I am looking for a poem by James Hough (perhaps the spelling might be
Hugh?) entitled "Son."  I'm not sure when it was written, but it was
known by a friend of mine in the 50's or 60's, and I am trying to find
it for him.  Can you help me find it?  A couple of the phrases are "a
credit to your birth" and "grow to be a man."  Thank you.

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Request for Question Clarification by brad-ga on 17 Aug 2002 21:17 PDT

Hello again,

Doesn't look like your question was answered after all.
I'll repeat my comment here for your consideration.  If it is the poem
you were looking for, then I'll place it in the answer section.
However, if it is not, one of our great researchers will find it for
you soon.
The problem I see is that this Hughes poem does not contain the
phrases that you mentioned, so it might very well be the wrong poem.
Please let us know, so that our researchers can continue the discovery
process for your poem.
******************************
 
The poem is probably the lovely one by Langston Hughes (a favorite of
mine) as noted below:
 
Mother to Son 
by Langston Hughes  
 
Well, son, I'll tell you: 
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. 
It's had tacks in it, 
And splinters, 
And boards all torn up, 
And places with no carpet on the floor --  
 
Bare. 
But all the time 
I'se been a-climin' on, 
And reachin' landin's, 
And turnin' corners, 
And sometimes goin, in the dark 
Where there ain't been no light. 
So boy, don't you turn back. 
Don't you set down on the steps 
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. 
Don't you fall now -- 
For I'se still goin', honey, 
I'se still cimbin' 
And Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. 
 
http://home.inreach.com/erickson/ancestors/text/gry-lh.html 
************ 
It is powerful and sends shivers down my old spine. 
 
I hope you have time to enjoy a biographical on Mr. Hughes: 
 
(February 1, 1902 - May 22, 1967) 
Born in Joplin, Missouri, James Langston Hughes was born into an
abolitionist family. He was the grandson of grandson of Charles Henry
Langston, the brother of John Mercer Langston, who was the the first
Black American to be elected to public office in 1855
 http://www.redhotjazz.com/hughes.html 
************************************* 
And, to read some of his other poems, do visit the cited website: 
http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?prmID=84 
************************************ 
I do thank you for asking this question even if isn't the poem you are
looking for as I now get to spend my evening reading some of the other
poems of Mr. Hughes at the above website.
 
Brad-ga

From the information you have given, I believe this is the poem your
friend remembers:

FROM FATHER TO SON

You got it from your father;
It was all he had to give.
So it's yours to use and cherish now
As long as you shall live.
If you lose the watch he gave you,
It can always be replaced,
But a black mark on your name, son,
Can never be erased.
It was clean the day you took it,
And a worthy name to bear;
When he got it from his father,
There was no dishonor there.
A name without a blemish
Is a treasure beyond worth;
As you grow to be a man,
It is a credit to your birth.
So make sure you guard it wisely,
And when all is said and done,
You'll be glad your name is spotless
When you give it to your son.   

I have seen several variations of this on the Web. A similar poem was
written by Edgar Guest, but I have not found a version that is
credited to James Hough.

My source for the poem was a small wooden plaque that belonged to my
father-in-law. The plaque displays the family's coat of arms and
surname, with this poem under glass beside the coat of arms.

If this is not the poem that your friend remembers, please request a
clarification so that we may resume the search.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

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Request for Answer Clarification by vh1-ga on 18 Aug 2002 22:05 PDT

Re: 55767, perhaps there is a variation by Hough similar to that
Father to Son poem?  Maybe this guy only wrote the one poem.  Is it
possible to find him?  I know it's not the Langston Hughes poem,
although I love it.  Thanks!

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Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 19 Aug 2002 04:36 PDT

I haven't been able to find any version of the "Father to Son" poem
credited to James Hough. I could find no James Hough or James Hugh
mentioned as a poet. If he indeed wrote this poem, it seems to have
become "anonymized," as often happens to works that are widely
distributed.

From time to time, columnists such as Dear Abby and the late Ann
Landers have rediscovered the sources of well-loved poems. I've
emailed Dear Abby about this one, and will let you know if I learn any
more.

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Request for Answer Clarification by vh1-ga on 24 Aug 2002 19:08 PDT

"From father to son" is close to what I'm looking for.  Could you keep
looking for variations of this poem?  thanks,

vicki

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Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 24 Aug 2002 19:27 PDT

If I ever see the name "James Hough" in connection with anything
poetic, it will certainly get my attention! One advantage to being a
Web researcher is that often while seeking data on one subject, useful
information about other subjects is stumbled upon. Serendipity seems
to be a powerful force of nature!

If I see anything related to this poem that I think may be of interest
to you, I'll make a note of it here, and Google Answers will email a
notice that another "answer clarification" has been posted.

~pinkfreud

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Request for Answer Clarification by vh1-ga on 09 Oct 2002 18:22 PDT

Are you still looking by the poem "Son" by James Hough?  My friend had
memorized it and wrote it down for me!  I would like to find it in
print somewhere but have had no luck.  Here are the words:

Son

You're here to play a part, my son,
upon this grim old earth,
and so where your lot is cast, 
Do credit to your birth.

Put not your faith in friends nor luck,
but play your part alone.
Be not ashamed for God or man
to call your deeds your own.

Take pleasure in your duties 
and make your work your play,
and touch not toys that gamble
your time and life away.

And in all things that you undertake,
do the best you can,
and the world will be the better
for you'll grow to be a man.


--That's it!  I would think there would be some website where a person
could find any poem ever written.  Is this possible?

Thanks!  Vicki Hodges

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Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 09 Oct 2002 19:07 PDT

Vicki,

How I wish there were a Web source for every poem ever written!
Unfortunately, this is not the case. There are many poems, even some
by famous poets, that are absent from the Worldwide Web.

For many years, I looked in vain for a poem that Dorothy L. Sayers
wrote about wanting to take her pet cat to heaven "in a basket of
gratitude." I loved this poem, and I only remembered part of it.
Finally I found an old copy of a Dorothy L. Sayers book in a used book
store, and the poem was found. But I still have not seen it anywhere
on the Web. A pity. It's a beautiful poem for pet lovers, and it would
be perfect for one of the Web sites that helps people deal with the
death of a pet.

Those of us who use the Internet heavily tend to expect too much of it
sometimes. Although I dearly hope the day will come when every printed
word written in every language will be indexed on the 'Net, I do not
expect this to happen in my lifetime.

If I come across any more info on the "Son" poem, or any sites that
feature it, I will let you know. In the meantime, have you considered
starting a personal page of your own, and posting the poem there? That
way others could enjoy it, and the world of the Web would have one
more poem in its archives.

Best wishes,
pinkfreud

Darn if that pinkfreud isn't a genius.  That must surely be the poem
you seek!
Doesn't mean I don't love Langston Hughes any less, but it's great to
track down the right stuff.