Analysis of Lonesome

Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872 (Dayton) – 1906



MOTHER's gone a-visitin' to spend a month er two,
An', oh, the house is lonesome ez a nest whose birds has flew
To other trees to build ag'in; the rooms seem jest so bare
That the echoes run like sperrits from the kitchen to the stair.
The shetters flap more lazy-like 'n what they used to do,
Sence mother's gone a-visitin' to spend a month er two.
We've killed the fattest chicken an' we've cooked her to a turn;
We've made the richest gravy, but I jest don't give a durn
Fur nothin' 'at I drink er eat, er nothin' 'at I see.
The food ain't got the pleasant taste it used to have to me.
They's somep'n' stickin' in my throat ez tight ez hardened glue,
Sence mother's gone a-visitin' to spend a month er two.
The hollyhocks air jest ez pink, they're double ones at that,
An' I wuz prouder of 'em than a baby of a cat.
But now I don't go near 'era, though they nod an' blush at me,
Fur they's somep'n' seems to gall me in their keerless sort o' glee
An' all their fren'ly noddin' an' their blushin' seems to say:
'You're putty lonesome, John, old boy, sence mother's gone away.'
The neighbors ain't so fren'ly ez it seems they'd ort to be;
They seem to be a-lookin' kinder sideways like at me,
A-kinder feared they'd tech me off ez ef I wuz a match,
An' all because 'at mother's gone an' I'm a-keepin' batch!
I'm shore I don't do nothin' worse 'n what I used to do
'Fore mother went a-visitin' to spend a month er two.
The sparrers ac's more fearsome like an' won't hop quite so near,
The cricket's chirp is sadder, an' the sky ain't ha'f so clear;
When ev'nin' comes, I set an' smoke tell my eyes begin to swim,
An' things aroun' commence to look all blurred an' faint an' dim.
Well, I guess I'll have to own up 'at I'm feelin' purty blue
Sence mother's gone a-visitin' to spend a month er two.


Scheme aabbaAccddaAeeddffddggaahhiiaA
Poetic Form
Metre 10101110101 11011101011111 11011110011111 10101111010101 0111101111111 110101110101 11010101110101 11010101111101 11011101010111 01110101111111 111011111101 110101110101 0101111110111 11110111010101 111111101111111 1111111011111 11111111111 11010111110101 0101111111111 111101101111 01011111111101 1101110111011 11111101111111 110101110101 0111101111111 010111010111111 11111111110111 1110111111111 1111111111111 110101110101
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 1,776
Words 350
Sentences 12
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 30
Lines Amount 30
Letters per line (avg) 44
Words per line (avg) 12
Letters per stanza (avg) 1,324
Words per stanza (avg) 347
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 10, 2023

1:55 min read
38

Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar was a seminal American poet of the late 19th and early 20th centuries Dunbar gained national recognition for his 1896 Lyrics of a Lowly Life one poem in the collection being Ode to Ethiopia more…

All Paul Laurence Dunbar poems | Paul Laurence Dunbar Books

7 fans

Discuss this Paul Laurence Dunbar poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Lonesome" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 1 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/28775/lonesome>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    More poems by

    Paul Laurence Dunbar

    »

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    30
    days
    5
    hours
    43
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem 'Still I Rise'?
    A Sylvia Plath
    B Edgar Allen Poe
    C Maya Angelou
    D Audre Loude