The head must bow, and the back will have to bend, Wherever the darkey may go; A few more days, and the trouble all will end, In the field where the sugar-canes grow. A few more days for to tote the weary load,- No matter, 't will never be light; A few more days till we totter on the road:- Then my old Kentucky home, good-night!
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker endures hard labor with hope for relief after death.
- In plain terms
- Life is hard now but will end soon in the next world.
- What can you take from it?
- Hope in afterlife can sustain people through suffering.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What keeps you going when work is hard?
- How do you find meaning in struggle?
Another view
It frames exploitation as a temporary trial.
More from Stephen Foster
Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee; Sounds of the rude world heard in the day, Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'…
Permalink to quote #6 The day goes by like a shadow o'er the heart, With sorrow where all was delight; The time has come when the darkies have to part: Then my old Kentucky home, go…
Permalink to quote #8 Gone are the days when my heart was young and gay, Gone are my friends from the cotton fields away, Gone from the earth to a better land I know, I hear their g…
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