Poems of Tennessee

TN State Symbols
Poems of Tennessee
By Nora Kirkeby
Feb 16, 2007, 16:12 PST

Oh Tennesse, My Tennessee

Tennessee State Poem
Poem by Naval Admiral William Laurence
Adopted in 1973 by the 88th General Assembly

Oh Tennesse, My Tennesse
What Love and Pride I Feel for Thee.
You Proude Ole State, the Volunteer,
Your Proud Traditions I Hold Dear.

I Revere Your Heroes
Who Bravely Fought our Country's Foes.
Renowned Statesmen, so Wise and Strong,
Who Served our Country Well and Long.
I Thrill at Thought of Mountains Grand;
Rolling Green Hills and Fertile Farm Land;
Earth Rich with Stone, Mineral and Ore;
Forests Dense and Wild Flowers Galore;
Powerful Rivers that Bring us Light;
Deep Lakes with Fish and Fowl in Flight;
Thriving Cities and Industries;
Fine Schools and Universities;
Strong Folks of Pioneer Descent,
Simple, Honest, and Reverent.

Beauty and Hospitality
Are the Hallmarks of Tennessee.

And O'er the World as I May Roam,
No Place Exceeds my Boyhood Home.
And Oh How Much I Long tot See
My Native Land, My Tennessee.

Background: Admiral William Lawrence spent six years as a prisoner of war during the Vietname War. He wrote this poem during a time where he was in solitary confinement for 60 days.

Who We Are

Tennessee Bicentennial Poem
Poem by Maragaret Britton Vaughn
© Margaret Britton Vaughn,
Used with express permission from the author
Adopted in 1996 by the 100th General Assembly

The fertile soil of Tennessee
Grew more than corn, tobacco, and cotton,
It grew a crop of people who are
Trailblazers, child raisers, flag wavers, soul savers.
Like the roots of the tulip poplar
Our feet are planted deeply
Into good living, neighbor giving, God fearing.
Like the iris, buttercup and wild daisies,
Our towns have sprung up
In valleys, basins, mountains, plains and plateaus
That house cabins, mansions and hillside chateaus.
We're the one-room schoolhouse in the hollow;
We're the university grad and the front-porch scholar.
We're Davy Crockett at the Alamo,
Sergeant York, World War I hero.
We're Cordell Hull who served Roosevelt;
We're Chief Sequoyah and his Cherokee alphabet.
We're W.C. Handy and the Memphis Blues;
We're Ida B. Wells and the Civil Rights news,
And Grand Ole Opry with old wood pews.
We're "Rocky Top" and "Tennesse Waltz" the same;
We're "Star Spangled Banner" before the game.
We're mockingbirds singing Appalachian folk songs
We're country church sing-alongs.
We're hand clappers, toe tappers, knee slapers
And Mam's lap lullaby nappers.
We're Jackson, Johnson, and James K. Polk;
We're city slickers and poor hill folk;
We're Anne Dalls Dudley and the Suffrage Vote.
We're John Sevier, Don Sundquist and governors galore;
We're congressmen, mayors, and Vice President Gore.
We're Wilma Rudolph's run for the gold
And Sunday golfer's eighteenth hole.
We're Christmas Eve and the Fourth of July;
We're the 4-H and homemade chess pie.
We're TVA rivers, creeks and man made lakes;
We're ruts in dirt roads and interstates.
We're all religions, creeds and peoples of race;
We're Tennesseans who love the home place.
We're the Volunteer State and will always be
Ready to go when someone's in need.
As our trees turn green and our barns turn gray.
We celebrate our two hundredth birthday.
We know we've done our best, stood the test,
And will be laid to rest
In the fertile soil of Tennessee.

Background: Margaret Britton is also the state's poet laureate. She has published book collections of poems and short stories like Bell Buckle Biscuits and The Light in the Kitchen Window. She was recognized by the Tennessee legislature for her inspirational writing and her belief in the "power of the written word." She writes beautifully.

"Poetry is for everyone and we need to keep the touch that is understood by all walks of life" - Margaret Britton Vaughn