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AMERICAN POETRY Repetition Lesson 2
Eugene Field • Eugene Field (1850 - 1895) was a poet who selected youth and childhood for his poetic subjects and themes. He was a newspaperman by profession, and he gained national attention through a column he wrote called “Sharps and Flats.” Although he excelled as a journalist, he was best known for his poetry such as the selection in this unit, “Jest “Fore Christmas.”
‘Just ‘Fore Christmas” • Like “Little Orphant Annie” , the selection called “Jest ‘Fore Christmas” is a narrative poem. It, too, features a youth as the persona or storyteller who uses dialect to tell his story. • The persona or speaker is a small boy who tells the reader what it is like at his home in that period of time “just before Christmas.” • For Better Understanding: When you read through the poem, notice that like “Little Orphant Annie,” the last line of each stanza is repeated.
Repitition • Repetition is a device used for emphasis, but in poetry it can add a sense of music to the poem. The poet can also use repetition to make a point within the poem. The writing assignment in this unit will deal with repetition. • Read carefully “Jest ‘Fore Christmas” by Eugene Field. First understand the basic story that the poem tells. Then, “step away from the poem” and see what other topics it deals with.
“Just ‘Fore Christmas” • In the first stanza, the persona says he is glad he was born a boy because he can’t stand the dress and hair styles of girls. They remind him of a painting of a young boy in fancy dress called Little Lord Fauntleroy.
In the same stanza he mentions “castor oil.” This was a medicine given in early days for nearly any illness but mostly for upset stomach. • In the last stanza, the persona tells the reader to “mind your p’s and q’s.” One reference to this goes back to the early days of printing when each line of type had to be set by hand. The young boys who helped the printer do this were told to mind their p’s and q’s because the lower case letter “p” and the letter “q” could easily be mistaken for each other.
Jest ‘Fore Christmas Father calls me William, sister calls me Will, Mother calls me Willie, but the fellers call me Bill! Mighty glad I ain't a girl ruther be a boy, Without them sashes, curls, an' things that's worn by Fauntleroy! Love to chawnk green apples an' go swimmin' in the lake Hate to take the castor-ile they give for belly-ache! 'Most all the time, the whole year round, there ain't no flies on me, But jest 'fore Christmas I'm as good as I kin be!
Got a yeller dog named Sport, sick him on the cat; First thing she knows she doesn't know where she is at! Got a clipper sled, an' when us kids goes out to slide, 'Long comes the grocery cart, an' we all hook a ride! But sometimes when the grocery man is worrited an' cross, He reaches at us with his whip, an' larrups up his hoss, An' then I laff and holler, "Oh, ye never teched me!" But jest 'fore Christmas I'm as good as I kin be!
Gran'ma says she hopes that when I git to be a man, I'll be a missionarer like her oldest brother, Dan... But gran'ma she has never been to see a Wild West show, Nor read the Life of Daniel Boone, or else I guess she'd know That Buff'lo Bill an' cowboys is good enough for me! Excep' just 'fore Christmas when I'm as good as I kin be!
For Christmas, with its lots an' lots of candies, cakes, an' toys, Was made, they say, for proper kids an' not for naughty boys; So wash yer face an' breshyer hair, an' mind yerp's an q's, An' don't bust out yer pantaloons, an' don't wear out yer shoes; Say, "Yessum" to the ladies, and "Yessur" to the men, An' when they's company, don't pass yer plate for pie again; But, thinkin' of the things yer'd like to see upon that tree, Jest 'fore Christmas be as good as yer kin be!
1) The persona’s name is A) William B) Will C) Willie D) Bill E) all of these
2) The persona likes boyish things, but he hates A) eating green apples B) swimming in the lake C) taking castor oil for a stomach ache D) Christmas E) none of these
3) The persona owns a dog named Sport; one command that he might give his dog is A) “Speak” B) “Lie down” C) “Roll over” D) “Sick the cat” E) “Play dead”
4) One thing the boys like to do in the winter is A) run after the grocery cart B) hook their sleds on the grocery cart so they can be pulled along C) slide under the grocery cart D) throw snowballs at the grocer while he delivers E) skate along in front of the grocery cart
5) The persona’s grandmother wants him to be A) a cowboy B) a minister C) a missionary D) a teacher E) a grocer
6) What would the persona rather be? A) a cowboy B) a minister C) a missionary D) a teacher E) a grocer
7) In the period of time just before Christmas, • Sport is very quiet and doesn’t chase the cat • the cat comes out of hiding • the persona becomes very polite and does exactly what he should • the mother notices her son’s improved behavior • all of these
8) The persona realizes that in order to get nice gifts at Christmas, one must be good; so he tells the reader all but one of the following: A) wash your face B) don’t tear your clothes C) do all your homework D) be polite E) don’t ask for seconds at dinner
9) In the first stanza when the persona says, “’Most all the time, the whole year round, there ain’t no flies on me...,” he means A) usually he is too smart to get caught for wrongdoing B) he has to keep clean so he doesn’t attract flies C) he never does anything wrong D) the temptation to be bad is too great, so he is naughtier just before Christmas E) none of these
10) The boy’s father suspects something when he is so good at Christmas time because A) he knows his son is naughty B) having been a boy himself, he probably acted the same way C) he has to punish his son all year but not now D) he realizes his son is keeping bad company E) he feels that he has not disciplined his son properly
11) The basic subject matter of Eugene Field’s poetry seems to be ____________________. Children or childhood
12) For what two reasons would a poet use repetition? to add a sense of music and to make a point
13) When a writer writes and spells words the way they are spoken in some particular area, we call this language ____________________. D I A L E C T
14) What does a narrative poem do? Tells a story
15) Reread the poem in preparation for the writing assignment. • In one good paragraph, discuss what purpose the repetition of the last line in each stanza has on the total effect of the poem. Show how the repetition of the line is effective in making the poet’s point. • Discuss the effect the repetition has on the reader. Start with a good introductory sentence. Follow with good support statements. Lead to a well rounded conclusion.
