To J. Lapraik. - An Old Scottish Bard. (first Epistle.) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A BCBDBE BBBFBF GGGHGH IIIJIJ GGGBGB IIIKIK LLLJLJ IIIMIM NOOPOP OOOJOJ OOOOOO OOOJOJ PPQGPG IIIGIG BMMGMG IIIIII IIIRIR RRRRRR RRRGRG OOOJOJ OOOOOO IIIGIG

April stA
-
While briers an' woodbines budding greenB
An' paitricks scraichin' loud at e'enC
An' morning poussie whidden seenB
Inspire my museD
This freedom in an unknown frien'B
I pray excuseE
-
On Fasten een we had a rockin'B
To ca' the crack and weave our stockin'B
And there was muckle fun an' jokin'B
Ye need na doubtF
At length we had a hearty yokin'B
At sang aboutF
-
There was ae sang amang the restG
Aboon them a' it pleas'd me bestG
That some kind husband had addrestG
To some sweet wifeH
It thirl'd the heart strings thro' the breastG
A' to the lifeH
-
I've scarce heard aught describ'd sae weelI
What gen'rous manly bosoms feelI
Thought I Can this be Pope or SteeleI
Or Beattie's warkJ
They told me 'twas an odd kind chielI
About MuirkirkJ
-
It pat me fidgin fain to hear'tG
And sae about him there I spier'tG
Then a' that ken't him round declar'dG
He had injineB
That nane excell'd it few cam near'tG
It was sae fineB
-
That set him to a pint of aleI
An' either douce or merry taleI
Or rhymes an' sangs he'd made himsel'I
Or witty catchesK
'Tween Inverness and TiviotdaleI
He had few matchesK
-
Then up I gat an' swoor an aithL
Tho' I should pawn my pleugh and graithL
Or die a cadger pownie's deathL
At some dyke backJ
A pint an' gill I'd gie them baithL
To hear your crackJ
-
But first an' foremost I should tellI
Amaist as soon as I could spellI
I to the crambo jingle fellI
Tho' rude an' roughM
Yet crooning to a body's sel'I
Does weel eneughM
-
I am nae poet in a senseN
But just a rhymer like by chanceO
An' hae to learning nae pretenceO
Yet what the matterP
Whene'er my Muse does on me glanceO
I jingle at herP
-
Your critic folk may cock their noseO
And say How can you e'er proposeO
You wha ken hardly verse frae proseO
To mak a sangJ
But by your leaves my learned foesO
Ye're may be wrangJ
-
What's a' your jargon o' your schoolsO
Your Latin names for horns an' stoolsO
If honest nature made you foolsO
What sairs your grammarsO
Ye'd better taen up spades and shoolsO
Or knappin hammersO
-
A set o' dull conceited hashesO
Confuse their brains in college classesO
They gang in stirks and come out assesO
Plain truth to speakJ
An' syne they think to climb ParnassusO
By dint o' GreekJ
-
Gie me ae spark o' Nature's fireP
That's a' the learning I desireP
Then though I drudge thro' dub an' mireQ
At pleugh or cartG
My muse though hamely in attireP
May touch the heartG
-
O for a spunk o' Allan's gleeI
Or Fergusson's the bauld and sleeI
Or bright Lapraik's my friend to beI
If I can hit itG
That would be lear eneugh for meI
If I could get itG
-
Now sir if ye hae friends enowB
Tho' real friends I b'lieve are fewM
Yet if your catalogue be fouM
I'se no insistG
But gif ye want ae friend that's trueM
I'm on your listG
-
I winna blaw about myselI
As ill I like my fauts to tellI
But friends an' folk that wish me wellI
They sometimes roose meI
Tho' I maun own as monie stillI
As far abuse meI
-
There's ae wee faut they whiles lay to meI
I like the lasses Gude forgie meI
For monie a plack they wheedle frae meI
At dance or fairR
May be some ither thing they gie meI
They weel can spareR
-
But Mauchline race or Mauchline fairR
I should be proud to meet you thereR
We'se gie ae night's discharge to careR
If we forgatherR
An' hae a swap o' rhymin' wareR
Wi' ane anitherR
-
The four gill chap we'se gar him clatterR
An' kirsen him wi' reekin' waterR
Syne we'll sit down an' tak our whitterR
To cheer our heartG
An' faith we'se be acquainted betterR
Before we partG
-
Awa ye selfish warly raceO
Wha think that havins sense an' graceO
Ev'n love an' friendship should give placeO
To catch the plackJ
I dinna like to see your faceO
Nor hear your crackJ
-
But ye whom social pleasure charmsO
Whose hearts the tide of kindness warmsO
Who hold your being on the termsO
Each aid the othersO
Come to my bowl come to my armsO
My friends my brothersO
-
But to conclude my lang epistleI
As my auld pen's worn to the grissleI
Twa lines frae you wad gar me fissleI
Who am most ferventG
While I can either sing or whissleI
Your friend and servantG

Robert Burns



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