Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley

Louise Bennett-Coverley, was born on September 7 1919 in Kingston, Jamaica and was a celebrated and much-loved Jamaican folklorist, writer, and artiste. "Miss Lou," as she was affectionately known, received her education from Ebenezer and Calabar Elementary Schools, St. Simons College, Excelsior College and Friends College in Highgate, St. Mary. On a British Council scholarship she attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she studied in the late 1940s On her return to Jamaica she taught drama to youth and adult groups both in social welfare agencies and for the University of the West Indies Extra Mural Department. She appeared in leading humorous roles in several Jamaican Pantomimes and television shows. She traveled throughout the World promoting the culture of Jamaica by lecturing and performing. Although her popularity was International, she enjoyed a celebrity status in her native Jamaica, Canada and the United Kingdom. She wrote her poems in the language of the people known as Jamaican Patois or Creole, and helped to put this language on the map and to have it recognised as a language in its own right, thus influencing many other poets. Her Poetry has been published several times, most notably Jamaica Labrish-which was publish in 1966, Anancy and Miss Lou in 1979. She was married to Eric Winston Coverley since May 30, 1954 and has 1 son and several adopted children. In 1974, she was appointed to the Order of Jamaica. On Jamaicas Independence Day 2001, the Honorable Mrs. Louise Bennett-Coverly was appointed as a Member of the Jamaican Order of Merit for her invaluable and distinguished contribution to the development of the Arts and Culture. She wrote her poems in the language of the people known as Jamaican Patois or Creole, and helped to put this language on the map and to have it recognized as a language in its own right, thus influencing many poets to do similar things. In 1986, she appeared as Portia in the 1986 comedy Club Paradise, starring Robin Williams, Jimmy Cliff and Peter O'Toole. She died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 26, 2006.

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Dutty Tough
Sun a shine but tings no bright; Doah pot a bwile, bickle no nuff; River flood but water scarce, yawl Rain a fall but dutty tough. Tings so bad dat nowadays when Yuh ask smaddy how dem do Dem fraid yuh tek tell dem back, So dem no answer yuh. No care omuch we da work fa Hard-time still een wi shut; We dah fight, Hard-time a beat we, Dem might raise wi wages, but One poun gawn awn pon we pay, an We no feel no merriment For ten poun gawn pon wi food An ten pound pon we rent! Saltfish gawn up, mackerel gawn up. Pork en beef gawn up, An when rice and butter ready Dem jus go pon holiday! Claht, boot, pin an needle gawn up Ice, bread, taxes, water-rate Kersine ile, gasolene, gawn up; An de poun devaluate De price of bread gone up so high Dat we haffi agree Fi cut we yeye pon bred an all Turn dumplin refugee An all dem marga smaddy weh Dah gwan like fat is sin All dem-deh weh dah fas wid me Ah lef dem to dumpling! Sun a shine an pot a bwile, but Things no bright, bickle no nuff Rain a fall, river dah flood, but, Water scarce an dutty tough.

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Dry-Foot Bwoy
Wha wrong wid Mary dry-foot bwoy?, Dem gal got him fi mock, An when me meet him tarra night, De bwoy gi me a shock! Me tell him seh him auntie an, Him cousin dem sen howdy An ask him how him getting awn. Him seh, 'Oh, jolley,jolleyl', Me start fi feel so sorry fi, De po bad-lucky soul, Me tink him come a foreign lan, come ketch bad foreign cole! Me tink him got a bad sore-troat, but as him chat-chat gwan Me fine out seh is foreign twang De bwoy was a put awn! For me notice dat him answer to nearly all me seh Was 'Actually', 'What', 'Oh deah!' An all dem sinting deh. Me gi a joker de gal dem laugh; but hear de bwoy, 'Haw-haw! I'm sure you got that bally-dash out of the cinema!' Same time me laas me temper, an me holler, 'Bwoy, kirout! No chat to me wid no hot pittata eena yuh mout!' Him tan up like him stunted, den hear him no, 'How siiley! I don't think that I really understand you, actually.' Me seh, 'Yuh understan me, yaw! No yuh name Cudjoe Scoop? Always visit Nana kitchen an gi laugh fi gungoo soup! 'An now all yuh can seh is "actually"?Bwoy, but tap! Wha happen to dem sweet Jamaica joke yuh use fi pop?' Him get bex and walk tru de door, him head eena de air; De gal-dem bawl out affa him, 'Not going? What! Oh deah!' An from dat night till tedeh, mah, Dem all got him fi mock. Miss Mary dry-foot bwoy! Cyaan get over de shock!

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Noh Little Twang!

Me glad fe se's you come back bwoy, but lawd yuh let me dung, Me shame o' yuh soh till all o' me proudness drop a grung. Yuh mean yuh goh dah 'Merica an spen six whole mont' deh, An come back not a piece betta dan how yuh did goh wey? Bwoy yuh noh shame? Is soh you come? Afta yuh tan soh lang! Not even lickle language bwoy? Not even little twang? An yuh sista wat work ongle one week wid 'Merican She talk so nice now dat we have de jooce fe undastan? Bwoy yuh couldn' improve yuhself! An yuh get soh much pay? Yuh spen six mont' a foreign, an come back ugly same way? Not even a drapes trouziz or a pass de rydim coat? Bwoy not even a gole teet or a gole chain roun yuh troat. Suppose me las' me pass go introjooce yuh to a stranga As me lamented son wat lately come from 'Merica! Dem hooda laugh afta me, bwoy me could'n tell dem soh! Dem hooda sey me lie, yuh was a spen time back a Mocho. Noh back-ansa me bwoy, yuh talk too bad; shet up yuh mout, Ah doan know how yuh an yuh puppa gwine to meck it out. Ef yuh want please him meck him tink yuh bring back someting new. Yuh always call him "Pa" dis evenin' wen him come sey "Poo"

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I acknowledge my mother for helping me with this project. I am very grateful for her help with researching the information needed for the project.

Table of Content

IntroductionPage 2 Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley ....Page 3 Poems by Louise Bennett...Page 4 DuttyTough ..... Page 5 Dry Foot Bwoy. Page 6 Noh little Twang.......... Page 7 Bibliography. Page 8

Introduction
This project is about a Jamaican poet by the name of Louise Bennett. You will find a little information about this great woman and samples of work.

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Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki http://www.my-island-jamaica.com

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