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Spring Fever

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Topics: classic

Grass commence a-comin'     Thoo de thawin' groun',     Evah bird dat whistles     Keepin' noise erroun';     Cain't sleep in de mo'nin',     Case befo' it 's light     Bluebird an' de robin,     Done begun to fight.     Bluebird sass de robin,     Robin sass him back,     Den de bluebird scol' him     'Twell his face is black.     Would n' min' de quoilin'     All de mo'nin' long,     'Cept it wakes me early,     Case hit 's done in song.     Anybody wo'kin'     Wants to sleep ez late     Ez de folks 'll 'low him,     An' I wish to state     (Co'se dis ain't to scattah,     But 'twix' me an' you),     I could stan' de bedclothes,     Kin' o' latah, too.     'T ain't my natchul feelin',     Dis hyeah mopin' spell.     I stan's early risin'     Mos'ly moughty well;     But de ve'y minute,     I feel Ap'il's heat,     Bless yo' soul, de bedclothes     Nevah seemed so sweet.     Mastah, he's a-scol'in',     Case de han's is slow,     All de hosses balkin',     Jes' cain't mek 'em go.     Don' know whut's de mattah,     Hit's a funny t'ing,     Less'n hit 's de fevah     Dat you gits in spring.

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"Grass commence a-comin'..."

Paul Laurence Dunbar's contribution to classic is further solidified by the brilliance found in "Spring Fever"... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

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Author:Paul Laurence Dunbar

"Grass commence a-comin'..." by Paul Laurence Dunbar

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"The Text is taken from Percy's Reliques (1765), vol. i. p. 71, 'given from two MS. copies, transmitted from Scotland.' Herd had a very similar bal"

Paul Laurence Dunbar

About Paul Laurence Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906) was an American poet and novelist who was one of the first African-American writers to gain national prominence. His poems in dialect—including "When Malindy Sings"—and standard English explore Black life with humor, pathos, and dignity.

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