Author: Madison Julius Cawein

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    An Oldham-County Weather Philosopher.
    "Who is Corncob Jones?" you say.
    Beateningest man and talkingest:
    Talk and talk th' enduring day,
    Never even stop to rest,
    Keep on talking that a-way,
    Talk you dead, or do his best.

    We were there in that old barn,
    Loafing 'round and swapping lies:
    There was Wiseheart, talking corn,
    Me and Raider boosting ryes,
    When old Corncob sprung a yarn
    Just to give us a surprise.

    "Why," says he, "the twelvth of May
    'Bout ten year ago, why I
    Rickolects it to the day,
    By statistics hit wuz dry,
    But hit must have rained, I say,
    'Cause well, I remember why.

    "Fer that night it 'gin to blow
    And to rain, an' rained a week;
    When hit stopped hit 'gun to show
    Here an' there a clearin' streak,
    Then set in to sleet an' snow
    Blamededst weather! simply freak!

    "An' the fruit wuz killt; the corn,
    Gin'ral, an' the gardin truck.
    That 's experience, an' no yarn.
    You can't put hit down to luck,
    But to Natur', whar we larn
    Common sense, we do, by Huck!

    "Why, as I have said to-fore,"
    (Here he aimed a streak of brown
    At a hornet on the floor,
    Got him too)"you put hit down
    To experience, nothin' more,
    Whut they call hit there in town.

    "Natur' jest rubs in the thing
    Jest won't let a man ferget;
    Keeps hit up spring arter spring
    Why? Jest 'cause, now you' kin bet,
    Blamed blackberries bloom, by Jing!
    They jest need the cold an' wet.

    "Every time the twelvth o' May
    Cums around, hit 's bound to rain,
    Almost to the very day,
    Then hit turns an' snows again.
    That 's experience, I say,
    Whut we gets here, in the main."

    "Talkin' 'bout experience
    It don't help so much," I said;
    "Not as much as common sense."
    Here old Corncob shook his head,
    Spat and said, "Well that depen's
    On whut common sense is, Ned."

    Then old Wiseheart says, says he,
    "Common sense is somethin' more.
    Common sense comes nat'rally.
    Nothin' helps hit, that I 'm shore;
    But hit helps the one, you see,
    That 't was borned with, rich er poor."

    Then says Corncob, "Talkin' now
    Of experience. That wuz what
    We wuz talkin' 'bout. Somehow
    You got stalded missed the spot,
    Barbwired both yerself an' plough.
    An' ye have n't proved a jot.

    "You can' t git along, you know,
    'Thout experience. Whar 'd we be,
    If we missed hit? Helps me so
    I kin reckin, acktually,
    When hit 's goin' to rain er snow,
    Er turn hot er cold;" says he.

    "Jest by thinkin' back, by Jack!
    Hit 's not whut the weather is,
    But whut hit wuz oncet, long back
    In the times whut's gone. Gee whiz!
    No man needs an almanack
    If he only notices.

    "Weather? Why, sirs, summer er fall
    We kin lay hit by the heels.
    Hit cums easy, natural,
    Jest like settin' down ter meals.
    Jest take notice, that is all.
    Do n't rely on how hit feels.

    "That 's experience. Larn to know
    Whut is whut, an' then take heed.
    So it cums we reap an' sow
    Jest accordin' as we 've seed
    How 't wuz done long years ago,
    An' so profit; that's my creed."

    Blamededst man you ever met,
    This old Corncob. Had a way
    Of convincing you, you bet,
    By just facts, as you might say;
    Tell you when 'twas dry or wet,
    And what 't would be to the day.

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Type of Poem: Narrative Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem is a delightful narrative piece, rich in dialogue and local color. The central figure, Corncob Jones, is a loquacious weather philosopher, whose chatty wisdom provides a charming exploration of the themes of experience, nature, and common sense. The tone of the poem is playfully conversational, capturing the casual camaraderie of men in a rural setting. The poem is structured in rhyming quatrains with a consistently informal, colloquial language, contributing to a sense of authenticity and grounding the piece in a specific locale.

As for standout literary devices, the poet effectively uses dialect, a form of artistic linguistic deviation, to imbue the poem with a sense of place and character. The vernacular speech serves to depict Corncob Jones as a down-to-earth and relatable figure, someone who is a product of his environment and experiences. The poem is rich in imagery, with vivid descriptions of weather patterns and farming life that provide a backdrop to the philosophical musings of Corncob Jones. Furthermore, the recurrent motif of the weather serves as a metaphor for life's unpredictability and the importance of experience in navigating it. Finally, the humor and wisdom embedded in the poem's dialogue add depth to the characters and underscore the poem's contemplation of knowledge, experience, and sense-making.