The Dance of Dinwiddie

"The Dance of Dinwiddie" by Marshall Moreton is a poem from the early 1900's that tells a bittersweet story about a community dance in the little town of Dinwiddie. The poem follows the happy events of a dance that are contrasted with a disastrous flood. The poem explores themes of love, community, and how fragile life can be. The townspeople get ready for a spring dance at Twilleger's farm, and the dance creates a joyful mood as everyone gets together for music, laughter, and love. Some of the characters include the lovely Malindy, a funny single man, and the "Oracle," who leads the dance with his poetry. But as the dance goes on, the Ohio River floods and traps the party goers. The joyous dance turns into a fight for survival as fear takes over and the people realize how much danger they are in. The poem mixes funny moments with sad ones to show how fast joy can turn to fear. The poem also shows how people can come help each other when nature turns against them.