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Lyrics of Love and Laughter

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Whip–Poor–Will and Katy–Did

Additional Information
  • Year Published: 1913
  • Language: English
  • Country of Origin: United States of America
  • Source: Dunbar, P.L. (1913). The Complete Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar. New York: Dodd, Mead, and Company.
  • Readability:
    • Flesch–Kincaid Level: 6.5
  • Word Count: 179
  • Genre: Poetry
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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?