The Signifying Monkey and the Language of Signifyin(g)

Please read the 3 selections in the following order:

1. An excerpt from, “A Myth of Origins: Esu-Elegebaraand the Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African American Literary Criticism” by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
2. “Chapter 2- The Signifying Monkey and the Language of Signifyin(g): RhetoricalDifference and the Orders of Meaning” by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
3. “The Signifying Monkey1” and “Stackolee” (ballads)

After reading selections 1 and 2, please consider Gates’ concept of “Signifyin(g)” ( the Vernacular Tradition).

Please create 2 Quotes & Notes identifying and explaining evidence of “Signifyin(g)” (the Vernacular Tradition) found in selection 3. “The Signifying Monkey” and “Stackolee” (ballads).

 

Objectives
By fully participating in this lesson, students will be able to:

Describe and apply Dr. Henry Louis Gates’ concept of “Signifyin(g)” (the Vernacular Tradition).

Demonstrate how the concept of “Signifyin(g”  (the Vernacular Tradition) is recognizable in African-American Literature

Explain the concept and recognize the historical art of “Signifyin(g)” (the Vernacular Tradition) in African American Literature   while engaging in future readings

Agenda
By fully participating in this lesson, students will:

Read the excerpt from “A Myth of Origins: Esu- Elegbara and the Signifying Monkey” by Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Read “Chapter 2- The Signifying Monkey and the Language of Signifyin(g): Rhetorical Difference and the Orders of Meaning” by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Read the Ballads “The Signifying Monkey,” and “Stackolee” (examples of work displaying the historical art of the Vernacular Tradition).

Create 2 Quotes & Notes (A & B) identifying and explaining evidence of the Vernacular Tradition in the supplied readings

It is said that language is essential to community in all cultures. After experiencing Episode 1  of the documentary The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross, and reading the excerpt from Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 of Gates’ text, how do you feel about Gates’ idea of “Signifying” in the provided examples of African-American Literature (ballads)?

 

Discuss how you are able to recognize the art  of “signifyin(g)” in process? Which areas stand out to you most? Please explain.

 

 

Stackolee**

**Author unknown

One dark and dusty day

I was strolling down the street.

I thought I heard some old dog bark,

But it warn’tnothing but Stackolee gambling in the dark.

Stackolee through seven.

Billy said, It ain’t that way.

You better go home and come back another day.

Stackolee shot Billy four times in the head

And left that fool on the floor damn near dead.

Stackolee decided he’d go up to Sister Lou’s.

Said Sister Lou! Sister Lou, guess what I done?

I just shot and killed Billy, your big-head son.

Sister Lou said Stackolee, that can’t be true!

You and Billy been friends for a year or two.

Stackolee said, Woman, if you don’t believe what I said,

Go count the bullet holes in that son-of-a-gun’s head.

Sister Lou got frantic and all in a rage,

Like a tea hound dame on some frantic gage.

She got on the phone, Sheriff, Sheriff, I want you to help poor me.

I want you to catch that that son-of-a-gun they call Stackolee.

Sheriff said, My name might begin with an s and end with an f

But if you want that bad Stackolee you got to get him yourself.

So Stackolee left, he went walking down the New Haven track.

The train came along and flattened him on his back,

He went up in the air and when he fell

Stackolee landed right down in hell.

He said, Devil, devil, put your fork up on the shelf

‘Cause I’m going to run this devilish place myself.

There came a rumbling on the earth and a tumbling on the ground,

That bad son of a gun, Stackolee, was turning hell around.

He ran across one of his ex-girl friend’s down there.

She was Chock-full-o’-nuts and had pony-tail hair.

She said, Stackolee, Stackolee, wait for me.

I’m trying to please you, can’t you see?

She said, I’m going around the corner but I’ll be right back.

I’m going to see if I can’t stack my sack.

Stackolee said, Susie Belle, go on and stack your sack.

But I just might not be here when you get back.

Meanwhile, Stackolee went with the devil’s wife and with his girlfriend, too.

Winked at the devil and said, I’ll go with you.

The devil turned around to hit him a lick.

Stackolee knocked the devil down with a big black stick.

Now, to end this story, so I heard tell,

Stackolee, all by his self, is running hell.

 

 

The Signifying Monkey*

 

The Monkey and the Lion

Got to talking one day.

Monkey looked down and said, Lion,

I hear you’s king in every way.

But I know somebody

Who do not think that’s true–

He told me he could whip

The living daylights out of you.

Lion said, Who?

Monkey said, Lion,

He talked about your mama

And talked about your grandma, too,

And I’m too polite to tell you

What he said about you.

Lion said, Who said what? Who?

Monkey in the tree

Lying on the ground.

Monkey kept on signifying

But he didn’t come down.

Monkey said, His name is Elephant—

He stone sure is not your friend.

Lion said he don’t need to be

Because today will be his end.

Lion took off through the jungle

Lickity-split,

Meaning to grab Elephant

And tear him bit to bit. Period!

He come across Elephant copping a righteous nod

Under a fine cool shady tree.

Lion said you big old no-good so-and-so,

It’s either you or me.

Lion let out a solid roar

And bopped Elephant with his paw.

Elephant just took his trunk

And busted old Lion’s jaw.

Lion let out another roar,

Reared up 6 feet tall.

Elephant just kicked him in the belly

And laughed to see him drop and fall.

Lion rolled over,

Copped elephant by the throat.

Elephant just shook him loose

And butted him like a goat,

Then he tromped him and he stomped him

Till the Lion yelled, Oh, no!

And it was near-nigh sunset

When elephants let Lion go.

The signifying Monkey

Was still setting in his tree

When he looked down and saw the Lion.

Said, Why Lion, who can that there be?

Lion said, It’s me.

Monkey rapped, Why, Lion,

You look more dead than alive!

Lion said, Monkey, I don’t want

To hear your jive-end jive.

Monkey just kept on signifying,

Lion, you for sure caught hell—

Mr. Elephant’s done whipped you

To a fair-thee-well!

Why Lion, you look like to me

You been in a precinct station

And had the third-degree,

Else you look like

You been high on gage

And done got caught

In a monkey cage!

You ain’t no king to me.

Facts, I don’t think that you

Can even as much as roar—

And if you try I’m liable

To come down out of this tree and

Whip your tail some more.

The Monkey started laughing

And jumping up and down.

But he jumped so hard the limb broke

And he landed–bam!– on the ground.

When he went to run, his foot slipped

And he fell flat down.

Grrr-rrr-r! The Lion was on him

With his front feet and his hind.

Monkey hollered, Ow!

I didn’t mean it Mister Lion!

Lion said, You little flea-bag you!

Why, I’ll eat you up alive.

I wouldn’t a-been in this fix a-tall

Wasn’t for your signifying jive.

Please, said Monkey, Mister Lion,

If you’ll just let me go,

I got something to tell you, please,

I think you ought to know.

Lion let the Monkey loose

To see what his tail could be—

And monkey jumped right back on up

Into his tree.

What I was gonna tell you, said Monkey,

Is you square old so-and-so,

If you fool with me

I’ll get Elephant to whip your head some more.

Monkey, said the Lion,

Beat to his unbooted knees,

You and all your signifying children

Better stay up in them trees.

Which is why today Monkey does to signifying

 A-way-up out of the way.

 

*revised by Langston Hughes