Scotch Drink Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABACAC DDDEDE FFFGGG HHHIHI GGGJGJ KLLMLN HHHGHG OOOHOH GGGLGL PPPQPQ RRRLRL HHHEHE RRRRRR GGGOGO SSSOSO RRRRRR TUUGUG OOOOOO HHHVHW OOOOOO RRRHRH| Let other poets raise a fracas | A |
| Bout vines and wines an drucken Bacchus | B |
| An crabbit names an stories wrack us | A |
| An grate our lug | C |
| I sing the juice Scotch bear can mak us | A |
| In glass or Jug | C |
| - | |
| O thou my Muse guid auld Scotch drink | D |
| Whether thro' wimplin worms thou jink | D |
| Or richly brown ream owre the brink | D |
| In glorious faem | E |
| Inspire me till I lisp an wink | D |
| To sing thy name | E |
| - | |
| Let husky wheat the haughs adorn | F |
| An aits set up their awnie horn | F |
| An Pease and beans at e'en or morn | F |
| Perfume the plain | G |
| Leeze me on thee John Barleycorn | G |
| Thou king o' grain | G |
| - | |
| On thee aft Scotland chows her cood | H |
| In souple scones the wale o' food | H |
| Or tumbling in the boiling flood | H |
| Wi' kail an beef | I |
| But when thou pours thy strong heart's blood | H |
| There thou shines chief | I |
| - | |
| Food fills the wame an keeps us livin | G |
| Tho life's a gift no worth receivin | G |
| When heavy dragg'd wi pine an grievin | G |
| But oil'd by thee | J |
| The wheels o' life gae down hill scrievin | G |
| Wi' rattlin glee | J |
| - | |
| Thou clears the head o' doited Lear | K |
| Thou cheers the heart o' drooping Care | L |
| Thou strings the nerves o' Labour sair | L |
| At 's weary toil | M |
| Thou ev'n brightens dark Despair | L |
| Wi' gloomy smile | N |
| - | |
| Aft clad in massy siller weed | H |
| Wi gentles thou erscts thy head | H |
| Yet humbly kind in time o' need | H |
| The poor man's wine | G |
| His wee drap parritch or his bread | H |
| Thou kitchens fine | G |
| - | |
| Thou art the life o' public haunts | O |
| But thee what were our fairs and rants | O |
| Ev'n godly meetings o' the saunts | O |
| By thee inspir'd | H |
| When gaping they besiege the tents | O |
| Are doubly fir'd | H |
| - | |
| That merry night we get the corn in | G |
| O sweetly then thou reams the horn | G |
| Or reekin on a New Year mornin | G |
| In cog or bicker | L |
| An just a wee drap sp'ritual burn in | G |
| An gusty sucker | L |
| - | |
| When Vulcan gies his bellows breath | P |
| An ploughmen gather wi their graith | P |
| O rare to see thee fizz an freath | P |
| I' th' lugget caup | Q |
| Then Burnewin comes on like death | P |
| At every chaup | Q |
| - | |
| Nae mercy then for airn or steel | R |
| The brawnie bainie ploughman chiel | R |
| Brings hard owrehip wi sturdy wheel | R |
| The strong forehammer | L |
| Till block an studdie ring an reel | R |
| Wi dinsome clamour | L |
| - | |
| When skirlin' weanies see the light | H |
| Thou maks the gossips clatter bright | H |
| How fumblin coofs their dearies slight | H |
| Wae worth the name | E |
| Nae howdie gets a social night | H |
| Or plack frae them | E |
| - | |
| When neebors anger at a plea | R |
| An just as wud as wud can be | R |
| How easy can the barley brie | R |
| Cement the quarrel | R |
| It's aye the cheapest lawyer's fee | R |
| To taste the barrel | R |
| - | |
| Alake that e'er my Muse has reason | G |
| To wyte her countrymen wi' treason | G |
| But monie daily weet their weason | G |
| Wi' liquors nice | O |
| An hardly in a winter season | G |
| E'er spier her price | O |
| - | |
| Wae worth that brandy burnin trash | S |
| Fell source o' monie a pain an brash | S |
| Twins monie a poor doylt drucken hash | S |
| O' half his days | O |
| An sends beside auld Scotland's cash | S |
| To her warst faes | O |
| - | |
| Ye Scots wha wish auld Scotland well | R |
| Ye chief to you my tale I tell | R |
| Poor plackless devils like mysel | R |
| It sets you ill | R |
| Wi' bitter dearthfu' wines to mell | R |
| Or foreign gill | R |
| - | |
| May gravels round his blather wrench | T |
| An gouts torment him inch by inch | U |
| Wha twists his gruntle wi' a glunch | U |
| O' sour disdain | G |
| Out owre a glass o' whisky punch | U |
| Wi honest men | G |
| - | |
| O Whisky soul o' plays an pranks | O |
| Accept a Bardie's gratefu thanks | O |
| When wanting thee what tuneless cranks | O |
| Are my poor verses | O |
| Thou comes they rattle i' their ranks | O |
| At ither's arses | O |
| - | |
| Thee Ferintosh O sadly lost | H |
| Scotland lament frae coast to coast | H |
| Now colic grips an barkin hoast | H |
| May kill us a' | V |
| For loyal Eorbes' charter'd boast | H |
| Is taen awa | W |
| - | |
| They curst horse leeches o' th' Excise | O |
| Wha mak the whisky stells their prize | O |
| Haud up thy han' Deil ance twice thrice | O |
| There seize the blinkers | O |
| An bake them up in brunstane pies | O |
| For poor damn'd drinkers | O |
| - | |
| Fortune if thou'll but gie me still | R |
| Hale breeks a scone an whisky gill | R |
| An rowth o' rhyme to rave at will | R |
| Tak a' the rest | H |
| An deal't about as thy blind skill | R |
| Directs thee best | H |
Robert Burns
(1)
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