The Power Of Prayer; Or, The First Steamboat Up The Alabama Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A BBB CCC DBE DDD DDD AAA FAF EEE GGG AAA HII JJJ KKK HIH AAA BBB DDD EEE AAA AAA A| By Sidney and Clifford Lanier | A |
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| You Dinah Come and set me whar de ribber roads does meet | B |
| De Lord HE made dese black jack roots to twis' into a seat | B |
| Umph dar De Lord have mussy on dis blin' ole nigger's feet | B |
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| It 'pear to me dis mornin' I kin smell de fust o' June | C |
| I 'clar' I b'lieve dat mockin' bird could play de fiddle soon | C |
| Dem yonder town bells sounds like dey was ringin' in de moon | C |
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| Well ef dis nigger IS been blind for fo'ty year or mo' | D |
| Dese ears DEY sees the world like th'u' de cracks dat's in de do' | B |
| For de Lord has built dis body wid de windows 'hind and 'fo' | E |
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| I know my front ones IS stopped up and things is sort o' dim | D |
| But den th'u' DEM temptation's rain won't leak in on ole Jim | D |
| De back ones show me earth enough aldo' dey's mons'ous slim | D |
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| And as for Hebben bless de Lord and praise His holy name | D |
| DAT shines in all de co'ners of dis cabin jes' de same | D |
| As ef dat cabin hadn't nar' a plank upon de frame | D |
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| Who CALL me Listen down de ribber Dinah Don't you hyar | A |
| Somebody holl'in' Hoo Jim hoo My Sarah died las' y'ar | A |
| IS dat black angel done come back to call ole Jim f'om hyar | A |
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| My stars dat cain't be Sarah shuh Jes' listen Dinah NOW | F |
| What KIN be comin' up dat bend a makin' sich a row | A |
| Fus' bellerin' like a pawin' bull den squealin' like a sow | F |
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| De Lord 'a' mussy sakes alive jes' hear ker woof ker woof | E |
| De Debble's comin' round dat bend he's comin' shuh enuff | E |
| A splashin' up de water wid his tail and wid his hoof | E |
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| I'se pow'ful skeered but neversomeless I ain't gwine run away | G |
| I'm gwine to stand stiff legged for de Lord dis blessed day | G |
| YOU screech and swish de water Satan I'se a gwine to pray | G |
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| O hebbenly Marster what thou willest dat mus' be jes' so | A |
| And ef Thou hast bespoke de word some nigger's bound to go | A |
| Den Lord please take ole Jim and lef young Dinah hyar below | A |
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| 'Scuse Dinah 'scuse her Marster for she's sich a little chile | H |
| She hardly jes' begin to scramble up de homeyard stile | I |
| But dis ole traveller's feet been tired dis many a many a mile | I |
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| I'se wufless as de rotten pole of las' year's fodder stack | J |
| De rheumatiz done bit my bones you hear 'em crack and crack | J |
| I cain'st sit down 'dout gruntin' like 'twas breakin' o' my back | J |
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| What use de wheel when hub and spokes is warped and split and rotten | K |
| What use dis dried up cotton stalk when Life done picked my cotton | K |
| I'se like a word dat somebody said and den done been forgotten | K |
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| But Dinah Shuh dat gal jes' like dis little hick'ry tree | H |
| De sap's jes' risin in her she do grow owdaciouslee | I |
| Lord ef you's clarin' de underbrush don't cut her down cut me | H |
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| I would not proud persume but I'll boldly make reques' | A |
| Sence Jacob had dat wrastlin' match I too gwine do my bes' | A |
| When Jacob got all underholt de Lord he answered Yes | A |
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| And what for waste de vittles now and th'ow away de bread | B |
| Jes' for to strength dese idle hands to scratch dis ole bald head | B |
| T'ink of de 'conomy Marster ef dis ole Jim was dead | B |
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| Stop ef I don't believe de Debble's gone on up de stream | D |
| Jes' now he squealed down dar hush dat's a mighty weakly scream | D |
| Yas sir he's gone he's gone he snort way off like in a dream | D |
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| O glory hallelujah to de Lord dat reigns on high | E |
| De Debble's fai'ly skeered to def he done gone flyin' by | E |
| I know'd he couldn' stand dat pra'r I felt my Marster nigh | E |
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| You Dinah ain't you 'shamed now dat you didn' trust to grace | A |
| I heerd you thrashin' th'u' de bushes when he showed his face | A |
| You fool you think de Debble couldn't beat YOU in a race | A |
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| I tell you Dinah jes' as shuh as you is standin' dar | A |
| When folks starts prayin' answer angels drops down th'u' de a'r | A |
| YAS DINAH WHAR 'OULD YOU BE NOW JES' 'CEPTIN' FUR DAT PRA'R | A |
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| Baltimore | A |
Sidney Lanier
(1)
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