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By Akindman,
Cowboy
poetry is a form of poetry which grew out of a tradition of extemporaneous
composition carried on by workers on cattle drives and ranches. After a day of work, cowboys would gather
around a campfire and entertain one another with tall tales and folk songs.
Illiteracy was common, so poetic forms were employed to aid memory.
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; and
- Sarcasm regarding modern contraptions and/or ways.
The
28th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering,
the nation's greatest celebration of the American West, its people, culture and
traditions, took place January
30 to February 4, 2012, in Elko, Nevada. Every winter for the last 27
years, cowboys, ranchers, rural and urban people have traveled en masse to this
small high desert community, to join with friends, family and others who care
about the rural West. Together, they listen to poetry and music, learn about
cowboy culture in the U.S. and around the world, experience great art, watch
western films, learn a craft, and gather to eat, drink and swap stories.
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Each
February, the Texas Cowboy Poetry Gathering – Texas Cowboy and Cowgirl poets,
singers, musicians, and storytellers from all over prepare to converge on
Alpine, Texas. All those invited to
participate are working cowboys and cowgirls, ranchers and ranch hands.
Cowboy
poetry continues to be written and celebrated today. Baxter Black is probably
the most famous, and possibly the most prolific, contemporary cowboy poet. 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.
There
are other Cowboy/Cowgirl events throughout the US and Canada held at different
months of the year.
Interesting
Links to follow for more detailed information:
- http://www.alpineavalanche.com/gallery/news/article_8f134740-532c-11e1-9fe4-001871e3ce6c.html
- http://www.cowboypoetry.com/week.htm
- http://www.westernfolklife.org/National-Cowboy-Poetry-Gathering-General-Info/national-cowboy-poetry-gathering-home-page.html
- http://www.elkocva.com/cowboypoetry.shtml
- http://www.montanacowboypoetrygathering.com/
- http://www.azcowboypoets.org/
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