What is the poem the courtin' about

The use of contractions and colloquial 'slang' implies a writer, or persona adopted by the writer, that doesn't have a great deal in the ways of education, he/she appears to be writing things as they are said rather than how we as an audience know them to be spelt. This can be shown by quoting any contraction or wherever there's an amendment to the text, for example "hender" instead of "hinder". 

The use of nature also implies the simpleness of the two characters, by using the stream imagery it gives quite a straightforward steady approach, more gentle than say a river but still pretty much in that ideal

Hello there! it relates to no dogs barked because both the father and son learn from one another. the theme has to be love as the father misses his child.hope this you! good luck : )