The Cakewalk
Wilfred Wilson Gibson 1878 – 1962
In smoky lamplight of a Smyrna Cafe,
He saw them, seven solemn negroes dancing,
With faces rapt and out-thrust bellies prancing
In a slow solemn ceremonial cakewalk,
Dancing and prancing to the sombre tom-tom
Thumped by a crookbacked grizzled negro
squatting.
And as he watched ... within the steamy twilight
Of swampy forest in rank greenness rotting,
That sombre tom-tom at his heartstrings strumming
Set all his sinews twitching, and a singing
Of cold fire through his blood - and he was dancing
Among his fellows in the dank green twilight
With naked, oiled, bronze-gleaming bodies swinging
In a rapt holy everlasting cakewalk
For evermore in slow procession prancing.
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Submitted by naama on July 15, 2020
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 32 sec read
- 17 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABBBCDBEBBBBEBBB |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 718 |
Words | 108 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 16 |
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"The Cakewalk" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 31 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/54322/the-cakewalk>.
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