Analysis of Mylo Jones's Wife

James Whitcomb Riley 1849 (Greenfield) – 1916 (Indianapolis)



'Mylo Jones's wife' was all
I heerd, mighty near, last Fall--
Visitun relations down
T'other side of Morgantown!
Mylo Jones's wife she does
This and that, and 'those' and 'thus'!--
Can't 'bide babies in her sight--
Ner no childern, day and night,
Whoopin' round the premises--
NER NO NOTHIN' ELSE, I guess!

Mylo Jones's wife she 'lows
She's the boss of her own house!--
Mylo--consequences is--
Stays whare things seem SOME like HIS,--
Uses, mostly, with the stock--
Coaxin' 'Old Kate' not to balk,
Ner kick hoss-flies' branes out, ner
Act, I s'pose, so much like HER!
Yit the wimmern-folks tells you
She's PERFECTION.--Yes they do!

Mylo's wife she says she's found
Home hain't home with MEN-FOLKS round
When they's work like HERN to do-
Picklin' pears and BUTCHERN, too,
And a-rendern lard, and then
Cookin' fer a pack of men
To come trackin' up the flore
SHE'S scrubbed TEL she'll scrub no MORE!--
Yit she'd keep things clean ef they
Made her scrub tel Jedgmunt Day!

Mylo Jones's wife she sews
Carpet-rags and patches clothes
Jest year IN and OUT!--and yit
Whare's the livin' use of it?
She asts Mylo that.--And he
Gits back whare he'd ruther be,
With his team;--jest PLOWS--and don't
Never sware--like some folks won't!
Think ef HE'D CUT LOOSE, I gum!
'D he'p his heavenly chances some!

Mylo's wife don't see no use,
Ner no reason ner excuse
Fer his pore relations to
Hang round like they allus do!
Thare 'bout onc't a year--and SHE--
She jest GA'NTS 'em, folks tells me,
On spiced pears!--Pass Mylo one,
He says 'No, he don't chuse none!'
Workin'men like Mylo they
'D ort to have MEAT ev'ry day!

Dad-burn Mylo Jones's wife!
Ruther rake a blame caseknife
'Crost my wizzen than to see
Sich a womern rulin' ME!--
Ruther take and turn in and
Raise a fool mule-colt by hand'
MYLO, though--od-rot the man!--
Jest keeps ca'm--like some folks CAN--
And 'lows sich as her, I s'pose,
Is MAN'S HE'PMEET'--Mercy knows!


Scheme AABBCXDDCX EXFFXXGGHH IIHHJJGGKK CXDXLLMMNN OOHHLLPPKK QQLLXXRREE
Poetic Form Etheree  (33%)
Metre 110111 1110111 10101 1101110 110111 1010101 1110001 111101 110100 1110111 110111 1011011 11001 1111111 1010101 111111 1111111 11111110 101111 1010111 111111 11111111 1111111 11011 001101 110111 111101 1111111 1111111 101111 110111 1010101 1100101 101111 111101 1111101 1111101 1011111 1111111 1111100101 111111 1110101 1110101 111111 1110101 1111111 111111 1111111 1111 1111111 111101 101011 111111 10111 1010100 1011111 111101 11111111 01110111 111101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,858
Words 347
Sentences 24
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
Lines Amount 60
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 234
Words per stanza (avg) 56
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:54 min read
119

James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley was an American writer, poet, and best-selling author. During his lifetime he was known as the "Hoosier Poet" and "Children's Poet" for his dialect works and his children's poetry respectively. more…

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