Analysis of Dixie's Land

Daniel Decatur Emmett 1815 (Mount Vernon, Ohio) – 1904 (Mount Vernon, Ohio)



1     I wish I was in de land ob cotton,
2     Old times dar am not forgotten;
3         Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land!
4     In Dixie Land whar I was born in,
5     Early on one frosty mornin,
6         Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land!

7             Den I wish I was in Dixie! Hooray! Hooray!
8             In Dixie's Land we'll take our stand, to lib an' die in Dixie.
9           Away! away! away down South in Dixie.
10           Away! away! away down south in Dixie.

11   Ole missus marry 'Will-de-weaber';
12   Willum was a gay deceaber;
13       Look away, look away, look away, Dixie land!
14   But when he put his arm around her,
15   He smiled as fierce as a forty-pounder;
16       Look away, look away, look away, Dixie land!

17             Den I wish I was in Dixie! Hooray! Hooray!
18             In Dixie's Land we'll take our stand, to lib an' die in Dixie.
19           Away! away! away down South in Dixie.
20           Away! away! away down south in Dixie.

21   His face was sharp as a butcher's cleaber;
22   But dat did not seem to greab her;
23       Look away, look away, look away, Dixie land!
24   Ole missus acted de foolish part,
25   And died for a man dat broke her heart;
26       Look away, look away, look away, Dixie land!

27             Den I wish I was in Dixie! Hooray! Hooray!
28             In Dixie's Land we'll take our stand, to lib an' die in Dixie.
29           Away! away! away down South in Dixie.
30           Away! away! away down south in Dixie.

31   Now here's health to de next ole missus,
32   An' all the gals dat want to kiss us;
33       Look away, look away, look away, Dixie land!
34   But if you want to drive 'way sorrow,
35   Come and hear dis song tomorrow;
36       Look away, look away, look away, Dixie land!

37             Den I wish I was in Dixie! Hooray! Hooray!
38             In Dixie's Land we'll take our stand, to lib an' die in Dixie.
39           Away! away! away down South in Dixie.
40           Away! away! away down south in Dixie.

41   Dar's buckwheat cakes an' Injin batter,
42   Makes you fat or a little fatter;
43       Look away, look away, look away, Dixie land!
44   Den hoe it down an' scratch your grabble,
45   To Dixie's land I'm bound to trabble;
46       Look away, look away, look away, Dixie land!

47             Den I wish I was in Dixie! Hooray! Hooray!
48             In Dixie's Land we'll take our stand, to lib an' die in Dixie.
49           Away! away! away down South in Dixie.
50           Away! away! away down south in Dixie.


Scheme AABXAB CDDD CCBEEB CDDD CEBFFB CDDD XXBGGB CDDD EEBHHB CDDD
Poetic Form Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 1111011110 11111010 101101101101 010111110 1011101 101101101101 111110100101 011111011111010 01010111010 01010111010 11010111 11011 101101101101 111111010 1111101010 101101101101 111110100101 011111011111010 01010111010 01010111010 111110101 11111110 101101101101 110101101 011011101 101101101101 111110100101 011111011111010 01010111010 01010111010 111111110 110111111 101101101101 111111110 1011101 101101101101 111110100101 011111011111010 01010111010 01010111010 1111110 111101010 101101101101 11111111 1111111 101101101101 111110100101 011111011111010 01010111010 01010111010
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 2,514
Words 454
Sentences 67
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 6, 4, 6, 4, 6, 4, 6, 4, 6, 4
Lines Amount 50
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 16
Letters per stanza (avg) 163
Words per stanza (avg) 78
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 13, 2023

2:20 min read
124

Daniel Decatur Emmett

Daniel Decatur Emmett was an American songwriter, entertainer, and founder of the first troupe of the blackface minstrel tradition, the Virginia Minstrels. He is most remembered as the creator of the song "Dixie". more…

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