Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE SOCIETY UPON THE STANISLAUS, by FRANCIS BRET HARTE Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: I reside at table mountain, and my name is truthful james Last Line: That broke up our society upon the stanislow. Alternate Author Name(s): Harte, Bret Variant Title(s): The Throes Of Science Subject(s): Quarrels; Arguments; Disagreements | ||||||||
I RESIDE at Table Mountain, and my name is Truthful James: I am not up to small deceit or any sinful games; And I'll tell in simple language what I know about the row That broke up our Society upon the Stanislow. But first I would remark, that 't is not a proper plan For any scientific gent to whale his fellow-man; And, if a member don't agree with his peculiar whim, To lay for that same member for to "put a head" on him. Now, nothing could be finer, or more beautiful to see, Than the first six months' proceedings of that same society; Till Brown of Calveras brought a lot of fossil bones That he found within a tunnel near the tene- ment of Jones. Then Brown he read a paper, and he reconstructed there, From those same bones, an animal that was ex- tremely rare; And Jones then asked the Chair for a suspen- sion of the rules, Till he could prove that those same bones was one of his lost mules. Then Brown he smiled a bitter smile, and said he was at fault; It seemed he had been trespassing on Jones's family vault; He was a most sarcastic man this quiet Mr. Brown, And on several occasions he had cleaned out the town. Now I hold it is not decent for a scientific gent To say another is an ass, -- at least, to all intent; Nor should the individual who happens to be meant Reply by heaving rocks at him to any great ex- tent. Then Abner Dean of Angel's raised a point of order, when A chunk of old red sandstone took him in the abdomen; And he smiled a kind of sickly smile, and curled upon the floor, And the subsequent proceedings interested him no more. For in less time than I write it, every member did engage In a warfare with the remnants of a palaeozoic age; And the way they heaved those fossils in their anger was a sin, Till the skull of an old mammoth caved the head of Thompson in. And this is all I have to say of these improper games, For I live at Table Mountain and my name is Truthful James, And I've told in simple language what I know about the row That broke up our Society upon the Stanislow. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE QUARREL by KATHERINE MANSFIELD DOMESDAY BOOK: CHARLES WARREN, THE SHERIFF by EDGAR LEE MASTERS OUR PRINCIPAL by NAOMI SHIHAB NYE OWEN SEAMAN; ESTABLISHES ENTENE CORDIALE IN MANNER GUY WETMORE CARRYL by LOUIS UNTERMEYER AFTER THE QUARREL by PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR EARLY EVENING QUARREL by JAMES LANGSTON HUGHES THE QUARREL by STANLEY JASSPON KUNITZ HOW ARE YOU, SANITARY?' by FRANCIS BRET HARTE A NEWPORT ROMANCE by FRANCIS BRET HARTE A SECOND REVIEW OF THE GRAND ARMY [MAY 24, 1865] by FRANCIS BRET HARTE |
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