When the Frost Is On the Punkin/ James Whitcomb Riley

We studied two poets this term: Eugene Field and James Whicomb Riley.  We spent most of the term on Eugene Field poetry and the selection that Claire chose to memorize was very long.  Therefore, we only spent three weeks on James Whitcomb Riley.  With such limited time, we decided to only memorize the first stanza of this poem.  The coloquial pronunciation makes this poet much more difficult to recite than other poets--almost like memorizing in a foreign language.  We had fun with it, though.

We actually grew these "punkins."
What great jack-o-lanterns they made!

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,

And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,

And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes to the fence;
O, it's then's the times a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bare-headed, and goes to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.