Epistle To The Rev. John M'math Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABAB CDCACA EEEEEE FGFHHH EEEIEI EEEHEH HHHEHE EEEJEJ HHHKHL MNNENE OOONON KKKHKH HHHEHE EEEHEH EEEAEA LPKNENdin' show'r | A |
Or in gulravage rinnin scowr | A |
To pass the time | B |
To you I dedicate the hour | A |
In idle rhyme | B |
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My musie tir'd wi' mony a sonnet | C |
On gown an' ban' an' douse black bonnet | D |
Is grown right eerie now she's done it | C |
Lest they should blame her | A |
An' rouse their holy thunder on it | C |
An anathem her | A |
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I own 'twas rash an' rather hardy | E |
That I a simple country bardie | E |
Should meddle wi' a pack sae sturdy | E |
Wha if they ken me | E |
Can easy wi' a single wordie | E |
Lowse hell upon me | E |
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But I gae mad at their grimaces | F |
Their sighin cantin grace proud faces | G |
Their three mile prayers an' half mile graces | F |
Their raxin conscience | H |
Whase greed revenge an' pride disgraces | H |
Waur nor their nonsense | H |
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There's Gaw'n misca'd waur than a beast | E |
Wha has mair honour in his breast | E |
Than mony scores as guid's the priest | E |
Wha sae abus'd him | I |
And may a bard no crack his jest | E |
What way they've us'd him | I |
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See him the poor man's friend in need | E |
The gentleman in word an' deed | E |
An' shall his fame an' honour bleed | E |
By worthless skellums | H |
An' not a muse erect her head | E |
To cowe the blellums | H |
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O Pope had I thy satire's darts | H |
To gie the rascals their deserts | H |
I'd rip their rotten hollow hearts | H |
An' tell aloud | E |
Their jugglin hocus pocus arts | H |
To cheat the crowd | E |
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God knows I'm no the thing I should be | E |
Nor am I even the thing I could be | E |
But twenty times I rather would be | E |
An atheist clean | J |
Than under gospel colours hid be | E |
Just for a screen | J |
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An honest man may like a glass | H |
An honest man may like a lass | H |
But mean revenge an' malice fause | H |
He'll still disdain | K |
An' then cry zeal for gospel laws | H |
Like some we ken | L |
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They take religion in their mouth | M |
They talk o' mercy grace an' truth | N |
For what to gie their malice skouth | N |
On some puir wight | E |
An' hunt him down owre right and ruth | N |
To ruin straight | E |
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All hail Religion maid divine | O |
Pardon a muse sae mean as mine | O |
Who in her rough imperfect line | O |
Thus daurs to name thee | N |
To stigmatise false friends of thine | O |
Can ne'er defame thee | N |
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Tho' blotch't and foul wi' mony a stain | K |
An' far unworthy of thy train | K |
With trembling voice I tune my strain | K |
To join with those | H |
Who boldly dare thy cause maintain | K |
In spite of foes | H |
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In spite o' crowds in spite o' mobs | H |
In spite o' undermining jobs | H |
In spite o' dark banditti stabs | H |
At worth an' merit | E |
By scoundrels even wi' holy robes | H |
But hellish spirit | E |
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O Ayr my dear my native ground | E |
Within thy presbyterial bound | E |
A candid liberal band is found | E |
Of public teachers | H |
As men as Christians too renown'd | E |
An' manly preachers | H |
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Sir in that circle you are nam'd | E |
Sir in that circle you are fam'd | E |
An' some by whom your doctrine's blam'd | E |
Which gies you honour | A |
Even sir by them your heart's esteem'd | E |
An' winning manner | A |
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Pardon this freedom I have ta'en | L |
An' if impertinent I've been | P |
Impute it not good Sir in ane | K |
Whase heart ne'er wrang'd ye | N |
But to his utmost would befriend | E |
Ought that belang'd ye | N |
Robert Burns
(2)
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