The Brigs Of Ayr, A Poem, Inscribed To J. Ballantyne, Esq., Ayr. Poem Rhyme Scheme

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The Brigs Of Ayr, A Poem, Inscribed To J. Ballantyne, Esq., Ayr. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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The simple Bard rough at the rustic plough	A
Learning his tuneful trade from ev'ry bough	A
The chanting linnet or the mellow thrush	B
Hailing the setting sun sweet in the green thorn bush	C
The soaring lark the perching red breast shrill	D
Or deep ton'd plovers gray wild whistling o'er the hill	D
Shall he nurst in the peasant's lowly shed	E
To hardy independence bravely bred	E
By early poverty to hardship steel'd	E
And train'd to arms in stern misfortune's field	E
Shall he be guilty of their hireling crimes	F
The servile mercenary Swiss of rhymes	F
Or labour hard the panegyric close	G
With all the venal soul of dedicating prose	H
No though his artless strains he rudely sings	I
And throws his hand uncouthly o'er the strings	I
He glows with all the spirit of the Bard	E
Fame honest fame his great his dear reward	E
Still if some patron's gen'rous care he trace	J
Skill'd in the secret to bestow with grace	J
When Ballantyne befriends his humble name	K
And hands the rustic stranger up to fame	K
With heart felt throes his grateful bosom swells	L
The godlike bliss to give alone excels	L
	-
	-
	-
'Twas when the stacks get on their winter hap	M
And thack and rape secure the toil won crap	M
Potato bings are snugged up frae skaith	N
Of coming Winter's biting frosty breath	N
The bees rejoicing o'er their summer toils	O
Unnumber'd buds an' flow'rs delicious spoils	O
Seal'd up with frugal care in massive waxen piles	P
Are doom'd by man that tyrant o'er the weak	Q
The death o' devils smoor'd wi' brimstone reek	Q
The thundering guns are heard on ev'ry side	E
The wounded coveys reeling scatter wide	E
The feather'd field mates bound by Nature's tie	E
Sires mothers children in one carnage lie	E
What warm poetic heart but inly bleeds	R
And execrates man's savage ruthless deeds	R
Nae mair the flow'r in field or meadow springs	I
Nae mair the grove with airy concert rings	I
Except perhaps the robin's whistling glee	S
Proud o' the height o' some bit half lang tree	S
The hoary morns precede the sunny days	T
Mild calm serene wide spreads the noontide blaze	T
While thick the gossamer waves wanton in the rays	T
'Twas in that season when a simple bard	E
Unknown and poor simplicity's reward	E
Ae night within the ancient brugh of Ayr	U
By whim inspired or haply prest wi' care	V
He left his bed and took his wayward rout	E
And down by Simpson's wheel'd the left about	E
Whether impell'd by all directing Fate	E
To witness what I after shall narrate	E
Or whether rapt in meditation high	E
He wander'd out he knew not where nor why	E
The drowsy Dungeon clock had number'd two	W
And Wallace Tow'r had sworn the fact was true	W
The tide swol'n Firth with sullen sounding roar	X
Through the still night dash'd hoarse along the shore	X
All else was hush'd as Nature's closed e'e	S
The silent moon shone high o'er tow'r and tree	S
The chilly frost beneath the silver beam	Y
Crept gently crusting o'er the glittering stream	Y
	-
When lo on either hand the list'ning Bard	E
The clanging sugh of whistling wings is heard	E
Two dusky forms dart thro' the midnight air	V
Swift as the gos drives on the wheeling hare	V
Ane on th' Auld Brig his airy shape uprears	T
The ither flutters o'er the rising piers	T
Our warlock Rhymer instantly descry'd	E
The Sprites that owre the brigs of Ayr preside	E
That Bards are second sighted is nae joke	Z
And ken the lingo of the sp'ritual folk	Z
Fays Spunkies Kelpies a' they can explain them	A2
And ev'n the vera deils they brawly ken them	A2
Auld Brig appear'd of ancient Pictish race	T
The very wrinkles gothic in his face	T
He seem'd as he wi' Time had warstl'd lang	B2
Yet teughly doure he bade an unco bang	B2
New Brig was buskit in a braw new coat	E
That he at Lon'on frae ane Adams got	E
In's hand five taper staves as smooth's a bead	E
Wi' virls and whirlygigums at the head	E
The Goth was stalking round with anxious search	C2
Spying the time worn flaws in ev'ry arch	D2
It chanc'd his new come neebor took his e'e	S
And e'en a vex'd and angry heart had he	S
Wi' thieveless sneer to see his modish mien	E2
He down the water gies him this guid e'en	F2
	-
Auld Brig	G2
	-
I doubt na' frien' ye'll think ye're nae sheep shank	H2
Ance ye were streekit o'er frae bank to bank	H2
But gin ye be a brig as auld as me	S
Tho' faith that day I doubt ye'll never see	S
There'll be if that date come I'll wad a boddle	S
Some fewer whigmeleeries in your noddle	S
	-
New Brig	G2
	-
Auld Vandal ye but show your little mense	S
Just much about it wi' your scanty sense	S
Will your poor narrow foot path of a street	E
Where twa wheel barrows tremble when they meet	E
Your ruin'd formless bulk o' stane en' lime	I2
Compare wi' bonnie Brigs o' modern time	I2
There's men o' taste wou'd tak the Ducat stream	Y
Tho' they should cast the vera sark and swim	J2
Ere they would grate their feelings wi' the view	W
Of sic an ugly Gothic hulk as you	W
	-
Auld Brig	G2
	-
Conceited gowk puff'd up wi' windy pride	E
This mony a year I've stood the flood an' tide	E
And tho' wi' crazy eild I'm sair forfairn	F2
I'll be a Brig when ye're a shapeless cairn	F2
As yet ye little ken about the matter	K2
But twa three winters will inform ye better	K2
When heavy dark continued a' day rains	S
Wi' deepening deluges o'erflow the plains	S
When from the hills where springs the brawling Coil	S
Or stately Lugar's mossy fountains boil	S
Or where the Greenock winds his moorland course	S
Or haunted Garpal draws his feeble source	S
Arous'd by blust'ring winds an' spotting thowes	S
In mony a torrent down the snaw broo rowes	S
While crashing ice born on the roaring speat	E
Sweeps dams an' mills an' brigs a' to the gate	E
And from Glenbuck down to the Ratton key	S
Auld Ayr is just one lengthen'd tumbling sea	S
Then down ye'll hurl deil nor ye never rise	S
And dash the gumlie jaups up to the pouring skies	S
A lesson sadly teaching to your cost	E
That Architecture's noble art is lost	E
	-
New Brig	G2
	-
Fine Architecture trowth I needs must say't o't	S
The L d be thankit that we've tint the gate o't	S
Gaunt ghastly ghaist alluring edifices	S
Hanging with threat'ning jut like precipices	S
O'er arching mouldy gloom inspiring coves	S
Supporting roofs fantastic stony groves	S
Windows and doors in nameless sculpture drest	S
With order symmetry or taste unblest	S
Forms like some bedlam Statuary's dream	Y
The craz'd creations of misguided whim	J2
Forms might be worshipp'd on the bended knee	S
And still the second dread command be free	S
Their likeness is not found on earth in air or sea	S
Mansions that would disgrace the building taste	S
Of any mason reptile bird or beast	S
Fit only for a doited monkish race	S
Or frosty maids forsworn the dear embrace	S
Or cuifs of later times wha held the notion	F2
That sullen gloom was sterling true devotion	F2
Fancies that our guid Brugh denies protection	F2
And soon may they expire unblest with resurrection	F2
	-
Auld Brig	G2
	-
O ye my dear remember'd ancient yealings	S
Were ye but here to share my wounded feelings	S
Ye worthy Proveses an' mony a Bailie	S
Wha in the paths o' righteousness did toil ay	L2
Ye dainty Deacons and ye douce Conveeners	S
To whom our moderns are but causey cleaners	S
Ye godly Councils wha hae blest this town	F2
Ye godly Brethren o' the sacred gown	F2
Wha meekly gie your hurdies to the smiters	S
And what would now be strange ye godly writers	S
A' ye douce folk I've borne aboon the broo	S
Were ye but here what would ye say or do	S
How would your spirits groan in deep vexation	F2
To see each melancholy alteration	F2
And agonizing curse the time and place	S
When ye begat the base degen'rate race	S
Nae langer rev'rend men their country's glory	S
In plain braid Scots hold forth a plain braid story	S
Nae langer thrifty citizens an' douce	S
Meet owre a pint or in the council house	S
But staumrel corky headed graceless gentry	S
The herryment and ruin of the country	S
Men three parts made by tailors and by barbers	S
Wha waste your weel hain'd gear on d d new Brigs and Harbours	S
	-
New Brig	G2
	-
Now haud you there for faith ye've said enough	M2
And muckle mair than ye can mak to through	S
As for your Priesthood I shall say but little	S
Corbies and Clergy are a shot right kittle	S
But under favour o' your langer beard	S
Abuse o' Magistrates might weel be spar'd	S
To liken them to your auld warld squad	S
I must needs say comparisons are odd	S
In Ayr wag wits nae mair can have a handle	S
To mouth 'a citizen ' a term o' scandal	S
Nae mair the Council waddles down the street	S
In all the pomp of ignorant conceit	S
Men wha grew wise priggin' owre hops an' raisins	S
Or gather'd lib'ral views in bonds and seisins	S
If haply Knowledge on a random tramp	N2
Had shor'd them with a glimmer of his lamp	N2
And would to Common sense for once betray'd them	A2
Plain dull Stupidity stept kindly in to aid them	A2
	-
	-
	-
What farther clishmaclaver might been said	S
What bloody wars if Spirites had blood to shed	S
No man can tell but all before their sight	S
A fairy train appear'd in order bright	S
Adown the glitt'ring stream they featly danc'd	S
Bright to the moon their various dresses glanc'd	S
They footed owre the wat'ry glass so neat	S
The infant ice scarce bent beneath their feet	S
While arts of minstrelsy among them rung	O2
And soul ennobling bards heroic ditties sung	O2
O had M'Lauchlan thairm inspiring Sage	P2
Been there to hear this heavenly band engage	P2
When thro' his dear strathspeys they bore with highland rage	P2
Or when they struck old Scotia's melting airs	S
The lover's raptur'd joys or bleeding cares	S
How would his highland lug been nobler fir'd	S
And ev'n his matchless hand with finer touch inspir'd	S
No guess could tell what instrument appear'd	S
But all the soul of Music's self was heard	S
Harmonious concert rung in every part	S
While simple melody pour'd moving on the heart	S
	-
The Genius of the stream in front appears	S
A venerable Chief advanc'd in years	S
His hoary head with water lilies crown'd	S
His manly leg with garter tangle bound	S
Next came the loveliest pair in all the ring	Q2
Sweet Female Beauty hand in hand with Spring	Q2
Then crown'd with flow'ry hay came Rural Joy	R2
And Summer with his fervid beaming eye	E
All cheering Plenty with her flowing horn	F2
Led yellow Autumn wreath'd with nodding corn	F2
Then Winter's time bleach'd looks did hoary show	S2
By Hospitality with cloudless brow	S
Next follow'd Courage with his martial stride	S
From where the Feal wild woody coverts hide	S
Benevolence with mild benignant air	S
A female form came from the tow'rs of Stair	S
Learning and Worth in equal measures trode	S
From simple Catrine their long lov'd abode	S
Last white rob'd Peace crown'd with a hazel wreath	N
To rustic Agriculture did bequeath	N
The broken iron instruments of death	N
At sight of whom our Sprites forgat their kindling wrath	N