Analysis of Chrismus Is A-Comin'
Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872 (Dayton) – 1906
Bones a-gittin' achy,
Back a-feelin' col',
Han's a-growin' shaky,
Jes' lak I was ol'.
Fros' erpon de meddah
Lookin' mighty white;
Snowdraps lak a feddah
Slippin' down at night.
Jes' keep t'ings a-hummin'
Spite o' fros' an' showahs,
Chrismus is a-comin'
An' all de week is ouahs.
Little mas' a-axin',
'Who is Santy Claus?'
Meks it kin' o' taxin'
Not to brek de laws.
Chillun 's pow'ful tryin'
To a pusson's grace
Wen dey go a pryin'
Right on th'oo you' face
Down ermong yo' feelin's;
Jes' 'pears lak dat you
Got to change you' dealin's
So 's to tell 'em true.
An' my pickaninny--
Dreamin' in his sleep!
Come hyeah, Mammy Jinny,
Come an' tek a peep.
Ol Mas' Bob an' Missis
In dey house up daih
Got no chile lak dis is,
D' ain't none anywhaih.
Sleep, my little lammy,
Sleep, you little limb,
He do' know whut mammy
Done saved up fu' him.
Dey 'll be banjo pickin',
Dancin' all night thoo.
Dey 'll be lots o' chicken,
Plenty tukky, too.
Drams to wet yo' whistles
So 's to drive out chills.
Whut I keer fu' drizzles
Fallin' on de hills?
Jes' keep t'ings a-hummin'
Spite o' col' an' showahs,
Chrismus day 's a-comin',
An' all de week is ouahs.
Scheme | ababccccDedE dedededeefef dgdgecexhhhh dxdceeeeDedE |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 10110 1011 10110 11111 1111 1101 1101 1111 11101 11111 1101 111111 10101 11101 11111 11111 1111 1011 11101 11111 1111 11111 11111 111111 111 1011 1111 11101 11111 01111 1110111 1111 11101 11101 11111 11111 11111 1111 1111110 1011 111110 111111 11111 10111 11101 11111 11101 111111 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 1,097 |
Words | 216 |
Sentences | 16 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 12, 12, 12, 12 |
Lines Amount | 48 |
Letters per line (avg) | 17 |
Words per line (avg) | 4 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 203 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 53 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:07 min read
- 98 Views
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"Chrismus Is A-Comin'" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 16 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/28677/chrismus-is-a-comin%27>.
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