Cowboy boots might seem like an unlikely thing to write an ode to, but only if you are unfamiliar with cowboy poetry. Cowboy poetry is a style of poetry that is believed to have originated during the cattle drives. With nothing else to entertain them at night other than each other, these western wear clad men would sit around the camp fire and share stories and yes, poems. Now, before you start thinking that these men, rough and tumble cowboys in western apparel and spending their days herding cattle were also writing romantic poems and sharing them aloud at a poetry reading, stop and think for a moment. Illiteracy was common then, especially amongst those who lived and worked as riders and ranch hands- and at that time reading and writing wasn't always necessary. Poetry is different though, because rhyme schemes are actually a creative way to help to retain memory, cowboy poetry was an oral art. Beyond just demonstrating the cleverness of the poet, it also served to entertain others on their long rides.
Cowboy poetry tended to focus on aspects of the cowboy life- that focus could be the work being done, the lifestyle itself, the values and morals of cowboys, legends of cowboys past or just humorous anecdotes. Cowboy poetry does not have to be written by an actual cowboy in order to be considered part of the genre, as poems about the lives of notorious cowboys have demonstrated, but most agree that the author needs to have a connection with the lifestyle in order to produce quality work. If you were to set cowboy poetry to guitar music, what you would most likely have is something similar to old-fashioned western music.
It is easy to see how country music seems to have been influenced, both in style and content, by the poetry and music that was shared around campfires by cowboys, many years ago. Today, when watching a country music star perform, there might not seem like cowboys and country music stars have too much in common. Of course, putting the two side by side shows that there really isn't much difference in their appearance. Both are likely to be wearing western wear, both are likely to be singing about life in a way that is realistic rather than romanticized, and both are singing to entertain an audience that wants to relate to what they are hearing. In that way, the two are very similar. In terms of lifestyle...well, there are likely to be numerous significant differences there.
While life has changed on the range, in America's less wild west, since those first poems were written and shared around campfires- but cowboy poetry continues to be written and shared even today. The west might have changed, but the fact that there are those who live and work ranches, spend their days on horseback and share many of the same values with those original cowboys have not. For those western communities, cowboy poetry is as natural as cowboy boots.
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Poetry is normally not the first thing to come to mind when someone thinks about cowboys. Cowboy boots and western apparel aren't the only things cowboys and country music stars have in common. The similarities are easy to see but the differences are not- however cowboy boots and western wear is great for fashion and function, and no other boot comes in so many aesthetic options that everyone can find the right pair for themselves at The Boot Store.
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