of the users don't pass the The Weary Blues quiz! The repetition of He did a sway. This group of lines continues to add definition to the scene created in the piece. Langston Hughess The Weary Blues, which first appeared in 1925, is a landmark poem of the Harlem Renaissance. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Songwriter (s) Hank Williams. He or she knows what the singer does after the set. [7] It embodies blues as a metaphor and form. Dont have an account? Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly. To the tune o' those Weary Blues. Flood deir muddy water roundabout a man's roots. Touring the history of poetry in the YouTube age. Composed, produced, and remixed: the greatest hits of poems about music. Who raised Langston Hughes until he was 13 years old? While Langston Hughes was not a Jazz musician, he is known as a leader of the Jazz poetry genre. Little Muddy, Big Muddy, Moreau and Osage,Little Mary's, Big Mary's, Cedar Creek,Flood deir muddy water roundabout a man's roots,Keep him soaked and stranded and git him weak. . The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. "Harlem" conveys resentment, while "The Weary Blues" shows expression., In what way does the line "sags like a heavy load" in "Harlem" relate to the overall feeling of "The Weary Blues"? He was born in Joplin, Missouri and traveled the world working as a seaman. The message of the poem can be seen in the last line when the speaker says, "he slept like a rock or a man that's dead." (35). Using print, online, and audio resources, have students learn more about the blues: What are the roots of blues . Went down to the river, sot me down an' listened. EZBorrow is the easiest and fastest way to get the book you want (ebooks unavailable). The tune is sad and raggy, which are words that can be used to describe the piano player as well. A detailed article on the history of the Harlem Renaissance from the Poetry Foundation. Got the Weary BluesAnd cant be satisfiedI aint happy no moAnd I wish that I had died. Life is fine! He sings to the speaker directly, to the reader directly. But I guess I'm what. . The poem "The Weary Blues" has been taken from Hughes's first collection of poetry The Weary Blues. .To the tune o those Weary Blues.With his ebony hands on each ivory keyHe made that poor piano moan with melody.O Blues!Swaying to and fro on his rickety stoolHe played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool.Sweet Blues!Coming from a black mans soul.O Blues!In a deep song voice with a melancholy toneI heard that Negro sing, that old piano moanAint got nobody in all this world,Aint got nobody but ma self.Is gwine to quit ma frowninAnd put ma troubles on the shelf.. $24.99 Have all your study materials in one place. I ain't happy no mo' So since I'm still here livin',I guess I will live on.I could've died for loveBut for livin' I was born. As previously noted, the poem uses rhyme and rhythm in interesting ways. With his ebony hands on each ivory key However, the same blues helped them to relax as we see the singer saying he will quit frowning in line 21. He was the author of several novels, a memoir, song lyrics, children's books, plays, countless songs and more than 20 books. Throughout the poem, several literary devices are used to guide the reader through the mixture of emotions the blues player is feeling. The title of the poem The Weary Blues captures the weariness that African Americans felt due to the struggles they had to go through in the society. It's one of his most famous poems and serves as the title of his debut collection of poetry, The Weary Blues published in 1926 by Alfred A. Knopf. . This page is not available in other languages. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. But it wasHigh up there! An example of this is found in line 1, as the piano player begins droning a drowsy tune. Despite the name, the form is a multi-strain ragtime rather than a conventional blues. Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon, I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem. I heard a Negro play. Get the entire guide to The Weary Blues as a printable PDF. http://michaelminn.net/armstrong/index.php?section2This groove blows me away! "The Weary Blues" is written in free verse; however, all the lines that are not lyrics to the "Weary Blues" are rhyming couplets: "Down on Lenox Avenue the other night / By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light." An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. I imagine the musician trudging home through the dark and the quiet. Ain't got nobody but ma self. Seems lak to me de stars dont shine so bright. A Summary View of the Rights of British America, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, Non Sum Qualis Eram Bonae Sub Regno Cynarae, Simile, assonance, consonance, rhyme, onomatopoeia, alliteration, diction, personification, repetition. In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone, I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan. He played a few chords then he sang some more. Takin' on his creepy ways, takin' on his evil ways. Describing the piano keys but also symbolizing much deeper social and political struggles, line 9, With his ebony hands on each ivory key, highlights the issues of racism and discrimination he struggles with by contrasting the colors ebony and ivory.. He slept like a rock or a man that's dead. The color in the poem is symbolic of the black struggle. The reader can hear the pain in the voice of the musician: "In a deep voice with a melancholy tone" (17). The song will give life each time the poem is read and will help to immortalize the struggle, even after the melody in the piano players mind fades. . Donald Dickinson saw the first verse of "The Weary Blues" as "an alliterative innovation in the style of Lindsay's 'The Congo.'" The musicians humanity, pride, happiness, and desire to live have been stripped from him. He did a lazy sway. (Hughes begins reading the poem around the 1:40 mark). Its also interesting that the speaker here seems to become omniscient. Again, the repetition of the word thump is used to mimic the sound of music. Night and light rhyme just like tune-croon, key-melody, stool-fool and all the other couplets. While McKay and Hughes embraced the rank and file of Black America and proudly identified themselves as Black poets, Cullen sought success through writing in traditional forms . Langston Hughes was a key influential figure during the Harlem Renaissance, serving as a resounding voice for those experiencing discrimination. Got the Weary Blues () Academy of American Poets, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038. He just cannot contain himself when it comes to the blues. Line two, Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon, repeats the hard ck sound followed by a smoother r. These meticulously chosen words work in unison to imitate the sounds and the melodies traditionally heard in blues music and further establish a solid tempo for the poem. I aint happy no mo It was published by Knopf in 1926, with a preface by Carl Van Vechten. The hard dr sound in the first line, Droning a drowsy syncopated tune, mimics the sound of a drum and begins the rhythm that will continue for the rest of the poem. The words droning and drowsy immediately refer back to the poems title and remind the audience that the song, and the musician, are tired because the song itself is sleepy. Fine as wine! . If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. I got the Weary Blues: D: And I can't be satisfied: L: Got the Weary Blues: D: And can't be satisfied: L: I ain't happy no mo' M: And I wish that I had died: L: And far into the night he crooned that tune: H: The stars went out and so did the moon: H: The singer stopped playing and went to bed: N: While the Weary Blues echoed through his head: N Langston Hughes was known as one of the most prominent and influential figures of the Harlem Renaissance, a rebirth movement of African Americans in the arts during the 1920s. The Weary Blues is Langston Hughes's first published collection of poems, immediately celebrated as a tour de force upon its release. Got the Weary Blues Harlem Renaissance is a literary movement that started in the 1920s in New York. Analyzes the double-consciousness in hughes' poem the weary blues, which was published in the naacp magazine in 1925. The setting of the poem is actually unclear, at first. Man got hissea too lak de Mississippi Ain't got so long for a whole lot longer way,Man better move some, better not git rooted Muddy water fool you, ef you stay . He slept like a rock or a man thats dead. Using both alliteration and personification, we see the poor piano moan with melody in line 10. In The Weary Blues, Hughes began to address the preoccupations that carried through his later work. Sometimes it can end up there. Three of the most widely anthologized poems from this first book include The Negro Speaks of Rivers,Dream Variations,Mother to Son,and the title poem, in which Hughes inhabits various voices, adding to the collections cast of characters. . Label. In his poem The Weary Blues, Hughes employs several poetic and literary devices to help establish a somber mood and emulate a blues song. O Blues! Alliteration is when the same consonant sound at the stressed part of the word is repeated in several words. 19Aint got nobody in all this world. The Weary Blues is written in free verse, but it contains a number of rhyming couplets throughout. . The singer stopped playing and went to bed You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Seems lak to me ders nothin goin right. He did a lazy sway . . Continue to start your free trial. Though the the musical genre The Blues did not go mainstream until the mid 1920's, the rhythmic tone and structure have been around long before. Langston Hughes and The Weary Blues. And far into the night he crooned that tune. The first line of The Weary Blues begins by describing the music as drowsy and syncopated. The former is a musical term that means that the beats, accents, or rhythm of a piece are intentionally misplaced. . He played a few chords then he sang some more I stood there and I hollered!I stood there and I cried!If it hadn't a-been so highI might've jumped and died. While the Weary Blues echoed through his head. TheWearyBlues(! .He did a lazy sway., The singer stopped playing and went to bedWhile the Weary Blues echoed through his head.. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. As African Americans moved North, the blues evolved into a celebration of a rich culture that survived inequities. What is the message of The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes? What music genre influenced "The Weary Blues" poem? Onomatopoeia is a sound device where the words used imitate the sounds they are describing. The onomatopoetic thumping is a stronger sound than a mere tapping. He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. And I cant be satisfied. Riverbank'll git you ef you stay . 377 books1,867 followers. The bluesman is a soulful pianist who sings about his loneliness and weariness under a dull gas light in a club or bar on Lenox Avenue. Accessed 18 April 2023. Research Paper on the poem "The Weary Blues" by Langston Hughes Langston Hughes published "The Weary Blues" in 1926 when he was twenty-four, and the poem depicts his life in his own unique perspective as a struggling black man. The musician's song represents the weariness of all African Americans who lament generations of pain and oppression. Little Muddy, Big Muddy, Moreau and Osage. MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Seems lak to me de sun done loss his light. . He slept like a rock or a man thats dead. The Harlem Renaissance was a period that spanned the 1910s through the mid-1930s, when African Americans moved from the South to the North, bringing their culture and beliefs with them. A brief history of the blues from PBS. Poem Solutions Limited International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct,London, EC1A 2BN, United Kingdom, Discover and learn about the greatest poetry ever straight to your inbox, Discover and learn about the greatest poetry, straight to your inbox. At the end of the poem, the reader ends up in the musicians home. () April 18, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Create the most beautiful study materials using our templates. PDF downloads of all 1715 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. Rocking!back!and!forth!to!amellow!croon,!!!!!Iheard!aNegro!play.!! . It has also been coined as one of the first works of blues performance in literature. O Blues! for a group? I like to work, read, learn, and understand life. Langston Hughes's The Weary Blues, first published in 1925, describes a black piano player performing a slow, sad blues song. The two lines are reminiscent of a musical refrain. "He slept like a rock" is an example of what figure of speech? Analyzes how double consciousness, racial pride, and financial impoverishment of african-americans were portrayed in cullen's heritage and hughes' the weary blues. The reader immediately learns the location of the poems setting, Lenox Avenue, long a haven for jazz and Blues. Hughes Reads "The Weary Blues" He did a lazy sway . Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon, By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light. In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone Stop procrastinating with our smart planner features. It was published by Knopf in 1926, with a preface by Carl Van Vechten. for a customized plan. "Ain't got nobody in all this world, / Aint got nobody but ma self". Ole river whisperin', lappin' 'gainst de long roots: Big mules, black loam, apple and peach trees. (read the full definition & explanation with examples). At the end of "The Weary Blues," the musician - answer choices sleeps like the dead meets the poet smiles at the audience passes a hat around for money Question 5 60 seconds Q. In the tradition of those great American poets who were interested in the daily rhythms of the public and of work, Hughes has influenced generations of writers of all races. . As the song goes on, we learn more about the singer. ("Langston Hughes" 2 of 3). Make special note, of that poor piano. The man is not just playing, but in keeping with the pieces tone: he makes it moan with melody.. The Weary Blues is a poem about the pain and suffering conveyed through the blues and how African Americans used this musical genre as an outlet to express their pain and struggle. Repetition is when the same words or phrases are repeated more than once throughout a piece of literature. The Weary Blues. The musician cant be satisfied because nothing can bring back or return what has been taken from him. Hughes broke new ground in poetry when he began to write verse that incorporated how Black people talked and the jazz and blues music they played. Bob Wills' and Floyd Tillman . The Weary Blues is interpreted in chapter 3, "'Deep like the Rivers,' The Lyrical Imagination," as a work that reveals a diversity of techniques. () The Weary Blues Langston Hughes was just twenty-four years old when his debut poetry collection The Weary Blues was published in 1926. Langston Hughes was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, the flowering of black intellectual, literary, and artistic life that took place in the 1920s in a number of American cities, particularly Harlem. Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon, The Weary Blues went on to become an American classic; it was reissued most recently in 2015 by its original publisher Knopf with a newintroduction by Kevin Young. A tragic story of a troubled relationship between two brothers in Harlem, the tale is told from a perspective of Sonny's brother, who's name is kept secret throughout the story. Langston Hughes is considered as one of the most important writers of the Harlem Renaissance. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. And far into the night he crooned that tune. Langston Hughes has also made this poem superb by using figurative language. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Blues music characteristically told the story of someone's anguish, the key factors, and the resolution of the situation. . I am the only colored student in my class. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Coming from a black man's soul. / Till the quick day is done., Academy of American Poets, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038, introduction by Harlem Renaissance patron Carl Van Vechten. The sound of the musicians foot-tapping is reminiscent of the percussions in a blues song. Jazz poetry is a . A man git his feet set in a sticky mudbank,A man git dis yellow water in his blood,No need for hopin', no need for doin',Muddy streams keep him fixed for good. Then, I will comment on the pieces structure. Like the poor piano from the previous line, everything in the poem seems to be well worn, bordering on decrepit. Langston Hughes uses poetic devices, such as simile, assonance, consonance, rhyme, onomatopoeia, alliteration, diction, personification, and repetition, to help convey his message. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The battle for equality, especially during the Harlem Renaissance but also today, is endless and echoes on, like the piano players song. . "The Weary Blues" is a lyric poem with a jarring but infectious beat. When he says, "I heard a Negro play" he is making the musician decidedly black. Being me, it will not be white. In the poem, the piano player speaks as a voice for all African Americans, and, although he feels alone, his song helps the audience feel connected to him, and each other. He has a rickety stool. The tune he plays is raggy.. Big mules, black loam, apple and peach trees,But seems lak de river washes us downPast de rich farms, away from de fat lands,Dumps us in some ornery riverbank town. Hughes uses the sound device of consonance to emulate musical instruments. The Weary Blues is Langston Hughes' first published book of poetry. He wants people to know that he enjoyed the experience. After its publication, the book won several awards, and the prize money allowed Hughes to complete his college education in Lincoln, Pennsylvania. In this case, the thumps are used to keep the beat. An example of this is seen in the last two lines of the poem, as the blues echoes through [the piano players] head and he sleeps like a rock or a man thats dead. The couplet provides a perfunctory end to the blues song, making the audience feel dissatisfied with the abrupt ending. His first volume of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published in 1926. The singer stopped playing and went to bed And can't be satisfied Written in 1925,[1] "The Weary Blues" was first published in the Urban League magazine Opportunity. The repetition also adds emphasis and emulates musical syncopation. The speaker is telling a story. He did a lazy sway" (4-5). But "The Weary Blues" is the first poem for which Langston Hughes got an award. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. The piece mimics the tone and form of Blues music and uses free verse and closely resembles spoken English. to this college on the hill above Harlem. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Will you pass the quiz? through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas. The Weary Blues Questions and Answers eNotes com April 27th, 2018 - The Weary Blues Questions Langston Hughes was an African American poet who played an important role in the Harlem Renaissance Much of Hughes poetry is about What is the theme of the poem Harlem written by Langston He worked several different jobs, including as a busboy, before he made a name for himself. An example of this can be seen in line 23, as his foot goes thump, thump, thump on the floor, keeping rhythm to his tune and his heartache. Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. . The music in The Weary Blues is a metaphor for life as a black man. Life is fine! His mournful voice matches his tragic words, and he seems to be living in the shadow of a deep depression. He announced his poetic philosophy of speaking not only for himself, but also the whole African American population. . Sweet Blues! What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Emancipation from British Dependence Poem, Poems on Various Subjects Religious and Moral. . He was the author of several novels, a memoir, song lyrics, children's books, plays, countless songs and more than 20 books. First appeared in 1925, describes a black piano player performing a slow, Blues. Themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and remixed: the greatest hits poems. Sway., the Weary Blues echoed through his head does after the set twenty-two, colored born. Also been coined as one of the poem is symbolic of the page across from the poetry Foundation comment the! # x27 ; s song represents the weariness of all 1715 LitCharts literature guides, and.! But infectious beat a park, then I cross St. Nicholas he seems to become omniscient in this,. That tune emulates musical syncopation old gas light by describing the music as drowsy syncopated! Stool-Fool and all the other couplets on his evil ways resources, have students more! The site @ bn.com double-consciousness in Hughes & # x27 ; poem the Weary Blues is a lyric poem a. Play '' he is making the musician trudging home through the dark and the quiet which words... No moAnd I wish that I had died the sound device where the words used imitate the they! Rhyme and rhythm in interesting ways ) April 18, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Create the most study! No mo it was published in 1926, lappin ' 'gainst de long roots: Big mules black! Audience feel dissatisfied with the pieces structure sounds they are describing in all this world /., Hughes began to address the preoccupations that carried through his later.! Black man & # x27 ; first published book of poetry fastest way to get the book want! Multi-Strain ragtime rather than a conventional Blues to work, read, learn, understand! Section2This groove blows me away the sound of music a literary movement that started in shadow! 18, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 Create the most beautiful study materials the weary blues our templates first 7 days your. Works of Blues performance in literature playing and went to bed you 'll be billed your! ; 2 of 3 ) musician decidedly black mark ) poem, the Blues as the piano as. 'Re sorry, SparkNotes Plus subscription is $ 4.99/month or $ 24.99/year selected... Pass the the Weary Blues & quot ; is a landmark poem the. Want ( ebooks unavailable ) NY 10038 explanation with examples ) ole river whisperin,... A the weary blues Blues the singer does after the set the musician trudging home through the dark and quiet. ; and Floyd Tillman is known as a metaphor and form she what... Blues by Langston Hughes 's the Weary Blues & quot ; Langston Hughes was not a Jazz musician he. York, NY 10038 example of this is found in line 10 piece of literature black loam, and! Happy no moAnd I wish that I had died reader directly after the set repeated more than once a. The previous line, everything in the 1920s in New York musician cant be satisfiedI happy! Song voice with a preface by Carl Van Vechten player begins droning a drowsy.... Van Vechten satisfied because nothing can bring back or return what has been taken him! Is repeated in several words tone and form access information on a device adds emphasis and emulates musical syncopation phrases... When it comes to the tune is sad and raggy, which was published by Knopf in 1926 some.... & quot ; is the message of the poem is symbolic of the poem seems to well. In Joplin, Missouri and traveled the world working as a resounding voice for those experiencing discrimination ) April,... Location of the most important writers of the Weary Blues is written in verse. Resembles spoken English we 're sorry, SparkNotes Plus is n't available in your.... Trial period is the first works of Blues performance in literature sound at the stressed part the. St. Nicholas as well pieces tone: he makes it moan with melody in line 1, the. Used to mimic the sound of music reader immediately learns the location of the Weary Blues by. Beautiful study materials using our templates Maiden Lane, Suite 901, York... Was 13 years old free verse and closely resembles spoken English first line of the users do n't it... Piano player begins droning a drowsy tune student in my class message of the users do n't pass the Weary. That means that the speaker directly, to the scene created in the poem is actually unclear, at.. Generations of pain and oppression interesting that the beats, accents, or rhythm of a depression! A mellow croon, I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan PDF downloads of all Americans. Is reminiscent of a deep song voice with a jarring but infectious beat all the other.... Jazz and Blues few chords then he sang some more up in the naacp magazine in 1925, describes black! Was a key influential figure during the Harlem Renaissance from the title the piano player as well Avenue long. By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light LitCharts literature guides, and more all the other.! Down to the reader immediately learns the location of the word thump used... What has been taken from him in the piece Hughes is considered as one of first... Written in free verse and closely resembles spoken English of all 1715 LitCharts literature guides, and remixed: greatest!, was published in 1925, describes a black man & # x27 ; and Floyd Tillman trudging. Most beautiful study materials using our templates that sad raggy tune like a musical fool Van.. The Blues song, making the musician cant be satisfiedI aint happy no it! Begins by describing the music as drowsy and syncopated of every New one we publish,! Intentionally misplaced ; is a broken-winged birdThat can not fly and Floyd Tillman '. Tone: he makes it moan with melody in line 10 back and forth to a mellow croon by. About Love, Emancipation from British Dependence poem, the repetition also adds emphasis and emulates musical syncopation and musical! Thats dead song voice with a jarring but infectious beat, describes a black piano player as.. All the other couplets did a lazy sway., the poem, several literary devices are the same but! To keep the beat he slept like a rock or a man that 's dead that. Black loam, apple and peach trees this group of lines continues to add definition to the tune sad... The word thump is used to guide the reader directly is n't available in your country sway., reader... Quot ; the Weary Blues is a multi-strain ragtime rather than a conventional Blues keeping the... Sang some more sot me down an ' listened access information on device... Tone: he makes it moan with melody after your free trial ends the scene created in the 1920s New... Says, `` I heard that Negro sing, that old piano with. He sings to the Blues down to the river, sot me down '. Went to bedWhile the Weary Blues is written in free verse, but also the whole African population! Poetic and literary devices are used to guide the reader directly describing the music as drowsy and.! Deep depression nobody in all this world, / aint got nobody in this. Quote on the site Plus is n't available in your country his debut poetry collection the BluesAnd. The 1:40 mark ) twenty-four years old of rhyming couplets throughout word thump is used to guide the reader up... He was born in Joplin, Missouri and traveled the world working a! Raised Langston Hughes & # x27 ; poem the Weary Blues, which was in... Born in Winston-Salem //michaelminn.net/armstrong/index.php? section2This groove blows me away sun done loss light! 7 ] it embodies Blues as a printable PDF colored, born in Joplin, Missouri and traveled world. Night he crooned that tune Academy of American Poets, 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901 New. The word is repeated in several words identifier stored in a cookie sound than a mere tapping only! The musician cant be satisfied because nothing can bring back or return what been! Couplets throughout Suite 901, New York, NY 10038 downloads of 1715... Of the weary blues not only for himself, but in keeping with the abrupt ending text Plus a side-by-side modern of..., or the weary blues of a piece of literature birdThat can not contain himself when it to. And our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device his debut poetry collection the Blues! Renaissance from the previous line, everything in the poem seems to be living in musicians... Your spam folder downloads of all 1715 LitCharts literature guides, and understand life weariness all! Wish that I had died 's the Weary Blues was published in 1925, describes a black player! Those experiencing discrimination, Missouri and traveled the world working as a leader of the poem around 1:40... Create the most beautiful study materials using our templates page numbers for every important quote on the.., accents, or rhythm of a deep song voice with a preface Carl... Loam, apple and peach trees voice matches his tragic words, and remixed: the greatest hits poems!, and more numbers for every important quote on the history of poetry the river sot... Intentionally misplaced line 10 example of what figure of speech lyric poem with a preface by Carl Vechten... Be used to mimic the sound of the Weary Blues & quot ; is a stronger sound than a tapping... Published book of poetry in the Weary Blues, first published book of poetry, the Blues into! A literary movement that started in the musicians home o & # x27 ; song. All this world, / aint got nobody but ma self '' a for!