Those little rhymes
Don Coldsmith, Syndicated Columnist
Monday, December 1, 2008
ONE OF THE nice things about writing a column is that readers send me notes and suggestions and old clippings and interesting stories. It was that way a few years back, when I received a fat envelope from a reader out near Abilene. He reads the column in “Grass and Grain.”
The occasion for his writing me was that he was killing time. It was in July and he should have been cutting wheat, but it was postponed by rain, he said.
Well, at least there was something good about that wet and muddy summer. He sent me some photocopied pages from two little books that he’d bought at a farm sale. One, “Rhymes of the Rockies,” is dated 1922. The other, “Mountain Memories,” was published in 1925. Both are collections of poetry by James W. Whilt.
Now, I’m normally not attracted to poetry. I just don’t understand it, maybe. There are exceptions, lines of poetry that I can really relate to. Usually they have a rhyme and rhythm that’s simple enough even for me. I have a really tough time with some of the artsy stuff with no rhyme or meter that is called poetry now.
These little poems, I could appreciate. Although labeled “mountain” poetry, they are really outdoor subjects, much like cowboy poetry. They remind me of the work of the late S. Omar Barker, a grand old man who was called the “poet lariat” of Western Writers of America. I have a letter from Omar, which I treasure. It’s written on the back of a Leanin’ Tree birthday card which carries his poetry. “I write little verses for these folks,” says Omar, “so they keep me supplied with cards for whenever.”
Calling Omar Barker’s work “little verses,” of course, is like saying Joe Montana plays ball. Barker was the author of the famous “Cowboy’s Christmas Prayer” and the “Code of the West,” written at about the time of James Whilt’s work. (He was paid five dollars for that one).
This is maybe a long way around to note that cowboy poetry has attracted quite a bit of attention in recent years. Baxter Black, probably the best known of the cowboy poets, was on the Tonight show several times. The annual Cowboy Poetry Gatherin’ at Elko, Nevada, has gained a lot of notoriety.
There’s even a move to consider a Golden Spur award in Cowboy Poetry by the Western Writers of America. (Omar Barker was one of their early presidents). I hope they don’t do it. Some cowboy poetry is good, some bad, some even great. Yet, the thing is, it’s not a contest, but a performing art. It originated with lonely cowboys riding night herd and crooning to cows to keep them quiet — making up a thousand verses to “ki-yi-yippy-yippy yay,” some of which can even be sung in mixed company. They weren’t looking for perfection, but for amusement and fun. When it becomes more important to win than to have fun, things sort of go to hell in a handbasket. Might as well take up figure skating.
I want to share one of James Whilt’s verses, called:
The Old Frying Pan
You may talk of your broilers, both single and double,
Your roasters and toasters, they’re all lots of trouble;
But when out in the hills, just find if you can,
Any kind of dish like the old fryin’ pan.
Over a campfire you don’t need a stove,
Out in the hills, the place we all love,
Such hotcakes they never were tasted by man,
With many the thanks to the old frying pan.
When the trout are all fried to a rich golden brown,
I know all epicures would look with a frown
At the meal set before me; dispute it who can,
With naught for a plate but the old frying pan.
Now that’s pure poetry. The kind I can understand. Thanks, Curtis!
See you down the road.
Author and columnist Don Coldsmith lives in Emporia.
Comments
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Posted by crackinsack (anonymous) on December 1, 2008 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Stove" and "Love" don't exactly rhyme...
"Stove" and "Loathe" is closer!
Posted by create (anonymous) on December 1, 2008 at 7:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good grief...
crack, when words like stove and love are used in a poem, this is called "eye rhyme" because they look alike even though they don't sound alike. Take it from me, it's legitimate.
Stove and loathe? Where are you coming from? For loathe, it's clothe, betroth, unclothe.
For stove, it's cove, dove, drove, fauve, grove, Jove, mauve, etc.
Now you're gonna tell me that mauve and fauve don't rhyme with stove I suppose.
mangrove, interwove, treasure trove, alcove....hee hee hee.
'Twas brillig and the slithy toves...
Posted by crackinsack (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good gravy...
create,
"It originated with lonely cowboys riding night herd and crooning to cows"
How can it be an "eye rhyme" if the poem is being spoken (or crooned)? I feel for anyone who suffered under your tutelage. I can hear it now…
create: “Love rhymes with drove, Billy.”
Billy: “Doesn’t it have to sound the same to be a rhyme?”
create: “Silly, Billy! As long as the words look roughly the same, they rhyme.”
Billy: “So…it doesn’t matter how they are pronounced?”
create: “Nope! Move also rhymes with love, for example! I’m a teacher!”
Posted by create (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 9:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Whatever you do, Billy, don't listen to crack. He/she thinks loathe rhymes with love.
Sorry crack I don't have any pictures for you, but here's a quick study if you've a mind to read it. If not, drop the class.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_rhyme
Posted by crackinsack (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Get it straight, create. I said that loathe rhymes with STOVE; certainly closer than love, anyway.
Since you trust websites so much... Here's one for you:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_rhymes_wi...
I don't see love on this list! I win! :^P
Posted by koach52 (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 10:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Eye rhyme: Words that seem to rhyme because they are spelled identically but pronounced differently.
Examples:
bear/fear
dough/cough
through and bough
In my way of thinking STOVE rhymes not with loathe.....but has the qualities to be eye rhyme with love........
perhaps this game continues....
Posted by koach52 (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 11:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
in poetry, an imperfect rhyme in which two words are spelled similarly but pronounced differently (such as move and love, bough and though, come and home, and laughter and daughter). Some of these (such as flood and brood) are referred to as historical rhymes because at one time they probably had the same pronunciation. This being acceptable explanation for stove and love.......
Thus, I again say ......the Teach is correct.
Posted by crackinsack (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 11:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
stōv <> lŭv
stōv = lōTH
See the "ō"? That means stove and loathe sound the same. Love has the "ŭ" which doesn't sound like the "ō" at all.
Remember, this poem was supposed to be from a time/setting of spoken poetry, so why would the author use this so-called "eye rhyme" nonsense?
"Over a campfire you don’t need a stōv,
Out in the hills, the place we all lŭv,"
Nice try, James Whilt! I win once again. Game over.
Better luck next time, koach52...aka..."Mr. create"
Posted by crackinsack (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 11:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you can direct me to evidence that "love" and "stove" once had a similar pronunciation, I will forfeit my argument.
Posted by koach52 (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 11:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A myth of poetry is.......that it must rhyme.
Posted by crackinsack (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 12:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You're right, koach52. Poetry doesn't have to rhyme. It's just that the title of the article is "Those little RHYMES" and this particular poem is clearly trying to use the "couplet" (aa, bb, cc) rhyming scheme.
I like the poem, but as I read it, I trip over that "love" line like a sprinter tripping on a hurdle. It really kills the flow of the poem.
Posted by koach52 (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 12:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OK....agreed. I also found the use of love opposite of stove ....awkward. However poetry has few rules. The author does use a rhyming scheme throughout but causes some pause with this combination (love and stove) perhaps it is his intent to give pause and quiet emphasis to the "love for the hills".....it seems to be effective. He is given license to do so within poetry rules.
In turn....Stove and love do fit definition of eye rhyme in poetry.
However stove and loathe have but one commonality ...that being long "o". Surely you do not want to insist that these two words fit better in verse than love and stove. If that were true then "stove and below" , stove and hero, stove and arrow...etc work also. If you demand "rhyme" stove and loath just don't work.
Finally.......the only side that usually can declare that "it is over is the side that has been defeated."
Posted by koach52 (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 12:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OK....agreed. I also found the use of love opposite of stove ....awkward. However poetry has few rules. The author does use a rhyming scheme throughout but causes some pause with this combination (love and stove) perhaps it is his intent to give pause and quiet emphasis to the "love for the hills".....it seems to be effective. He is given license to do so within poetry rules.
In turn....Stove and love do fit definition of eye rhyme in poetry.
However stove and loathe have but one commonality ...that being long "o". Surely you do not want to insist that these two words fit better in verse than love and stove. If that were true then "stove and below" , stove and hero, stove and arrow...etc work also. If you demand "rhyme" stove and loath just don't work.
Finally.......the only side that usually can declare that "it is over .....is the side that has been defeated."
Posted by create (anonymous) on December 2, 2008 at 1:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Koach52 is right on, in particular his suggestion that rhyming love and stove provokes the reader to pause in contemplation of the "love for the hills."
I also agree with the long "o" sounds in stove and loathe, but that is all they share, assonance. It's not enough to call it rhyme because the end sounds of "v" and "th" are completely different. The homophones "flower" and "flour" make better sense.
I realize the argument is related to rhyme, but I must say that rhyme is often viewed unfavorably in 20th century poetry. When attention is paid to rhyme, the more important devices of voice and tone are subordinated. Balance is lost.
Posted by Happiness08 (anonymous) on December 9, 2008 at 11:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Alright already. Just reading all this has given me chest pain.
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