Skip to content
Linespedia

Thoughts Fer The Discuraged Farmer

By James Whitcomb Riley

Topics: classic

The summer winds is sniffin' round the bloomin' locus' trees;     And the clover in the pastur is a big day fer the bees,     And they been a-swiggin' honey, above board and on the sly,     Tel they stutter in theyr buzzin' and stagger as they fly.     The flicker on the fence-rail 'pears to jest spit on his wings     And roll up his feathers, by the sassy way he sings;     And the hoss-fly is a-whettin'-up his forelegs fer biz,     And the off-mare is a-switchin' all of her tale they is.     You can hear the blackbirds jawin' as they foller up the plow -     Oh, theyr bound to git theyr brekfast, and theyr not a-carin' how;     So they quarrel in the furries, and they quarrel on the wing -     But theyr peaceabler in pot-pies than any other thing:     And it's when I git my shotgun drawed up in stiddy rest,     She's as full of tribbelation as a yeller-jacket's nest;     And a few shots before dinner, when the sun's a-shinin' right,     Seems to kindo'-sorto' sharpen up a feller's appetite!     They's been a heap o' rain, but the sun's out to-day,     And the clouds of the wet spell is all cleared away,     And the woods is all the greener, and the grass is greener still;     It may rain again to-morry, but I don't think it will.     Some says the crops is ruined, and the corn's drownded out,     And propha-sy the wheat will be a failure, without doubt;     But the kind Providence that has never failed us yet,     Will be on hands onc't more at the 'leventh hour, I bet!     Does the medder-lark complane, as he swims high and dry     Through the waves of the wind and the blue of the sky?     Does the quail set up and whissel in a disappinted way,     Er hang his head in silunce, and sorrow all the day?     Is the chipmuck's health a-failin'? - Does he walk, er does he run?     Don't the buzzards ooze around up thare just like they've allus done?     Is they anything the matter with the rooster's lungs er voice?     Ort a mortul be complainin' when dumb animals rejoice?     Then let us, one and all, be contentud with our lot;     The June is here this morning, and the sun is shining hot.     Oh! let us fill our harts up with the glory of the day,     And banish ev'ry doubt and care and sorrow fur away!     Whatever be our station, with Providence fer guide,     Sich fine circumstances ort to make us satisfied;     Fer the world is full of roses, and the roses full of dew,     And the dew is full of heavenly love that drips fer me and you.

AI analysis available. Enable JavaScript to interact.

About this line

"The summer winds is sniffin' round the bloomin' locus' trees;..."

"Thoughts Fer The Discuraged Farmer" is a quintessential example of James Whitcomb Riley's signature style... ### Why We Love This Line At Linespedia, we believe that poetry is the ultimate sanctuary for the soul...

Attribution & Rights

Author:James Whitcomb Riley

"The summer winds is sniffin' round the bloomin' lo..." by James Whitcomb Riley

For usage rights, copyright concerns, or to report an issue with this content, please visit our Copyright & Report page.

Related lines

"Writ in between the lines of his life-deed         We trace the sacred service of a heart         Answering the Divine command, in every par"

"Crowd about me, little children -         Come and cluster 'round my knee     While I tell a little story         That happened once with me."

"O the night was dark and the night was late,         And the robbers came to rob him;      And they picked the locks of his palace-gate,"

"O her beautiful eyes! they are as blue as the dew         On the violet's bloom when the morning is new,         And the light of their love"

"Here morning in the ploughman's songs is met     Ere yet one footstep shows in all the sky,     And twilight in the east, a doubt as yet,     S"

"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"

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.

Full Bibliography
Continue Reading

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

Weekly Poetic Insight

Join our literary Sanctuary

Get the most inspiring lines, poetic analysis, and secret shayaris delivered to your inbox every Sunday.