The Twa Dogs Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCDDEE FFGHIJ FFKKDDJJEE KKEELL MMNNOOPP KKJJDDDDD K QRST UUPPUUUU VVDDKKKKDDDD Q TWMMUUXY UUKKJJUU K JJPPZA2 JB2WWKKPP UU Q C2C2JJ JJJJ UUJJ YYUUUUDD UUDDQQ UUEEPPUUEE JJA2ZWWKKDD K JJEEVVJJPP UUJJU UKKUU DD Q JJJJ UUKKUUKKA2Z KKEE K EE JJUUUUEEEE TTPPJJD

A TaleA
-
'Twas in that place o' Scotland's isleB
That bears the name o' auld King CoilC
Upon a bonie day in JuneD
When wearin' thro' the afternoonD
Twa dogs that were na thrang at hameE
Forgather'd ance upon a timeE
-
The first I'll name they ca'd him CaesarF
Was keepit for His Honor's pleasureF
His hair his size his mouth his lugsG
Shew'd he was nane o' Scotland's dogsH
But whalpit some place far abroadI
Whare sailors gang to fish for codJ
-
His locked letter'd braw brass collarF
Shew'd him the gentleman an' scholarF
But though he was o' high degreeK
The fient a pride nae pride had heK
But wad hae spent an hour caressinD
Ev'n wi' al tinkler gipsy's messinD
At kirk or market mill or smiddieJ
Nae tawted tyke tho' e'er sae duddieJ
But he wad stan't as glad to see himE
An' stroan't on stanes an' hillocks wi' himE
-
The tither was a ploughman's collieK
A rhyming ranting raving billieK
Wha for his friend an' comrade had himE
And in freak had Luath ca'd himE
After some dog in Highland SangL
Was made lang syne Lord knows how langL
-
He was a gash an' faithfu' tykeM
As ever lap a sheugh or dykeM
His honest sonsie baws'nt faceN
Aye gat him friends in ilka placeN
His breast was white his touzie backO
Weel clad wi' coat o' glossy blackO
His gawsie tail wi' upward curlP
Hung owre his hurdie's wi' a swirlP
-
Nae doubt but they were fain o' itherK
And unco pack an' thick thegitherK
Wi' social nose whiles snuff'd an' snowkitJ
Whiles mice an' moudieworts they howkitJ
Whiles scour'd awa' in lang excursionD
An' worry'd ither in diversionD
Until wi' daffin' weary grownD
Upon a knowe they set them downD
An' there began a lang digressionD
About the 'lords o' the creation '-
-
CaesarK
-
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 kane an' 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 bonie silken purseU
As lang's my tail where thro' the steeksU
The yellow letter'd Geordie keeksU
-
Frae morn to e'en it's nought but toilingV
At baking roasting frying boilingV
An' tho' the gentry first are stechinD
Yet ev'n the ha' folk fill their pechanD
Wi' sauce ragouts an' sic like trashtrieK
That's little short o' downright wastrieK
Our whipper in wee blasted wonnerK
Poor worthless elf it eats a dinnerK
Better than ony tenant manD
His Honour has in a' the lan'D
An' what poor cot folk pit their painch inD
I own it's past my comprehensionD
-
LuathQ
-
Trowth Caesar whiles they're fash't eneughT
A cottar howkin in a sheughW
Wi' dirty stanes biggin a dykeM
Baring a quarry an' sic likeM
Himsel' a wife he thus sustainsU
A smytrie o' wee duddie weansU
An' nought but his han' daurk to keepX
Them right an' 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 an' hungerK
But how it comes I never kent yetJ
They're maistly wonderfu' contentedJ
An' buirdly chiels an' clever hizziesU
Are bred in sic a way as this isU
-
CaesarK
-
But then to see how ye're negleckitJ
How huff'd an' cuff'd an' disrespeckitJ
Lord man our gentry care as littleP
For delvers ditchers an' sic cattleP
They gang as saucy by poor folkZ
As I wad by a stinkin 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 gives them little frightJ
-
Then chance and fortune are sae guidedJ
They're aye in less or mair providedJ
An' tho' fatigued 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' whiles 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 an' priestsU
Wi' kindling fury i' their breastsU
Or tell what new taxation's cominD
An' ferlie at the folk in Lon'onD
-
As bleak fac'd Hallowmass returnsU
They get the jovial rantin kirnsU
When rural life of ev'ry stationD
Unite in common recreationD
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 reamE
An' sheds a heart inspiring steamE
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 themE
That I for joy hae barkit wi' themE
-
Still it's owre true that ye hae saidJ
Sic game is now owre aften play'dJ
There's mony a creditable stockA2
O' decent honest fawsont folkZ
Are riven out baith root an' 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 parliamentinD
For Britain's guid his saul indentinD
-
CaesarK
-
Haith lad ye little ken about itJ
For Britain's guid guid faith I doubt itJ
Say rather gaun as Premiers lead himE
An' saying ay or no's they bid himE
At operas an' plays paradingV
Mortgaging gambling masqueradingV
Or maybe 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
-
Whore hunting amang groves o' myrtlesU
Then bowses drumlie German waterK
To mak himsel look fair an' fatterK
An' clear the consequential sorrowsU
Love gifts of Carnival signorasU
-
For Britain's guid for her destructionD
Wi' dissipation feud an' factionD
-
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' country sportsU
It wad for ev'ry ane be betterK
The laird the tenant an' the cotterK
For thae frank rantin ramblin billiesU
Feint haet o' them's ill hearted fellowsU
Except for breakin o' their timmerK
Or speakin lightly o' their limmerK
Or shootin of a hare or moor cockA2
The ne'er a bit they're ill to poor folkZ
-
But will ye tell me Master CaesarK
Sure great folk's life's a life o' pleasureK
Nae cauld nor hunger e'er can steer themE
The very thought o't need na fear themE
-
CaesarK
-
Lord man were ye but whiles whare I amE
The gentles ye wad ne'er envy themE
-
It's true they need na starve or sweatJ
Thro' winter's 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 an' schoolsU
That when nae real ills perplex themE
They mak enow themsel's to vex themE
An' aye the less they hae to sturt themE
In like proportion less will hurt themE
-
A country fellow at the pleughT
His acre's till'd he's right eneughT
A country girl at her wheelP
Her dizzen's dune she's unco weelP
But gentlemen an' ladies warstJ
Wi' ev'n down want o' wark are curstJ
They loiter lounging lank anD

Robert Burns



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