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The Annotated Edition

THE ARGYMUNT by James Russell Lowell

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

This mock "argument" (table of contents) is a preface penned by Lowell's fictional Yankee farmer Hosea Biglow for one of his political speeches.

Poet
James Russell Lowell
The PoemFull text

THE ARGYMUNT

James Russell Lowell

Interducshin, w'ich may be skipt. Begins by talkin' about himself: thet's jest natur an' most gin'ally allus pleasin', I b'leeve I've notist, to _one_ of the cumpany, an' thet's more than wut you can say of most speshes of talkin'. Nex' comes the gittin' the goodwill of the orjunce by lettin' 'em gether from wut you kind of ex'dentally let drop thet they air about East, A one, an' no mistaik, skare 'em up an' take 'em as they rise. Spring interdooced with a fiew approput flours. Speach finally begins witch nobuddy needn't feel obolygated to read as I never read 'em an' never shell this one ag'in. Subjick staited; expanded; delayted; extended. Pump lively. Subjick staited ag'in so's to avide all mistaiks. Ginnle remarks; continooed; kerried on; pushed furder; kind o' gin out. Subjick _re_staited; dielooted; stirred up permiscoous. Pump ag'in. Gits back to where he sot out. Can't seem to stay thair. Ketches into Mr. Seaward's hair. Breaks loose ag'in an' staits his subjick; stretches it; turns it; folds it; onfolds it; folds it ag'in so's't, no one can't find it. Argoos with an imedginary bean thet ain't aloud to say nothin' in replye. Gives him a real good dressin' an' is settysfide he's rite. Gits into Johnson's hair. No use tryin' to git into his head. Gives it up. Hez to stait his subjick ag'in; doos it back'ards, sideways, eendways, criss-cross, bevellin', noways. Gits finally red on it. Concloods. Concloods more. Reads some xtrax. Sees his subjick a-nosin' round arter him ag'in. Tries to avide it. Wun't du. _Mis_states it. Can't conjectur' no other plawsable way of staytin' on it. Tries pump. No fx. Finely concloods to conclood. Yeels the flore. You kin spall an' punctooate thet as you please. I allus do, it kind of puts a noo soot of close onto a word, thisere funattick spellin' doos an' takes 'em out of the prissen dress they wair in the Dixonary. Ef I squeeze the cents out of 'em it's the main thing, an' wut they wuz made for: wut's left's jest pummis. Mistur Wilbur sez he to me onct, sez he, 'Hosee,' sez he, 'in litterytoor the only good thing is Natur. It's amazin' hard to come at,' sez he, 'but onct git it an' you've gut everythin'. Wut's the sweetest small on airth?' sez he. 'Noomone hay,' sez I, pooty bresk, for he wuz allus hankerin' round in hayin'. 'Nawthin' of the kine,' sez he. 'My leetle Huldy's breath,' sez I ag'in. 'You're a good lad,' sez he, his eyes sort of ripplin' like, for he lost a babe onct nigh about her age,--'you're a good lad; but 'tain't thet nuther,' sez he. 'Ef you want to know,' sez he, 'open your winder of a mornin' et ary season, and you'll larn thet the best of perfooms is jest fresh air, _fresh air_,' sez he, emphysizin', 'athout no mixtur. Thet's wut _I_ call natur in writin', and it bathes my lungs and washes 'em sweet whenever I git a whiff on 't.' sez he. I often think o' thet when I set down to write but the winders air so ept to git stuck, an' breakin' a pane costs sunthin'. Yourn for the last time, _Nut_ to be continooed,

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This mock "argument" (table of contents) is a preface penned by Lowell's fictional Yankee farmer Hosea Biglow for one of his political speeches. It humorously critiques how lengthy public speakers often pad their talks, repeat themselves, and stray off topic. Written entirely in an exaggerated New England dialect, it also subtly imparts a bit of philosophy at the end: the finest writing, much like fresh air, is straightforward and genuine. Consider it a comedic take on every dull speech you've endured.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Interducshin, w'ich may be skipt. Begins by talkin' about himself...

    Editor's note

    Hosea outlines the initial steps of a standard political speech in bullet points, with each one feeling less impressive than the previous. The speaker compliments the audience, suggests their significance, and includes some seasonal references — all classic techniques. The punchline is that Hosea openly identifies these tactics, removing any illusion that the speech is genuine.

  2. Speach finally begins witch nobuddy needn't feel obolygated to read...

    Editor's note

    Here, the satire gets sharper. The "argument"—usually a summary to help readers navigate a text—turns into a running gag: the subject is introduced, elaborated on, postponed, stretched out, and then repeated *again*—with the directive to "Pump lively" whenever the energy dips. The repetition in the list reflects the very repetition it pokes fun at, making the structure itself part of the joke.

  3. Ketches into Mr. Seaward's hair. Breaks loose ag'in...

    Editor's note

    Lowell weaves in some sharp political jabs aimed at real figures like Seward, the New York senator, and Andrew Johnson, all while maintaining the comedic tone. The speaker struggles to understand Johnson's thoughts and eventually decides to let it go. Meanwhile, the subject continues to "nosin' round" the speaker like a stray dog that just won't leave, making every effort to wrap things up lead to even more conclusions.

  4. You kin spall an' punctooate thet as you please...

    Editor's note

    Hosea steps back to defend his phonetic spelling. He describes it as "funattick spellin'" that provides a "noo soot of close" on words, liberating them from the rigid "prissen dress they wair in the Dixonary." His aim, he explains, is to extract the *sense* from words — the spelling serves merely as a shell. This is Lowell making a sincere case for vernacular literature within a comic context.

  5. Mistur Wilbur sez he to me onct, sez he, 'Hosee,'...

    Editor's note

    The piece wraps up with a conversation between Hosea and his mentor, Parson Wilbur, about the qualities of good writing. Wilbur's response — fresh air, plain and unmixed — serves as the guiding principle for the entire *Biglow Papers* project. The poignant detail of Wilbur's lost child ("his eyes sort of ripplin' like") shifts away from the comedy for a moment, allowing real emotion to surface, which is precisely the "natur" both men are discussing.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

Comic and irreverent at first glance, there's a genuine warmth lurking beneath. Hosea's voice comes across as self-aware and sly; he clearly understands how to play with the dialect and the mock-bureaucratic list format. By the final paragraph, the tone shifts to something quieter and almost tender, making the earlier jokes hit even harder by contrast.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

The pump
Repeated as a stage direction throughout the argument list, "Pump lively" and "Tries pump" symbolize the hollow rhetorical energy a speaker relies on to keep the conversation flowing when there’s nothing substantial left to say — all motion, no substance.
The subject that keeps returning
The phrase "a-nosin' round arter him ag'in" evokes the image of a stubborn animal, illustrating how political speakers often avoid making a definitive statement. Instead of expressing their points clearly and wrapping up, they tend to circle around the issue endlessly.
Fresh air / the open window
Wilbur's idea of opening a window each morning represents natural, effortless writing. His wry comment that "the winders air so ept to git stuck" reveals just how challenging it can be to attain that simplicity.
Prison dress / the Dictionary
Hosea's comparison of standard spelling to a "prissen dress" implies that traditional orthography limits the vibrant energy of spoken language, whereas phonetic spelling allows words to express themselves freely.
New-mown hay / Huldy's breath
These two incorrect answers to Wilbur's riddle about the sweetest smell aren't truly wrong — they feel warm, human, and genuine. They illustrate that "natur" in writing arises from that kind of honest, specific emotion.

§06Historical context

Historical context

James Russell Lowell published *The Biglow Papers* in two series, in 1848 and 1867. He created the fictional Yankee farmer Hosea Biglow and his editor Parson Wilbur to poke fun at American political life, initially focusing on the Mexican-American War and slavery, and later addressing the Civil War and Reconstruction. "The Argymunt" acts as a preface to one of Hosea's later works and is part of the second series, written during the heated years following Lincoln's assassination, when Andrew Johnson's lenient Reconstruction policies faced significant opposition. While Lowell was a Harvard professor and the editor of *The Atlantic Monthly*, *The Biglow Papers* became his most popular work because it traded academic polish for the lively energy of New England vernacular. The phonetic spelling wasn’t just a gimmick; Lowell researched it thoroughly and defended it as a genuine representation of a living dialect.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

It occupies a gray area. Lowell referred to the *Biglow Papers* as poems, but pieces like this one take the form of comic prose prefaces or mock-editorial notes in the persona of Hosea Biglow. You can view it as a satirical sketch that sets up the verse that follows. Its literary merit holds strong as a standalone piece of comic writing.

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