Grainger

Question

While listening to yesterday evening's TV programme, The Adventure of English, mention was made of a poet by the name of Grainger who described slaves taken to the Carribbean as "sable progeny of Afric" and another poem called "Quoru Quhow" written in original Patois.

Any idea where I can find these poems, on the Net if possible?

Alasdair Baxter, Nottingham, UK.Tel +44 115 9705100; Fax +44 115 9423263

"It's not what you say that matters but how you say it. It's not what you do that matters but how you do it"

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]While listening to yesterday evening's TV programme, The Adventure of English, mention was made of a poet by the name ... called "Quoru Quhow" written in original Patois. Any idea where I can find these poems, on the Net if possible?[/nq]
I haven't seen the programme yet - saved on video for later consumption. I'm guessing the poet is James Grainger, author of the epic poem 'The Sugar-Cane'. who is held up all over the web as an example of how to write excruciatingly bad verse while simultaneously excusing genocide. Another excerpt from the epic:
While Procyon reigns yet fervid in the sky;
While yet the fiery Sun in Leo rides;
And the Sun's child, the mail'd anana, yields
His regal apple to the ravish'd taste;
And thou green avocato, charm of sense,
Thy ripened marrow liberally bestow'st;
Begin the distant mountain-land to plant:
So shall thy canes defy November's cold,
Ungenial to the upland young; so best,
Unstinted by the arrow's deadning power,
Long yellow joints shall flow with generous juice.

The full joy is at

or http://makeashorterlink.com/?L2D652F96
and the reason you were perhaps struggling to find it through Google (I'm assuming you did Google) is that the phrase in question is 'Afric's sable progeny' not 'sable progeny of Afric'

John 'Mail'd Anana' Dean
Oxford
De-frag to reply

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]While listening to yesterday evening's TV programme, The Adventure of ... I can find these poems, on the Net if possible?[/nq]
[nq:1]I haven't seen the programme yet - saved on video for later consumption. I'm guessing the poet is James Grainger, ... best, Unstinted by the arrow's deadning power, Long yellow joints shall flow with generous juice. The full joy is at[/nq]
[nq:1]xml&action=show or http://makeashorterlink.com/?L2D652F96 and the reason you were perhaps struggling to find it through Google (I'm assuming you did Google) is that the phrase in question is 'Afric's sable progeny' not 'sable progeny of Afric'[/nq]
Alasdair's confusion there was caused by Bragg, who read the line correctly but then reordered it in the ensuing discussion.

The poem he's after was recorded by a Samuel Matthews, and is entitled "Buddy Quow". The extract analysed by Bragg was as follows, with interlineal translation:
Vos motter Buddy Quow?
What's the matter, Brother Quow?
Aw bree Obershay bong you
I think the Overseer hit you
You tan no sawby how
You don't stand to know how
Daw bocra mon go wrong you, Buddy Quow
That white man is going to wrong you, Brother Quow.

The (presumably) full version, with some spelling differences, is at: http://www.geocities.com/gwriteink/August2001/slavesong.html

Matti

Grainger

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