Introduction to Lesson 4
A Plantation Melody
De trees is bending' in de sto'm, De rain done hid de
mountain's fo'm, I's 'lone an' in distress.
But listen, dah's a voice I hyeah, A-sayin' to me, loud
an' cleah, "Lay low in de wildaness."
De lightnin' flash, de bough sway low, My po' sick
hea't is trimblin' so, It hu'ts my very breas',
But him dat give de lightning' powah Jes' bids me in
de tryin' howah "Lay low in de wildaness."
O brothah, w'en de tempes' beat, An' w'en yo' weary
head an' feet Can't fin' no place to res',
Jes' 'membah dat da Mastah's nigh, An' putty soon
you'll hyeah de cry, "Lay low in de wildaness."
O sistah, w'en de rain come down, An' all yo' hopes
is "bout to drown, Don't trus' de Mastah less.
He smilin' w'en you t'ink he frown, He ain' gwine let
yo' soul sink down - Lay low in de wildaness.
The great American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar was among the first generation of freed African Americans. Born in 1872, his poems, written in African American dialect, are derived from various stories and experiences through which he heard about plantation life as a young child. The poem above shows a pristine clarity about religion and an unswerving hope and faith in God despite harsh conditions. Perfectly poised after each stanza is the refrain, "Lay low in de wildaness," which suggests a position of stillness amid tribulation, knowing that "He ain' gwine let yo' soul sink down."
Lay Low in De Wilderness
Let's examine the testament of this slave: The storms of life have me battered and torn. It's rained so much that in my mind's eye, it's hard to look up. I'm alone... I'm in distress! However, notice the word "but." In essence, it negates everything that has come before it. Therefore, I hear His voice! It's telling me loud and clear: "I got you! I know your struggles. I see your tears. Lay low, my child."
The example below shows how the poem is set to the style of the Negro spiritual. As in many spirituals, repetition is a structural and emphatic feature of the expression. Typically, a line is repeated three times before it concludes with a resolution. The repeated line is called the refrain and is considered the most important line in the poem serving as a directive to “lay low.” The rationale or explanation to the direction lies in the fact that "He ain' gwine let yo' soul sink down."
The example is written for piano, violoncello, flute, and percussion. The text uses the flute as if it were the voice:
These lines constitute the chorus or refrain of the piece, insomuch as they summarize the details outlined in the subsequent verses. Notice the syncopationDeliberate upsetting of the meter or pulse of a composition by means of a temporary shifting of the accent to a weak beat or an off-beat. and accents placed on the upbeat of three, on the word "in." This rhythmic motifA short tune or musical figure that characterizes and unifies a composition. It can be of any length, but is usually only a few notes long. Can be a melodic, harmonic or rhythmic pattern that is easily recognizable throughout the composition. allows for a precise landing on the agogic accentsEmphasis of a note by being longer in duration than the other notes around it. in the following, measureAmerican term, equivalent to the English term "bar ", signifying the smallest metrical divisions of a composition, containing a fixed number of beats, marked off by vertical lines on the staff. with "de" serving as somewhat of an anacrusisAn upbeat or a pickup note(s); a term used for unstressed notes at the beginning of a phrase of music.. In F natural minor, the first phrase is stated on the tonicThe note upon which a scale or key is based; the first note of a scale or key; the keynote. and ends with an authentic cadenceA chord progression where the dominant chord (chord based on the fifth step of the scale, V) is followed by the tonic chord (chord based on the first step of the scale, I).. The text is repeated on the dominant to form a half cadenceA chord progression where the dominant chord (the chord based on the fifth step of the scale, V) is the final chord of the cadence and is preceded by the tonic chord (chord based on the first step of the scale, I) in second inversion (when the fifth of the chord is in the lowest voice, 6/4). and then repeated in the tonic before the concluding phrase. Such is the art of the repetitious structure of the spiritual used as a tool for emphatic expression and heightened emotion.
Now comes the essence, the "meat" if you will, of what the refrain has to offer. The verse starts at "...the trees is bending…" and is the meat because it tells the condition that causes me to rely on Him.
Ashenafi Kebede
There is no doubt that these calls were African in derivation and that they were sung in African dialects in the early part of slave history.
Luke 9:62, NKJV
No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God