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Show provided the forum to tell not only of the cowboys' exciting, humorous or dangerous experiences but also to perpetuate a code of conduct created by and for their own cultural community. Over the years, these dual strains of narrative and philosophy have been maintained and the same elements can be found in the cowboy poetry that is being composed today, over a hundred years later. By looking beyond these two general strains of subject matter, the content of cowboy poetry can be even more specifically defined. As previously suggested, part of the content is created through the use of culturally specific terms which give the work authenticity and believability. But more importantly, the content or subject matter is created primarily through the use of various motifs which, over the years, have been created, used, re-used and combined, ultimately producing a handful of cowboy themes. These themes, which provide a prime indicator in identifying cowboy poetry, reoccur throughout both nineteenth and twentieth century pieces. Among the more popular are: 1) poems about imagined journeys to heaven or hell where the cowboy sees the folly of his ways and changes them; 2) poems in which a cowboy boasts about having encountered and tricked either St. Peter or the devil; 3) poems telling of accidents, suffering or death that are a result of occupational activities; 4) poems about breaking in a tenderfoot or poems in which the underdog becomes the hero or martyr; 5) poems expressing reverence and love for the landscape, nature or animals; 6) poems expressing pride in the cowboy lifestyle or nostalgia about its passing. Perhaps it would be appropriate to conclude this discussion on cowboy poetry by including a definition that was written by Montana state folklorist Mike Korn. He writes, Cowboy poetry is rhymed, metered verse written or recited by someone who has lived a significant portion of his or her life in western North American cattle culture. The verse reflects an intimate knowledge of that way of life and of the community from which it maintains itself in tradition. Its structural style has antecedents in the ballad style of England and the Appalachian South, and is similar to popular works of authors such as Robert W. Service and Rudyard Kipling. Cowboy poetry may or may not in fact be anonymous in authorship, but must have qualities, content and style which permit it to be accepted into the repertoire of the cultural community as a reflection of that community's aesthetic in style, form and content. 14 Cowboy Poetry From Utah |