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Cowboy LiteratureOral – usually poetry or lyrics
By necessityUnable to carry heavy booksIlliteracy was common
Easier to memorize than prose
Cowboy Literature, cont.
Focuses on the culture, features and the general lifestyle of the West, both the Old & the modern
Developed by workers on ranches & cattle drives to entertain each other after a hard day’s work
Can be contemporary; the lifestyle of the West and the work cowboys do continues today
Anybody can write it, not just those living the life
Cowboy Literature, cont.
The poetry is not defined by a certain structure but by the subject matter
Ranch work and the ranch handsWestern lifestyle in generalLandscape of the American WestValues and practices of cowboys, both Old and modernHumorous anecdotesMemories of past times and people long goneSarcasm about modern “contraptions” and/or lifestyles
Cowboy Literature, cont.
Using a before present participles: a-walkin'Dropping the g from present participles and gerunds: mornin'Nonstandard verb form of throwed for thrownNonstandard subject-verb agreement: spurs was a-jinglin'Git instead of get
Elements of Western Dialect
An excellent example of cowboy literature in the version of song lyrics is the following:
Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo
As I was a-walkin' one mornin' for pleasure,I spied a cowpuncher a-lopin' along.His hat was throwed back and his spurs was a-jinglin'And as he approached he was singin' this song:
Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo, cont.
ChorusWhoopee ti-yi-yo, git along little dogies, For you know that Wyoming'll be your new home.Whoopee ti-yi-yo, git along little dogies,For you know that Wyoming'll be your new home.
Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo, cont.It's early in spring that we round up the dogies.We mark them and brand them and bob off their tails.We round up the horses, load up the chuck wagon,And then throw the dogies up on the long trail.Chorus
Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo, cont.
Your mother was raised away down in Texas,Where the jimson weed and sandburs grow.Now we'll fill you up on prickly pear and cholla,Till you are all ready for the trail to Idaho.Chorus
Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo, cont.
Oh, you'll be soup for Uncle Sam's Injuns,“It's beef, heap beef!” I hear them cry.Git along, git along, git along little dogies;You'll be beef steers by and by.Chorus
New Words in “Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo”
Cowpuncher a) branding ironb) another name for a cowboyc) a game played by cowboys
New Words in “Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo”
Dogiea) another name for a dogb) a tumbleweedc) a motherless calf on the range
New Words in “Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo”
Cholla (pronounced “choya”)a) Spanish for “cactus”b)Spanish for “mix of grains and alfalfa”
c) Spanish for “chow”
Cowboy Poetry Websites
Cattlepages
Clanton Gang – Cowboy Poetry Online Cowboy Resources Cowboy Poetry at the Bar-D Ranch Horse Feathers Western Folklife Center Cowboy Poetry
Homework1) Using the information used in this presentation, including the various websites, write either a cowboy poem or song lyrics. You will also create a PowerPoint presentation of your work which will be presented to the class. The presentation should be at least five slides in length.
Homework, cont.2) Select two current country songs that could be considered cowboy poetry. For each song selected write a paper of two to three paragraphs in length, explaining why each song would fall into this genre of literature.
3) Word Puzzle containing words from “Whoopee Ti-Yi-Yo”.
Extra CreditSubmit your poem or lyrics to one of the cowboy poetry websites mentioned in this presentation, or one you’ve found on your own. If it is published on their site, your extra credit points will be doubled. Credit will be given to anybody that submits their work.
Related Areas of Interest
Remington & Russell Bev Doolittle Will Rogers Memorial Museums Gilcrease: The Museum of the Americas Mesquite Championship Rodeo
The End
Yee-Haw, Pardner!!
Aw, shucks!
Aw, shucks!
Yee-Haw, Pardner!!
Aw, shucks!
Aw, shucks!
Yee-Haw, Pardner!!
Aw, shucks!
Aw, shucks!
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