The Brigs Of Ayr Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABCDDEEEEFFGHIIEEJJ KKLL MMNNOOPQQEEEERRIISST TT EEUVEEEEEEWXXSSYY EEVVTTEEZZA2A2TTB2B2 EEEEC2D2SSE2F2 B2B2SSSS SSEEG2G2YH2WW EEF2F2I2I2SSSSSSSSEE SSSSEE SSSSSSSSYH2SSSSSSSF2 F2F2F2 SSSESSF2F2SSSSF2F2SS SSSSSSA2THE 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 grey 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 Ballantine befriends his humble name | K |
And hands the rustic stranger up to fame | K |
With heartfelt throes his grateful bosom swells | L |
The godlike bliss to give alone excels | L |
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'Twas when the stacks get on their winter hap | M |
And thack and rape secure the toil won crap | M |
Potatoe bings are snugg d up frae skaith | N |
O' 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 gosamour waves wanton in the rays | T |
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'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 inspir'd or haply prest wi' care | V |
He left his bed and took his wayward route | 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 or why | E |
The drowsy Dungeon clock had number'd two and Wallace Tower had sworn the fact was true | W |
The tide swoln 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 clos d e'e | S |
The silent moon shone high o'er tower and tree | S |
The chilly frost beneath the silver beam | Y |
Crept gently crusting o'er the glittering stream | Y |
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When lo on either hand the list'ning Bard | E |
The clanging sugh of whistling wings is heard | E |
Two dusky forms dart through 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 other flutters o'er the rising piers | T |
Our warlock Rhymer instantly dexcried | 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 even the very 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 every arch | D2 |
It chanc'd his new come neibor took his e'e | S |
And e'en a vexed 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 |
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AULD BRIG I doubt na frien' ye'll think ye're nae sheepshank | B2 |
Ance ye were streekit owre frae bank to bank | B2 |
But gin ye be a brig as auld as me | S |
Tho' faith that date I doubt ye'll never see | S |
There'll be if that day come I'll wad a boddle | S |
Some fewer whigmaleeries in your noddle | S |
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NEW BRIG 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 and lime | G2 |
Compare wi' bonie brigs o' modern time | G2 |
There's men of taste wou'd tak the Ducat stream | Y |
Tho' they should cast the very sark and swim | H2 |
E'er they would grate their feelings wi' the view | W |
O' sic an ugly Gothic hulk as you | W |
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AULD BRIG 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 | I2 |
But twa three winters will inform ye better | I2 |
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 |
Aroused by blustering winds an' spotting thowes | S |
In mony a torrent down the snaw broo rowes | S |
While crashing ice borne on the rolling spate | 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 |
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NEW BRIG 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 sculptures drest | S |
With order symmetry or taste unblest | S |
Forms like some bedlam Statuary's dream | Y |
The craz'd creations of misguided whim | H2 |
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 wi' resurrection | F2 |
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AULD BRIG 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 aye | E |
Ye dainty Deacons and ye douce Conveners | 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 agonising 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 m | A2 |
Robert Burns
(1)
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