Cowboy poetry is a form of
poetry
Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meani ...
that grew from a tradition of cowboys telling stories.
Authorship
Contrary to common belief, cowboy poetry does not actually have to be written by cowboys, though adherents would claim that authors should have some connection to the cowboy life such that they can write poetry with an "insider's perspective". One example of a popular "cowboy poem" written by a non-cowboy is "The Ride of Paul Venarez" by
Eben E. Rexford, a 19th-Century freelance author.
Style
Newcomers are surprised to hear that cowboy poetry is contemporary. Many poets tend to focus on the historic cowboy lifestyle, historical events and the humorous aspects of the cowboy life style. However, the work that cowboys do continues. The
cowboy lifestyle is a living tradition that exists in western North America and other areas, thus, contemporary cowboy poetry is still being created, still being recited, and still entertaining many at cowboy poetry gatherings, around campfires and cowboy poetry competitions. Much of what is known as "old time" country music originates from the rhyming couplet style often seen in cowboy poetry along with guitar music.
Themes
Typical themes of cowboy poetry include:
* Ranch work and those who perform it
* Western lifestyle
* Landscape of the American and Canadian West
* Cowboy values and practices
* Humorous anecdotes
* Memories of times and people long gone
* Sarcasm regarding modern contraptions and/or ways
The following is a verse from LaVerna Johnson's poem "Homestead", which exhibits traditional cowboy poetry features:
(Note the use of cowboy vernacular such as ''quakie'' (
Populus tremuloides
''Populus tremuloides'' is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, one of several species referred to by the common name aspen. It is commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, mountain or golden aspen, tr ...
, trembling poplar or aspen known as a "quakie tree")).
Though it deals with those who work with
livestock
Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...
and nature, it would be incorrect to categorize cowboy poetry as
pastoral
A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depict ...
. Cowboy poetry is noted for its romantic imagery, but at no time does it sacrifice realism in favor of it.
Few examples of experimental verse are known in cowboy poetry. One argument is that cowboy poetry is meant to be recited and should "sound like poetry." The counter-argument runs that imposing a particular structure on cowboy poetry would move the focus away from the subject matter. Regardless, most cowboy poets stay within more classical guidelines, especially rhyming verse. Free verse poetry is uncommon in cowboy poetry.
Poetry weeks
Cowboy poetry continues to be written and celebrated today.
Baxter Black
Baxter Black (January 10, 1945 – June 10, 2022) was an American cowboy poet and veterinarian. He wrote over 30 books of poetry, fiction—both novels and children's literature—and commentary, selling over two million books, CDs, and DVDs.
...
is probably the most famous, and possibly the most prolific, contemporary cowboy poet. In addition to the
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering (formerly: Elko Cowboy Poetry Gathering), is an annual gathering celebrating cowboy poetry produced by the Western Folklife Center, that takes place in Elko, Nevada, United States.
History
William Wilson sec ...
held every year in
Elko,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
, many cities in the United States and Canada have annual "roundups" dedicated to cowboy poetry. Cowboy Poetry week is celebrated each April in the United States and Canada.
Notable cowboy poets
*
S. Omar Barker
S. Omar Barker (June 16, 1894 – April 2, 1985), was an American cowboy poet, politician rancher, and teacher in New Mexico. He published many books, including ''Vientos de las Sierras'' (1924), ''Buckaroo Ballads'' (1928) and ''Rawhide Rhyme ...
*
Baxter Black
Baxter Black (January 10, 1945 – June 10, 2022) was an American cowboy poet and veterinarian. He wrote over 30 books of poetry, fiction—both novels and children's literature—and commentary, selling over two million books, CDs, and DVDs.
...
*
Arthur Chapman
*
Badger Clark
*
Curley Fletcher
Carmen William "Curley" Fletcher (18921954), also known as Curley W. Fletcher and Curley Fletcher, was an American composer of cowboy songs and cowboy poetry. A prolific creator of this material, he is best remembered for the classic cowboy song "T ...
*
Steven Fromholz
Steven John Fromholz (June 8, 1945 – January 19, 2014) was an American singer-songwriter who was selected as the Poet Laureate of Texas for 2007.
Biography
Steven Fromholz was born in Temple, Texas, United States, and graduated from high sc ...
*
Cathy Park Hong
*
Bruce Kiskaddon
Bruce Kiskaddon (1878–1950) has been called the quintessential cowboy poet of the 20th century and is widely considered to be the cowboy poet laureate of America. His poems were widely published in calendars and books throughout his lifetime. I ...
*
Wally McRae
Wallace D. "Wally" McRae (born February 26, 1936) is an American rancher, cowboy, cowboy poet and philosopher. He runs the Rocker Six Cattle Co. ranch on Rosebud Creek, south of Rosebud, Montana.
Biography
McRae is a third-generation ranc ...
*
Waddie Mitchell
Bruce Douglas "Waddie" Mitchell (born 1950 in Elko County, Nevada) is an American cowboy poet. He sometimes performs his poems with a guitarist playing in the background. Mitchell has made eight CDs including '' That No Quit Attitude, Lone Drif ...
*
Joel Nelson
Joel Nelson is a cowboy poet.
He is a recipient of a 2009 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government ...
*
Red Steagall
*
Paul Zarzyski
Paul Zarzyski (born 1951) is a cowboy poet and educator. He is a former bareback bronc rider.
Biography
Paul Zarzyski was born on May 25, 1951, and he grew up in Hurley, Wisconsin.. Zarzyski received his Master of Fine Arts degree in creativ ...
In addition,
Robert W. Service is sometimes classified as a cowboy poet.
Famed spoken-word artist
Bingo Gazingo
Murray Wachs (June 2, 1924 – January 1, 2010), better known as Bingo Gazingo, was a poet from New York City, who was a postal worker for most of his career. Two versions, each also titled ''Bingo Gazingo'', were released of the only single-artist ...
has done at least one cowboy poem, "Everything's OK at the OK Corral."
See also
*
Bush ballads
The bush ballad, bush song or bush poem is a style of poetry and folk music that depicts the life, character and scenery of the Australian bush. The typical bush ballad employs a straightforward rhyme structure to narrate a story, often one of a ...
*
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaqu ...
* "
Faster Horses (The Cowboy and the Poet)
"Faster Horses (the Cowboy and the Poet)" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Tom T. Hall. It was released in December 1975 as the second single from the album, ''Faster Horses''. Members of the Western Writers of Amer ...
"
*
Rodeo
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaq ...
*
Western lifestyle
Notes
External links
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Elko, NevadaPincher Creek, Alberta, Cowboy GatheringCowboy and Western Poetry at the Bar-D RanchTexas Cowboy Poetry GatheringVideo from Texas Cowboy Poetry Gatheringcowboy poetry gathering in Cartersville, GAWebsite of the Alberta Cowboy Poetry Association"Cowboy Poets" film at folkstreams.netWestern & Cowboy Poetry by Clark CrouchWaddie Mitchell web pageKPOV-FMCommunity Radio features Cowboy Poetry on the "Calling All Cowboys" online radio program. Live broadcast on 88.9 KPOV, on Wednesdays at 6PM and Sundays at 4PM (Pacific time) through the "Listen Live" link. It can also be streamed on demand at the following link: http://kpov-od.streamguys.us/calling_all_cowboys_new_56k.mp3
{{Rodeo
Genres of poetry
Cowboy culture