| CITY LIFE CIRCA 1900 And a sparkle, a hum, a new pulse to the night, As electric lightbulbs outshone the starlight. In the glittering signs in the buildings and shops True beacons of Progress, pulling out all the stops. While the beat of this age played fast in our cities, So frantic with commerce, great triumphs and pities, As they whirred and they buzzed with endless commotion --Like the shopping at Macy's (the swankest new notion). Yes, excitements and fun, theaters, dancers and more Began to dress urban life in chic, vibrant allure. Where shopping was tops -- should you call it a sport -- With foot and baseball for the more physical sort. And the shows of vaudeville, those hokey comics and bands Could pack the nightclubs with folks clapping their hands. While the sounds of ragtime with its lively new beats, Made Scott Joplin quite rich and were the tune of the streets. And the turn of the clock to 1900 or so Brought the shores a new shock, a great flood and flow Of immigrant souls, pouring in with the tides On steamships and barges filled to all corners and sides. Of course, many were poor and soon crowded in slums, But yet striving for more, finding jobs, making chums Amid the motley array of folks of all stripes -- Jews, Asians and slavs, indeed, all colors and types. While a gift from the French, a tall flowing lady, Proclaimed to all seekers that if they were ready They'd be offered a chance to live and breath free By the grand dame of New York -- Statute of Liberty. And the struggles and triumphs of those laying claim Re-kindled the spirit, the long-burning flame, Of an American Way, and its ongoing story, To dwell in freedom, in peace and in glory... |
| Worksheet # 88 |
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