Cowboy Poetry

According to former Montana State Folklorist, Mike Korn, cowboy poetry is defined as "Rhymed, metered verse written by someone who has lived a significant portion of his or her life in the Western North American cattle culture. The verse reflects an intimate knowledge of that way of life, and the community from which it maintains itself in tradition. The structural style of cowboy poetry has its antecedents in the ballad style of England and the Appalachian South. It is similar to popular works of authors such as Robert W. Service and Rudyard Kipling."

According to the Western Folklife Center, The practice of composing verses about life and work on the range and ranch goes back at least to the trail drive era of the late 1800s. At that time the poetry circulated mostly orally, occasionally in print, often anonymously, but sometimes with a known author. Times have changed, and while the tradition continues much as it always has, contemporary cowboy poetry is still recited and sung and also appears in books of poetry, on CDs and tapes, and even now on the Internet."

Cowboy poets congregate and recite each year at the Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, NV. The 20th anniversary event is set for January 24 -31, 2004. For information, visit
http://www.westfolk.org/gathering.html

April is National Poetry Month and Cowboy Poetry Week is celebrated annually the third week of April. For details and poems visit
http://www.cowboypoetry.com/week.htm.