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Whip-Poor-Will And Katy-Did

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

Topics: classic

Slow de night 's a-fallin',     An' I hyeah de callin,     Out erpon de lonesome hill;     Soun' is moughty dreary,     Solemn-lak an' skeery,     Sayin' fu' to "whip po' Will."     Now hit 's moughty tryin',     Fu' to hyeah dis cryin',     'Deed hit 's mo' den I kin stan';     Sho' wid all our slippin',     Dey 's enough of whippin'     'Dout a bird a'visin' any man.     In de noons o' summah     Dey 's anothah hummah     Sings anothah song instid;     An' his th'oat 's a-swellin'     Wid de joy o' tellin',     But he says dat "Katy did."     Now I feels onsuhtain;     Won't you raise de cu'tain     Ovah all de ti'ngs dat 's hid?     W'y dat feathahed p'isen     Goes erbout a-visin'     Whippin' Will w'en Katy did?

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"Slow de night 's a-fallin',..."

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Author:Paul Laurence Dunbar

"Slow de night 's a-fallin',..." 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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