5.07 "The Wild, Wild West"

Perhaps one of the strongest roots in American regionalism was planted firmly while America was "taking" the West and all it had to offer: The Gold Rush, lawlessness, adventure, and land, land, land! This lesson will allow you to tip your cowboy hat and saddle up for an adventure unlike any other, so put away that pencil and get ready for the ride of a lifetime! Yee Haw! Get along little dogies!

• the role of a cowboy.
• when frontier dialect was used.

Brainstorming

1. Think about the images that come to your mind when you see or hear the word "cowboy." Identify 10 of these images. You might even want to think about thumbing through some country magazines for any needed inspiration. These words can illustrate physical characteristics, gender, age, types of work, family life, ethnic background, speech patterns, customs, or other details. Please provide a list of at least 10 terms.

2. Read about all of the cowboys found at Legends of America.

3. Then you will select one Badman and Lawman, one Women of the West, one Showbiz Cowboy, and one Cowboy and Western Facts.

For your four choices, you will do the following:

• Give the name/title of your selection.

• Write three well-developed sentences describing your selection.

You can find all this information from the Legends of America site.

Song

Now that you have had a taste of the life of a cowboy, it is time to synthesize your knowledge by creating your own cowboy song. This song could also be called a poem or ballad. Before you begin writing you might want to turn the old radio dial, find a station that plays country western music, and kick up your heals as you listen.

Your song needs to:

1. Have a title that ties into the subject of your work.

2. Be a minimum of 20 lines in length.

3. Include enough details about the cowboy's work, experiences, and thoughts to provide an authentic picture of the cowboy. For example, you might make references or allusions to a specific trail or place that is historically accurate.

4. Use at least three examples of Frontier Dialect or Western slang.

5. In two sentences:

   • identify the three examples of frontier dialect or Western slang you used in your poem and the meaning of these terms. For example: In my poem I use the following dialect: dogies (cows)...

   • explain the message of your poem. For example, what image of the cowboy does it seek to portray?

Use the following as models for your Cowboy Song:

• Cowboy Songs

• Cowboy Poetry

Want to see some outstanding poems by your classmates? Click here for the Cowboy Chronicle. If selected your poem will be entered in the Hall of Fame! Yippee kiyeah!

If you want your poem to be considered for actual inclusion in this course (if it is selected), you will need to complete and fax or mail an Intellectual Property Permission document to us. Visit Course Information to access the form.