To Mr. Buckenam
"Here we stan' on the Constitution, by thunder!It's a fact o' wich ther's bushils o' proofs;Fer how could we trample on't so, I wonder,Ef 't worn't thet it's ollers under our hoofs?"Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;"Human rights haint no moreRight to come on this floor,No more'n the man in the moon," sez he.
"The North haint no kind o' bisness with nothin',An' you've no idee how much bother it saves;We aint none riled by their frettin' an' frothin',We're used to layin' the string on our slaves,"Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;--Sez Mister Foote,"I should like to shootThe holl gang, by the great horn spoon," sez he.
"Freedom's Keystone is Slavery, thet ther's no doubt on,It's sutthin' thet's--wha' d' ye call it?--divine,--An' the slaves thet we allers make the most out onAir them north o' Mason an' Dixon's line,"Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;--"Fer all thet," sez Mangum,"'T would be better to hang 'em,An' so git red on 'em soon," sez he.
"The mass ough' to labor an' we lay on soffies,Thet's the reason I want to spread Freedom's aree;It puts all the cunninest on us in office,An' reelises our Maker's orig'nal idee,"Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;--"Thet's ez plain," sez Cass,"Ez thet some one's an ass,It's ez clear ez the sun is at noon," sez he.
"Now don't go to say I'm the friend of oppression,But keep all your spare breath fer coolin' your broth,Fer I ollers hev strove (at least thet's my impression)To make cussed free with the rights o' the North,"Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;--"Yes," sez Davis o' Miss.,"The perfection o' blissIs in skinnin' thet same old coon," sez he.
"Slavery's a thing thet depends on complexion,It's God's law thet fetters on black skins don't chafe;Ef brains wuz to settle it (horrid reflection!)Wich of our onnable body'd be safe?"Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;--Sez Mister Hannegan,Afore he began agin,"Thet exception is quite oppertoon," sez he.
"Gen'nle Cass, Sir, you needn't be twitchin' your collar,Your merit's quite clear by the dut on your knees,At the North we don't make no distinctions o' color,You can all take a lick at our shoes wen you please,"Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;--Sez Mister Jarnagin,"They wunt hev to larn agin,They all on 'em know the old toon," sez he.
"The slavery question aint no ways bewilderin',North an' South hev one int'rest, it's plain to a glance;No'thern men, like us patriarchs, don't sell their childrin,But they du sell themselves, ef they git a good chance,"Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;--Sez Atherton here,"This is gittin' severe,I wish I could dive like a loon," sez he.
"It'll break up the Union, this talk about freedom,An' your fact'ry gals (soon ez we split) 'll make head,An' gittin' some Miss chief or other to lead 'em,'ll go to work raisin' pr'miscoous Ned,"Sez John O. Calhoun, sez he;--"Yes, the North," sez Colquitt,"Ef we Southeners all quit,Would go down like a busted balloon," sez he.
"Jest look wut is doin', wut annyky's brewin'In the beautiful clime o' the olive an' vine,All the wise aristoxy is tumblin' to ruin,An' the sankylots drorin' an' drinkin' their wine,"Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;--"Yes," sez Johnson, "in FranceThey're beginnin' to danceBeelzebub's own rigadoon," sez he.
"The South's safe enough, it don't feel a mite skeery,Our slaves in their darkness an' dut air tu blestNot to welcome with proud hallylugers the eryWen our eagle kicks yourn from the naytional nest,"Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;--"O," sez Westcott o' Florida,"Wut treason is horriderThen our priv'leges tryin' to proon?" sez he.
"It's 'coz they're so happy, thet, wen crazy sarpintsStick their nose in our bizness, we git so darned riled;We think it's our dooty to give pooty sharp hints,Thet the last crumb of Edin on airth shan't be spiled,"Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;--"Ah," sez Dixon H. Lewis,"It perfectly true isThet slavery 's airth's grettest boon," sez he.
Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?Quem patronum rogaturus?
Has our experiment of self-government succeeded, if itbarely manage to rub and go? Here, now, is a piece ofbarbarism which Christ and the nineteenth century say shallcease, and which Messrs. Smith, Brown, and others say shallnot cease. I would by no means deny the eminentrespectability of these gentlemen, but I confess, that, insuch a wrestling-match, I cannot help having my fears forthem.
Discite justitiam, moniti, et non temnere divos.
Words in this poem 17
- wich n.
- A variant of 1st Wick.
- mister n.
- A trade, art, or occupation. [OF. mistier trade, office, ministry, need, F. métier trade, fr. L. ministerium service, office, ministry. See Ministry, Mystery trade.]
- cass v. t.
- To render useless or void; to annul; to reject; to send away. [F. casser, LL. cassare, fr. L. cassus empty, hollow, and perhaps influenced by L. quassare to shake, shatter, v. intens. of quatere to shake. Cf. Cashier, v. t.]
- coon n.
- A raccoon. See Raccoon.
- complexion n.
- The state of being complex; complexity. [F. complexion, fr. L. complexio. See Complex, a.]
- horrid a.
- Rough; rugged; bristling. [L. horridus. See Horror, and cf. Ordure.]
- afore prep.
- Before (in all its senses).
- toon n.
- The reddish brown wood of an East Indian tree (Cedrela Toona) closely resembling the Spanish cedar; also. the tree itself. [Hind. tun, tun, Skr. tunna.]
- jest n.
- A deed; an action; a gest. [OE. jeste, geste, deed, action, story, tale, OF. geste, LL. gesta, orig., exploits, neut. pl. from L. gestus, p. p. of gerere to bear, carry, accomplish, perfor]
- clime n.
- A climate; a tract or region of the earth. See Climate. [L. clima. See Climate.]
- rigadoon n.
- A gay, lively dance for one couple, -- said to have been borrowed from Provence in France. W. Irving. [F. rigadon, rigaudon.]
- crumb n.
- A small fragment or piece; especially, a small piece of bread or other food, broken or cut off. [AS. cruma, akin to D. kruim, G. krume; cf. G. krauen to scratch, claw.]
- boon n.
- A prayer or petition. [OE. bone, boin, a petition, fr. Icel. b; akin to Sw. & Dan. b, AS. b, and perh. to E. ban; but influenced by F. bon good, fr. L. bonus. Ban, Bounty.]
- quid n.
- A portion suitable to be chewed; a cud; as, a quid of tobacco. [See Cud.]
- nineteenth a.
- Following the eighteenth and preceding the twentieth; coming after eighteen others. [Cf. AS. nigonteó.]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- respectability n.
- The state or quality of being respectable; the state or quality which deserves or commands respect.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
To Mr. Buckenam is in the public domain. This text is taken from Poems of James Russell Lowell With biographical sketch by Nathan Haskell Dole, Project Gutenberg ebook #38520; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: James Russell Lowell, To Mr. Buckenam, in Poems (1844–1888), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #38520, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/lowell-james-russell-poems/to-mr-buckenam.html, id L13771.
Form and metre
To Mr. Buckenam is 107 lines in 15 stanzas. The commonest rhyme scheme is ABABCDDC, in 5 of the 15 stanzas; the rest vary or could not be confirmed. 91% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 9.7 syllables. 17 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 17% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 ABABCDDC thunderA · proofsB · wonderA · hoofsB · heC · moreD · floorD · heC
- 2 -A-AB--B nothin · savesA · frothin · slavesA · heB · foote · shoot · heB
- 3 ABABCDDC onA · divineB · onA · lineB · heC · mangumD · emD · heC
- 4 -ABAABBA soffies · areeA · officeB · ideeA · heA · cassB · assB · heA
- 5 A-A-BCCB oppressionA · broth · impressionA · north · heB · missC · blissC · heB
- 6 ABABC-AC complexionA · chafeB · reflectionA · safeB · heC · hannegan · aginA · heC
- 7 -A-ABCCB collar · kneesA · color · pleaseA · heB · jarnaginC · aginC · heB
- 8 ABABCDDC bewilderinA · glanceB · childrinA · chanceB · heC · hereD · severeD · heC
- 9 ABABCDDC freedomA · headB · emA · nedB · heC · colquittD · quitD · heC
- 10 ABABCDDC brewinA · vineB · ruinA · wineB · heC · franceD · danceD · heC
- 11 -A-AB--B skeery · blestA · ery · nestA · heB · florida · horrider · heB
- 12 ABABC--C sarpintsA · riledB · hintsA · spiledB · heC · lewis · is · heC
- 13 AA dicturusA · rogaturusA
- 14 --AA---- it · of · shallA · shallA · eminent · in · for · them
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| "Here we stan' on the Constitution, by thunder! | 12 | ······˘/˘·/˘ |
| It's a fact o' wich ther's bushils o' proofs; | 10 | ·········· |
| Fer how could we trample on't so, I wonder, | 11 | ····/˘···/˘ |
| Ef 't worn't thet it's ollers under our hoofs?" | 11 | ·····/˘··/· |
| Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he; | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| "Human rights haint no more | 6 | /˘···· |
| Right to come on this floor, | 6 | ······ |
| No more'n the man in the moon," sez he. | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| "The North haint no kind o' bisness with nothin', | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| An' you've no idee how much bother it saves; | 11 | ·······/˘·· |
| We aint none riled by their frettin' an' frothin', | 11 | ··········· |
| We're used to layin' the string on our slaves," | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;-- | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| Sez Mister Foote, | 4 | ·/˘· |
| "I should like to shoot | 5 | ····· |
| The holl gang, by the great horn spoon," sez he. | 10 | ·········· |
| "Freedom's Keystone is Slavery, thet ther's no doubt on, | 12 | /˘/··/˘····· |
| It's sutthin' thet's--wha' d' ye call it?--divine,-- | 11 | ·········˘/ |
| An' the slaves thet we allers make the most out on | 12 | ·····/˘····· |
| Air them north o' Mason an' Dixon's line," | 10 | ····/˘·/˘· |
| Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;-- | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| "Fer all thet," sez Mangum, | 6 | ····/˘ |
| "'T would be better to hang 'em, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| An' so git red on 'em soon," sez he. | 9 | ········· |
| "The mass ough' to labor an' we lay on soffies, | 11 | ····/˘····· |
| Thet's the reason I want to spread Freedom's aree; | 12 | ··/˘····/˘·· |
| It puts all the cunninest on us in office, | 12 | ··········/˘ |
| An' reelises our Maker's orig'nal idee," | 12 | ····//˘····· |
| Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;-- | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| "Thet's ez plain," sez Cass, | 5 | ····· |
| "Ez thet some one's an ass, | 6 | ······ |
| It's ez clear ez the sun is at noon," sez he. | 11 | ··········· |
| "Now don't go to say I'm the friend of oppression, | 12 | ·········˘/˘ |
| But keep all your spare breath fer coolin' your broth, | 11 | ··········· |
| Fer I ollers hev strove (at least thet's my impression) | 13 | ··/˘······˘/˘ |
| To make cussed free with the rights o' the North," | 10 | ·········· |
| Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;-- | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| "Yes," sez Davis o' Miss., | 6 | ··/˘·· |
| "The perfection o' bliss | 6 | ·˘/˘·· |
| Is in skinnin' thet same old coon," sez he. | 10 | ·········· |
| "Slavery's a thing thet depends on complexion, | 11 | /˘···˘/·˘/˘ |
| It's God's law thet fetters on black skins don't chafe; | 11 | ····/˘····· |
| Ef brains wuz to settle it (horrid reflection!) | 12 | ····/˘·/˘˘/˘ |
| Wich of our onnable body'd be safe?" | 10 | ··/······· |
| Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;-- | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| Sez Mister Hannegan, | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Afore he began agin, | 7 | ˘/·˘/˘/ |
| "Thet exception is quite oppertoon," sez he. | 11 | ·˘/˘······· |
| "Gen'nle Cass, Sir, you needn't be twitchin' your collar, | 13 | ·····/˘····/˘ |
| Your merit's quite clear by the dut on your knees, | 11 | ·/˘········ |
| At the North we don't make no distinctions o' color, | 13 | ·······˘/˘·/˘ |
| You can all take a lick at our shoes wen you please," | 12 | ·······/···· |
| Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;-- | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| Sez Mister Jarnagin, | 6 | ·/˘/˘˘ |
| "They wunt hev to larn agin, | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| They all on 'em know the old toon," sez he. | 10 | ·········· |
| "The slavery question aint no ways bewilderin', | 12 | ·/˘/˘······· |
| North an' South hev one int'rest, it's plain to a glance; | 12 | ············ |
| No'thern men, like us patriarchs, don't sell their childrin, | 13 | ·····/˘······ |
| But they du sell themselves, ef they git a good chance," | 12 | ····˘/······ |
| Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;-- | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| Sez Atherton here, | 5 | ·/˘˘· |
| "This is gittin' severe, | 6 | ····˘/ |
| I wish I could dive like a loon," sez he. | 10 | ·········· |
| "It'll break up the Union, this talk about freedom, | 13 | /˘···/˘····/˘ |
| An' your fact'ry gals (soon ez we split) 'll make head, | 12 | ············ |
| An' gittin' some Miss chief or other to lead 'em, | 12 | ·······/˘··· |
| 'll go to work raisin' pr'miscoous Ned," | 9 | ····/˘··· |
| Sez John O. Calhoun, sez he;-- | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| "Yes, the North," sez Colquitt, | 6 | ····/˘ |
| "Ef we Southeners all quit, | 7 | ······· |
| Would go down like a busted balloon," sez he. | 11 | ·····/˘˘/·· |
| "Jest look wut is doin', wut annyky's brewin' | 12 | ····/˘······ |
| In the beautiful clime o' the olive an' vine, | 11 | ··/˘···/˘·· |
| All the wise aristoxy is tumblin' to ruin, | 12 | ········/˘·/ |
| An' the sankylots drorin' an' drinkin' their wine," | 12 | ············ |
| Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;-- | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| "Yes," sez Johnson, "in France | 6 | ··/˘·· |
| They're beginnin' to dance | 6 | ······ |
| Beelzebub's own rigadoon," sez he. | 9 | ········· |
| "The South's safe enough, it don't feel a mite skeery, | 12 | ···˘/······· |
| Our slaves in their darkness an' dut air tu blest | 11 | /···/˘····· |
| Not to welcome with proud hallylugers the ery | 13 | ··/˘········· |
| Wen our eagle kicks yourn from the naytional nest," | 12 | ·//˘········ |
| Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;-- | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| "O," sez Westcott o' Florida, | 8 | ··/··/˘˘ |
| "Wut treason is horrider | 7 | ·/˘···· |
| Then our priv'leges tryin' to proon?" sez he. | 11 | ·/···/˘···· |
| "It's 'coz they're so happy, thet, wen crazy sarpints | 12 | ····/˘··/˘·· |
| Stick their nose in our bizness, we git so darned riled; | 12 | ····/······· |
| We think it's our dooty to give pooty sharp hints, | 12 | ···/········ |
| Thet the last crumb of Edin on airth shan't be spiled," | 12 | ·····/˘····· |
| Sez John C. Calhoun, sez he;-- | 7 | ···˘/·· |
| "Ah," sez Dixon H. Lewis, | 7 | ··/˘·/˘ |
| "It perfectly true is | 6 | ·/˘˘·· |
| Thet slavery 's airth's grettest boon," sez he. | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? | 8 | ··/˘···· |
| Quem patronum rogaturus? | 8 | ········ |
| Has our experiment of self-government succeeded, if it | 14 | ·/˘/˘··/˘˘/˘·· |
| barely manage to rub and go? Here, now, is a piece of | 14 | /˘/˘·········· |
| barbarism which Christ and the nineteenth century say shall | 14 | /˘·˘····///˘·· |
| cease, and which Messrs. Smith, Brown, and others say shall | 12 | ···/˘···/˘·· |
| not cease. I would by no means deny the eminent | 12 | ·······˘/·/˘ |
| respectability of these gentlemen, but I confess, that, in | 15 | ˘·˘/˘··/˘··˘/·· |
| such a wrestling-match, I cannot help having my fears for | 14 | ··/˘··/˘·/˘··· |
| them. | 1 | · |
| Discite justitiam, moniti, et non temnere divos. | 14 | ·············· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.