Jupiter by Payson Sibley Wild (1869)
Two cowhands, the narrator and Bill, sit by a cattle watering-trough one autumn evening watching steers and hogs settle down, shoving each other aside when crowded. In the reddening dusk they turn speculative, and the narrator bets Bill there are farms on Jupiter. Bill expounds poetry-like, imagining a Jovial Spring and Fall each lasting nearly three years, apple blossoms and 'simmons lingering, and farmers needing years of plowing to match it. He muses on eight kinds of moonlight there, wondering what they'd mean for lovers, poets, and baying hound dogs—until Laury calls him, and he goes.
By Payson Sibley Wild · First published 1869 · Genre: Poetry, Pastoral/Rural Fiction, Speculative Fiction · 620 words
First lines
Few months ago, I 'member well, me'n Bill / Was settin' by the cattle wat'rin'-trough / A-lis'nin' tew the steers thet skwudged around / The muddy yard an' chawed the'r cuds an' sighed. / A bunch o' smallish hogs hed quit the'r rootin' / An' packed the'rsel's up close agin the fence, / An' yew'd 'a' laft ter hear 'em goin' ter sleep. / Ef one the runts was squeezed a mite tew much / By 'nother layin' on 'im kind o' hard, / He'd snort an' squeal ter beat a callioap, / Then shove the bunch aside an' wiggle out, / An' give 'em fits, an' then go 'long an' plunk / His carcuss on some other one; an' then / We'd git the hull dum show all over 'gin.
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Genres
- Poetry — The work is structured as verse with line breaks and poetic rhythms, employing dialect-based language in a literary form characteristic of regional poetry.
- Pastoral/Rural Fiction — The narrative centers entirely on farm life with vivid descriptions of cattle, hogs, and pastoral settings, establishing a strong rural agricultural atmosphere and vernacular voice.
- Speculative Fiction — The core premise involves imaginative speculation about farms and life on Jupiter, introducing fantastical elements that structure the entire narrative and philosophical discussion.
- Humor — The dialect-heavy narrative, absurdist premise of Jupiter farming, and comedic animal behavior create a whimsical, humorous tone throughout.
Tags
cowhands · cattle ranch · autumn evening · rural dialect · vernacular verse · pastoral · speculation · astronomy · Jupiter · farming · romantic love · imagination
What this Textopian page supports
Jupiter is listed on Textopian as a poem by Payson Sibley Wild, dated 1869 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Payson Sibley Wild
- Date: 1869 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Pastoral/Rural Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Humor, American Regionalism
- Length: 620 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Jupiter by Payson Sibley Wild
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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