IN LIFE AS IN THE DANCE : GRACE GLIDES

ON BLISTERED FEET.
---Alice Abrams

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Manic Monday - Frost

MM created by Jannagraphics
"When the Frost is on the Punkin"

WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,

And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,

And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,

And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;

O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,

With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,

As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

---James Whitcomb Riley, 1853 - 1916

This was the first thing that came into my head when I read Mo's selection for the week. I'm not particularly fond of this poem - the dialect drives me crazy - so I went looking for different avenues. I decided to do David Frost but after posting and reading it, it bored me silly and I didn't want to do that to my readers! So here's James Whitcomb Riley with the phrase he made famous (if you want to read the rest - I think there's at least two dozen more stanzas - give it a google).

Here's the Link to Marvelous Mo's Manic Monday!

7 comments:

Desert Songbird said...

You know, I'm a proud Hoosier, and I had no idea that this poem and its famous (but confusing) phrase were written by the Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley. Guess I didn't pay as much attention in history class as a kid as I thought I did...

Heart of Rachel said...

Hi Gracie. Happy Monday! Wishing you a great and stress-free week ahead.
Thanks for sharing this poem.

Maggie Moo said...

I've never read this before-I kinda like it. :)

The first thing I thought about was the Robert Frost poem that Bridget has on her side bar-I had to memorize it in 6th grade and recite it in front of the class.

Callie Ann said...

I have never heard this poem either. Hey, Gracie I think I love the fall the best because of all the colors in the forests. When I grew up in Pollock Pines, Ca up the road from Placerville. The colors were awesome and now leaving in the Northwest they are even more vibrant. I don't suppose there are many colors in Bakersfield????? Hey, when are you moving away from there anyway. They have beautiful homes and places to live in Oregon. No sales Tax remember that. Yipee

Carrie said...

phew.. the rooster's hallylooyer.. wow, lol!!! I'd love to hear my boss recite this, I bet he'd do it justice!

Travis Cody said...

I read the words in my head, and these regional kinds of words should have a rhythm to them. But not knowing what they are and the proper pronunciation, it's tough to find.

I like the idea though.

Happy MM!

Gattina said...

Nice ! it wasn't easy to knit something around this word, I finally invented a crime story. A frosty one, lol !