Analysis of The Creditor To His Proud Debtor

George Moses Horton 1779 (North Carolina) – 1883



Ha, tott'ring Johny, strut and boast,
But think of what your feathers cost;
Your crowing days are short at most,
You bloom but soon to fade;
Surely you could not stand so wide,
If strictly to the bottom tried,
The wind would blow your plume aside
If half your debts were paid.
Then boast and bear the crack,
With the sheriff at your back;
Huzza for dandy Jack,
My jolly fop, my Joe.

The blue smoke from your segar flies,
Offensive to my nose and eyes;
The most of people would be wise
Your presence to evade;
Your pocket jingles loud with cash,
And thus you cut a foppish dash,
But, alas! dear boy, you would be trash,
If your accounts were paid.
Then boast and bear the crack, &c.

My duck bill boots would look as bright,
Had you in justice served me right;
Like you I then could step as light,
Before a flaunting maid;
As nicely could I clear my throat,
And to my tights my eyes devote;
But I'd leave you bare without that coat,
For which you have not paid.
Then boast and bear the crack, &c.

I'd toss myself with a scornful air,
And to a poor man pay no care;
I could rock cross-leg'd on my chair
Within the cloister shade;
I'd gird my neck with a light cravat,
And creaning wear my bell-crown hat;
But away my down would fly at that,
If once my debts were paid.
Then boast and bear the crack,
With a sheriff at your back;
Huzza for dandy Jack,
My jolly fop, my Joe.


Scheme axabcccbDdDE fffbgggbH iiibjjjbH kkkballbDdDE
Poetic Form
Metre 1110101 11111101 11011111 111111 10111111 11010101 01111101 111101 110101 1010111 11101 110111 01111101 01011101 01110111 110101 11010111 0111011 101111111 110101 1101011 11111111 11010111 11111111 010101 11011111 01111101 111110111 111111 1101011 11110101 01011111 11111111 010101 11111011 0111111 101111111 111101 110101 1010111 11101 110111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,377
Words 269
Sentences 10
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 12, 9, 9, 12
Lines Amount 42
Letters per line (avg) 25
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 262
Words per stanza (avg) 67
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:22 min read
65

George Moses Horton

George Moses Horton was an African-American poet and the first African American poet to be published in the Southern United States. His book was published in 1828 while he was still a slave; he remained a slave until he was emancipated late in the Civil War. more…

All George Moses Horton poems | George Moses Horton Books

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