The Twa Dogs. - A Tale. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCCDDEFGHIJ FFKKCCJJDD KKDDLL MMNNOOPP KKJJCCCCCC K QRST UUPPUUUU VVCCKKKKCCCC Q TWMMUUXY UUKKJJUU K JJPPZA2 JB2WWKKPP UU Q C2C2JJJJJJ UUJJYYUUUUCC UUCCQQ UUDDPPUUDD JJA2ZWWKKCC K JJDDVVJJPP UUJJUUKKUUCC Q JJJJ UUKKUUKKA2Z KKDD K DD JJUUUUDDDD TTPPJJUUUUUUJJUUVVUU KKJJUUJJ CC JJCCUUB2B2

Twas in that place o' Scotland's isleA
That bears the name o' Auld King CoilB
Upon a bonnie day in JuneC
When wearing through the afternoonC
Twa dogs that were na thrang at hameD
Forgather'd ance upon a timeD
The first I'll name they ca'd him C sarE
Was keepit for his honour's pleasureF
His hair his size his mouth his lugsG
Show'd he was nane o' Scotland's dogsH
But whalpit some place far abroadI
Where sailors gang to fish for codJ
-
His locked letter'd braw brass collarF
Show'd him the gentleman and scholarF
But though he was o' high degreeK
The fient a pride nae pride had heK
But wad hae spent an hour caressin'C
Ev'n wi' a tinkler gypsey's messin'C
At kirk or market mill or smiddieJ
Nae tawted tyke though e'er sae duddieJ
But he wad stan't as glad to see himD
And stroan't on stanes and hillocks wi' himD
-
The tither was a ploughman's collieK
A rhyming ranting raving billieK
Wha for his friend an' comrade had himD
And in his freaks had Luath ca'd himD
After some dog in Highland sangL
Was made lang syne Lord know how langL
-
He was a gash an' faithful tykeM
As ever lap a sheugh or dykeM
His honest sonsie baws'nt faceN
Ay gat him friends in ilka placeN
His breast was white his touzie backO
Weel clad wi' coat o' glossy blackO
His gaucie tail wi' upward curlP
Hung o'er his hurdies wi' a swirlP
-
Nae doubt but they were fain o' itherK
An' unco pack an' thick thegitherK
Wi' social nose whyles snuff'd and snowkitJ
Whyles mice and moudiewarts they howkitJ
Whyles scour'd awa in lang excursionC
An' worry'd ither in diversionC
Until wi' daffin weary grownC
Upon a knowe they sat them downC
And there began a lang digressionC
About the lords o' the creationC
-
C sarK
-
I've aften wonder'd honest LuathQ
What sort o' life poor dogs like you haveR
An' when the gentry's life I sawS
What way poor bodies liv'd avaT
-
Our laird gets in his racked rentsU
His coals his kain and a' his stentsU
He rises when he likes himsel'P
His flunkies answer at the bellP
He ca's his coach he ca's his horseU
He draws a bonnie silken purseU
As lang's my tail whare through the steeksU
The yellow letter'd Geordie keeksU
-
Frae morn to e'en its nought but toilingV
At baking roasting frying boilingV
An' though the gentry first are stechinC
Yet even the ha' folk fill their pechanC
Wi' sauce ragouts and sic like trashtrieK
That's little short o' downright wastrieK
Our whipper in wee blastit wonnerK
Poor worthless elf eats a dinnerK
Better than ony tenant manC
His honour has in a' the lan'C
An' what poor cot folk pit their painch inC
I own it's past my comprehensionC
-
LuathQ
-
Trowth C sar whyles they're fash't eneughT
A cotter howkin in a sheughW
Wi' dirty stanes biggin' a dykeM
Baring a quarry and sic likeM
Himself a wife he thus sustainsU
A smytrie o' wee duddie weansU
An' nought but his han' darg to keepX
Them right and tight in thack an' rapeY
-
An' when they meet wi' sair disastersU
Like loss o' health or want o' mastersU
Ye maist wad think a wee touch langerK
An' they maun starve o' cauld and hungerK
But how it comes I never kenn'd yetJ
They're maistly wonderfu' contentedJ
An' buirdly chiels an' clever hizziesU
Are bred in sic a way as this isU
-
C sarK
-
But then to see how ye're negleckitJ
How huff'd and cuff'd and disrespeckitJ
L d man our gentry care as littleP
For delvers ditchers an' sic cattleP
They gang as saucy by poor folkZ
As I wad by a stinking brockA2
-
I've notic'd on our Laird's court dayJ
An' mony a time my heart's been waeB2
Poor tenant bodies scant o' cashW
How they maun thole a factor's snashW
He'll stamp an' threaten curse an' swearK
He'll apprehend them poind their gearK
While they maun stan' wi' aspect humbleP
An' hear it a' an' fear an' trembleP
-
I see how folk live that hae richesU
But surely poor folk maun be wretchesU
-
LuathQ
-
They're no sae wretched's ane wad thinkC2
Tho' constantly on poortith's brinkC2
They're sae accustom'd wi' the sightJ
The view o't gies them little frightJ
Then chance an' fortune are sae guidedJ
They're ay in less or mair providedJ
An' tho' fatigu'd wi' close employmentJ
A blink o' rest's a sweet enjoymentJ
-
The dearest comfort o' their livesU
Their grushie weans an' faithfu' wivesU
The prattling things are just their prideJ
That sweetens a' their fire sideJ
An' whyles twalpennie worth o' nappyY
Can mak' the bodies unco happyY
They lay aside their private caresU
To mind the Kirk and State affairsU
They'll talk o' patronage and priestsU
Wi' kindling fury in their breastsU
Or tell what new taxation's comin'C
And ferlie at the folk in Lon'onC
-
As bleak fac'd Hallowmass returnsU
They get the jovial ranting kirnsU
When rural life o' ev'ry stationC
Unite in common recreationC
Love blinks Wit slaps an' social MirthQ
Forgets there's Care upo' the earthQ
-
That merry day the year beginsU
They bar the door on frosty win'sU
The nappy reeks wi' mantling reamD
An' sheds a heart inspiring steamD
The luntin pipe an sneeshin millP
Are handed round wi' right guid willP
The cantie auld folks crackin' crouseU
The young anes rantin' thro' the houseU
My heart has been sae fain to see themD
That I for joy hae barkit wi' themD
-
Still it's owre true that ye hae saidJ
Sic game is now owre aften play'dJ
There's monie a creditable stockA2
O' decent honest fawsont folkZ
Are riven out baith root and branchW
Some rascal's pridefu' greed to quenchW
Wha thinks to knit himsel' the fasterK
In favour wi' some gentle masterK
Wha aiblins thrang a parliamentin'C
For Britain's guid his saul indentin'C
-
C sarK
-
Haith lad ye little ken about itJ
For Britain's guid guid faith I doubt itJ
Say rather gaun as Premiers lead himD
An' saying aye or no's they bid himD
At operas an' plays paradingV
Mortgaging gambling masqueradingV
Or may be in a frolic daftJ
To Hague or Calais takes a waftJ
To mak a tour an' tak' a whirlP
To learn bon ton an' see the worl'P
-
There at Vienna or VersaillesU
He rives his father's auld entailsU
Or by Madrid he takes the routJ
To thrum guitars an' fecht wi' nowtJ
Or down Italian vista startlesU
Wh re hunting amang groves o' myrtlesU
Then bouses drumly German waterK
To mak' himsel' look fair and fatterK
An' clear the consequential sorrowsU
Love gifts of carnival signorasU
For Britain's guid for her destructionC
Wi' dissipation feud an' factionC
-
LuathQ
-
Hech man dear sirs is that the gateJ
They waste sae mony a braw estateJ
Are we sae foughten an' harass'dJ
For gear to gang that gate at lastJ
-
O would they stay aback frae courtsU
An' please themsels wi' countra sportsU
It wad for ev'ry ane be betterK
The Laird the Tenant an' the CotterK
For thae frank rantin' ramblin' billiesU
Fient haet o' them's ill hearted fellowsU
Except for breakin' o' their timmerK
Or speakin' lightly o' their limmerK
Or shootin' o' a hare or moor cockA2
The ne'er a bit they're ill to poor folkZ
-
But will ye tell me Master C sarK
Sure great folk's life's a life o' pleasureK
Nae cauld or hunger e'er can steer themD
The vera thought o't need na fear themD
-
C sarK
-
L d man were ye but whyles whare I amD
The gentles ye wad ne'er envy 'emD
-
It's true they needna starve or sweatJ
Thro' winters cauld or simmer's heatJ
They've nae sair wark to craze their banesU
An' fill auld age wi' grips an' granesU
But human bodies are sic foolsU
For a' their colleges and schoolsU
That when nae real ills perplex themD
They mak enow themsels to vex themD
An' ay the less they hae to sturt themD
In like proportion less will hurt themD
-
A country fellow at the pleughT
His acres till'd he's right eneughT
A country girl at her wheelP
Her dizzen's done she's unco weelP
But Gentlemen an' Ladies warstJ
Wi' ev'n down want o' wark are curstJ
They loiter lounging lank an' lazyU
Tho' deil haet ails them yet uneasyU
Their days insipid dull an' tastelessU
Their nights unquiet lang an' restlessU
An' even their sports their balls an' racesU
Their galloping thro' public placesU
There's sic parade sic pomp an' artJ
The joy can scarcely reach the heartJ
The men cast out in party matchesU
Then sowther a' in deep debauchesU
Ae night they're mad wi' drink and wh ringV
Niest day their life is past enduringV
The Ladies arm in arm in clustersU
As great and gracious a' as sistersU
But hear their absent thoughts o' itherK
They're a' run deils an' jads thegitherK
Whyles o'er the wee bit cup an' platieJ
They sip the scandal potion prettyJ
Or lee lang nights wi' crabbit leuksU
Pore owre the devil's pictur'd beuksU
Stake on a chance a farmer's stack yardJ
An' cheat like onie unhang'd blackguardJ
-
There's some exception man an' womanC
But this is Gentry's life in commonC
-
By this the sun was out o' sightJ
An' darker gloaming brought the nightJ
The bum clock humm'd wi' lazy droneC
The kye stood rowtin i' the loanC
When up they gat and shook their lugsU
Rejoic'd they were na men but dogsU
An' each took aff his several wayB2
Resolv'd to meet some ither dayB2

Robert Burns



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