLCCWhen the corn 's all cut and the bright stalks shine | A |
Like the burnished spears of a field of gold | B |
When the field mice rich on the nubbins dine | A |
And the frost comes white and the wind blows cold | B |
Then it's heigho fellows and hi diddle diddle | C |
For the time is ripe for the corn stalk fiddle | C |
- | |
And you take a stalk that is straight and long | D |
With an expert eye to its worthy points | E |
And you think of the bubbling strains of song | D |
That are bound between its pithy joints | E |
Then you cut out strings with a bridge in the middle | C |
With a corn stalk bow for a corn stalk fiddle | C |
- | |
Then the strains that grow as you draw the bow | F |
O'er the yielding strings with a practised hand | G |
And the music's flow never loud but low | C |
Is the concert note of a fairy band | G |
Oh your dainty songs are a misty riddle | C |
To the simple sweets of the corn stalk fiddle | C |
- | |
When the eve comes on and our work is done | H |
And the sun drops down with a tender glance | I |
With their hearts all prime for the harmless fun | H |
Come the neighbor girls for the evening's dance | I |
And they wait for the well known twist and twiddle | C |
More time than tune from the corn stalk fiddle | C |
- | |
Then brother Jabez takes the bow | F |
While Ned stands off with Susan Bland | G |
Then Henry stops by Milly Snow | C |
And John takes Nellie Jones's hand | G |
While I pair off with Mandy Biddle | C |
And scrape scrape scrape goes the corn stalk fiddle | C |
- | |
Salute your partners comes the call | C |
All join hands and circle round | J |
Grand train back and Balance all | C |
Footsteps lightly spurn the ground | J |
Take your lady and balance down the middle | C |
To the merry strains of the corn stalk fiddle | C |
- | |
So the night goes on and the dance is o'er | K |
And the merry girls are homeward gone | L |
But I see it all in my sleep once more | M |
And I dream till the very break of dawn | L |
Of an impish dance on a red hot griddle | C |
To the screech and scrape of a corn stalk fiddle | C |
Paul Laurence Dunbar
(2)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
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