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Elmer Brown

By James Whitcomb Riley

Topics: classic

Awf'lest boy in this-here town      Er anywheres is Elmer Brown!      He'll mock you - yes, an' strangers, too,      An' make a face an' yell at you, -         "Here's the way you look!"      Yes, an' wunst in School one day,      An' Teacher's lookin' wite that way,      He helt his slate, an' hide his head,      An' maked a face at her, an' said, -         "Here's the way you look!"      An' sir! when Rosie Wheeler smile      One morning at him 'crosst the aisle,      He twist his face all up, an' black      His nose wiv ink, an' whisper back, -         "Here's the way you look!"      Wunst when his Aunt's all dressed to call,      An' kiss him good-bye in the hall,      An' latch the gate an' start away,      He holler out to her an' say, -         "Here's the way you look!"      An' when his Pa he read out loud      The speech he maked, an' feel so proud      It's in the paper - Elmer's Ma      She ketched him - wite behind his Pa, -         "Here's the way you look!"      Nen when his Ma she slip an' take      Him in the other room an' shake      Him good! w'y, he don't care - no-sir! -      He ist look up an' laugh at her, -         "Here's the way you look!"

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"Awf'lest boy in this-here town..."

This evocative piece by James Whitcomb Riley, titled "Elmer Brown", represents a masterful exploration of classic. The lines capture a profound emotional resonance... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:James Whitcomb Riley

"Awf'lest boy in this-here town..." by James Whitcomb Riley

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James Whitcomb Riley

About James Whitcomb Riley

James Whitcomb Riley (1849–1916) was an American poet known as the "Hoosier Poet." His dialect poems—including "Little Orphant Annie" and "When the Frost Is on the Punkin"—celebrate rural Indiana life and childhood nostalgia.

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"Writ in between the lines of his life-deed        ..."

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