Young Gal's Blues explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Death and Mortality

  The speaker walks to the graveyard and contrasts the cold grave with the loneliness of the poorhouse, expressing a preference for death over ugliness and old age.

• Love and Loss

  The speaker asks what a young gal can do when love is gone, and pleads for continued love to avoid being blue.

Characters to notice

• Cora

  Mentioned as 'ma friend Miss Cora Lee,' the speaker walks behind her to the graveyard.

• Unknown

  The speaker, a young gal, reflects on mortality, loneliness, and the need for love.

• Daddy

  Addressed as 'daddy' in the final plea for continued love to avoid sadness.

Key passages

• “I’m gonna walk to de graveyard ’Hind ma friend Miss Cora Lee.”

  I will follow my friend Cora Lee to the cemetery.

  The speaker anticipates her own death and funeral procession.

• “De po’ house is lonely An’ de grave is cold. O, de po’ house is lonely, De graveyard grave is cold. But I’d rather be dead than To be ugly an’ old.”

  The poorhouse is lonely and the grave is cold, but I would prefer death over becoming ugly and old.

  The speaker weighs the hardships of poverty and aging against the finality of death.

• “When love is gone what Can a young gal do? When love is gone, O, What can a young gal do? Keep on a-lovin’ me, daddy, Cause I don’t want to be blue.”

  What can a young woman do when love is lost? Keep loving me, daddy, because I don't want to be sad.

  The speaker concludes that love is the only remedy against despair.