]> <hi rend="bold">"Elegy on a Sore Toe," Poem by Robert T. Hall, November 15, 1842:</hi> Electronic Edition. Hall, Robert Troy, b. 1823 Erika Lindemann Funding from the State Library of North Carolina supported the electronic publication of this title. Text transcribed by Erika Lindemann Images scanned by Mara E. Dabrishus Text encoded by Risa Mulligan First Edition, 2005 ca. 14K The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina 2005

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 <hi rend="italics">True and Candid Compositions: The Lives and Writings of Antebellum Students in North Carolina</hi> written by Lindemann, Erika University Papers (#40005), University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill "Elegy on a Sore Toe," Poem by [Robert T. Hall], November 15, 1842 Robert T. Hall 2 pages, 2 page images 1842 University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Call number 40005 (University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

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 Library of Congress Subject Headings Erika's vocab English Examples of Student Writing/Fiction, Poetry, Character Sketches Travel and Entertainment/Social Events 2005-04-28, Risa Mulligan finished TEI/XML encoding Document Summary

Hall's humorous verse details the inconveniences caused by a sore toe.

 "Elegy on a Sore Toe," Poem by Robert T. Hall, November 15, 18421 Elegy on a sore toe Nov 15th 18422 Oh that I had the enchanted pen Whose words were write in blood and fire Which were indellible3; for then I'd gratify my own desire And to all future ages show The sorrows of my poor old toe                     –2– My poor old toe How long have you with stick and stump and stone contended Your thwacks and thumps have not been few And well I wish that they were ended But yet they come and none can know when they will ceace. My poor old toe                     –3rd– What have I done that I should bear The pains and sufferings of this sore I am no worse than others are Then why should I be punished more I know not why but it is sore And I cant cure my poor old toe                     4 Tis something strange indeed to me When ere I walk in crowds or lone Just in my path there'll always be Some obstacle a block or stone And thus you see where'ere I go I'm sure to stump4 my poor old toe                     5 A dozen folks may with me walk And each may have like me ten toes Yet while unhurt they laugh and talk I writhe beneath the killing blows which every moment fill with woe unutterable my poor old toe5                     6 Tis said Lord Byron used to curse His illstared fate which made him lame And surely his was nothing worse Than mine, since mine is just the same Except his foot was lame you know with me it was my poor old toe—                     7 Tis natural that man should long When parties, weddings, balls abound To join in dance the giddy throng when ere the dancing time comes round But I can't dance or act the beau Because 'twould kill my poor old toe                     8 I cannot even walk with grace With ladies fair, (oh sad misfortune) In each and every time and place My ill luck still does me importune For I must limp and thereby show The D—l is in my poor old toe                     11 And now my friends Ive nearly done This elegy upon my toe I almost wish Id not begun I almost wish Id not begun But since tis write Ill let it go And thus expose my poor old toe                     –10– But ere I ceace this plaintive strain This sad momento of my evil I'll tell you one and all quite plain I wish my toe was at the devil For now an everlasting foe Attends me in my poor old toe—6 Chapel Hill Nov 15th 1842

1. University Papers, UA. Four poems appear on the fours sides a folded sheet measuring 7 3/4 by 12 5/8 inches: "Elegy on a sore toe," "Parody," "An Enigma," and "Charade." In the gutter between pages two and three, a second hand has written "Robt Hall poetry." Although the poems are unsigned, the handwriting is consistent with the script of documents signed by Robert Hall and housed in the Anne Troy Hall Papers, SHC.

2. Nov is written over unrecovered characters.

3. Hall superimposed a over i (or vice versa).

4. Hall wrote slump.

5. Hall wrote loe.

6. At a later date Hall wrote "Cork Meank" between this line and the next.