Written In Friars-carse Hermitage, On Nithside. December, 1788. Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCC DEFGHHIIJJ KKLLMMNNOP QRSSTTUUVMWWXXYZA2A2 ZZB2B2C2D2 E2E2F2F2G2G2G2 H2H2| Thou whom chance may hither lead | A |
| Be thou clad in russet weed | B |
| Be thou deck'd in silken stole | C |
| Grave these counsels on thy soul | C |
| - | |
| Life is but a day at most | D |
| Sprung from night in darkness lost | E |
| Hope not sunshine ev'ry hour | F |
| Fear not clouds will always lour | G |
| As Youth and Love with sprightly dance | H |
| Beneath thy morning star advance | H |
| Pleasure with her siren air | I |
| May delude the thoughtless pair | I |
| Let Prudence bless enjoyment's cup | J |
| Then raptur'd sip and sip it up | J |
| - | |
| As thy day grows warm and high | K |
| Life's meridian flaming nigh | K |
| Dost thou spurn the humble vale | L |
| Life's proud summits would'st thou scale | L |
| Check thy climbing step elate | M |
| Evils lurk in felon wait | M |
| Dangers eagle pinion'd bold | N |
| Soar around each cliffy hold | N |
| While cheerful peace with linnet song | O |
| Chants the lowly dells among | P |
| - | |
| As the shades of ev'ning close | Q |
| Beck'ning thee to long repose | R |
| As life itself becomes disease | S |
| Seek the chimney nook of ease | S |
| There ruminate with sober thought | T |
| On all thou'st seen and heard and wrought | T |
| And teach the sportive younkers round | U |
| Saws of experience sage and sound | U |
| Say man's true genuine estimate | V |
| The grand criterion of his fate | M |
| Is not Art thou high or low | W |
| Did thy fortune ebb or flow | W |
| Wast thou cottager or king | X |
| Peer or peasant no such thing | X |
| Did many talents gild thy span | Y |
| Or frugal nature grudge thee one | Z |
| Tell them and press it on their mind | A2 |
| As thou thyself must shortly find | A2 |
| The smile or frown of awful Heav'n | Z |
| To virtue or to vice is giv'n | Z |
| Say to be just and kind and wise | B2 |
| There solid self enjoyment lies | B2 |
| That foolish selfish faithless ways | C2 |
| Lead to the wretched vile and base | D2 |
| - | |
| Thus resign'd and quiet creep | E2 |
| To the bed of lasting sleep | E2 |
| Sleep whence thou shalt ne'er awake | F2 |
| Night where dawn shall never break | F2 |
| Till future life future no more | G2 |
| To light and joy the good restore | G2 |
| To light and joy unknown before | G2 |
| - | |
| Stranger go Hea'vn be thy guide | H2 |
| Quod the beadsman of Nithside | H2 |
Robert Burns
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