By Photo: Wusel007 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cowboy poetry began as an oral tradition among working cowboys in the late 1800s: rhymed, metered verse recited around a fire or in a bunkhouse, about horses, weather, bad bosses and good friends. It never went away. Today it lives at gatherings where ranch people and performers take turns on stage, and in archives that record the old poems and the new ones.
How a gathering works
A typical gathering mixes recitation, original poems and Western music. Sessions are often organized by theme, and many events include open-mic slots where anyone with a poem can sign up. Some poets recite classic work by writers such as Badger Clark, Bruce Kiskaddon and S. Omar Barker; others write about ranch life today. Audiences are part of it: these are listening events, and silence during a recitation is a sign of respect.
The gathering that started the revival
The modern revival is usually dated to 1985, when the first National Cowboy Poetry Gathering was held in Elko, Nevada. It is organized by the Western Folklife Center and still runs every winter. Its success led to dozens of regional events across the West.
In our region
In southeast Wyoming, the Grand Encampment Cowboy Gathering in Encampment, in Carbon County, holds poetry and music sessions each summer. Colorado has its own gatherings, including events in Durango and on the Front Range, and many county fairs, rodeos and Western heritage days include a poetry session. Dates and formats change from year to year, so check with each organizer before you plan a trip.
Where the poems are kept
- The Western Folklife Center in Elko maintains recordings and programs from decades of gatherings.
- CowboyPoetry.com, run by the Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry, publishes classic poems, new work and event listings.
- The Library of Congress American Folklife Center holds field recordings of cowboy songs and recitations.
- University archives, including the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, hold papers of Western writers and performers.
Getting started
If you want to try reciting, start with a classic poem, learn it by heart and practice it aloud until you can tell it like a story. Most open-mic hosts are glad to see a new face. For readers, a good anthology of classic cowboy verse is the easiest way in; see also our list of Western short-story anthologies.
Sources
- Western Folklife Center, Elko, Nevada.
- Center for Western and Cowboy Poetry (CowboyPoetry.com).
- Library of Congress, American Folklife Center.
- American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
