The Whistle Of Sandy Mcgraw Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABACDEDEFGFGFCFC HIHIJFJFCCCC FFFFKCKCLDLDIFIFIGIC MNMNIDID OIOIFCFCCDCDCFCFDCDC CMCMDIDIFFFF CCCC

You may talk o' your lutes and your dulcimers fineA
Your harps and your tabors and cymbals and a'B
But here in the trenches jist gie me for mineA
The wee penny whistle o' Sandy McGrawC
Oh it's Sandy ma lad will you lilt us a tuneD
And Sandy is willin' and trillin' like madE
Sae silvery sweet that we a' throng aroun'D
And some o' it's gay but the maist o' it's sadE
Jist the wee simple airs that sink intae your hertF
And grup ye wi' love and wi' longin' for hameG
And ye glour like an owl till you're feelin' the stertF
O' a tear and you blink wi' a feelin' o' shameG
For his song's o' the heather and here in the dirtF
You listen and dream o' a land that's sae brawC
And he mak's you forget a' the harm and the hurtF
For he pipes like a laverock does Sandy McGrawC
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At Eepers I mind me when rank upon rankH
We rose from the trenches and swept like the galeI
Till the rapid fire guns got us fell on the flankH
And the murderin' bullets came swishin' like hailI
Till a' that were left o' us faltered and brokeJ
Till it seemed for a moment a panicky routF
When shrill through the fume and the flash and the smokeJ
The wee valiant voice o' a whistle piped outF
The Campbells are Comin'' Then into the frayC
We bounded wi' bayonets reekin' and rawC
And oh we fair revelled in glory that dayC
Jist thanks to the whistle o' Sandy McGrawC
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At Loose it wis after a sconnersome fechtF
On the field o' the slain I wis crawlin' abootF
And the rockets were burnin' red holes in the nichtF
And the guns they were veciously thunderin' ootF
When sudden I heard a bit sound like a sighK
And there in a crump hole a kiltie I sawC
Whit ails ye ma lad Are ye woundit says IK
I've lost ma wee whustle says Sandy McGrawC
'Twas oot by yon bing where we pressed the attackL
It drapped frae ma pooch and between noo and dawnD
There isna much time so I'm jist crawlin' backL
Ye're daft man I telt him but Sandy wis goneD
Weel I waited a wee then I crawled oot maselI
And the big stuff wis gorin' and roarin' aroundF
And I seemed tae be under the oxter o' hellI
And Creation wis crackin' tae bits by the soundF
And I says in ma mind Gang ye back ye auld fuleI
When I thrilled tae a note that wis saucy and sma'G
And there in a crater collected and coolI
Wi' his wee penny whistle wis Sandy McGrawC
Ay there he wis playin' as gleg as could beM
And listenin' hard wis a spectacled BocheN
Then Sandy turned roon' and he noddit tae meM
And he says Dinna blab on me Sergeant McToshN
The auld chap is deein' He likes me tae playI
It's makin' him happy Jist see his een shineD
And thrillin' and sweet in the hert o' the frayI
Wee Sandy wis playin' The Watch on the RhineD
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The last scene o' a' 'twas the day that we tookO
That bit o' black ruin they ca' LabbiesellI
It seemed the hale hillside jist shivered and shookO
And the red skies were roarin' and spewin' oot shellI
And the Sergeants were cursin' tae keep us in handF
And hard on the leash we were strainin' like dugsC
When upward we shot at the word o' commandF
And the bullets were dingin' their songs in oor lugsC
And onward we swept wi' a yell and a cheerC
And a' wis destruction confusion and dinD
And we knew that the trench o' the Boches wis nearC
And it seemed jist the safest bit hole tae be inD
So we a' tumbled doon and the Boches were thereC
And they held up their hands and they yelled KamaradF
And I merched aff wi' ten wi' their palms in the airC
And my I wis prood like and my I wis gladF
And I thocht if ma lassie could see me jist thenD
When sudden I sobered at somethin' I sawC
And I stopped and I stared and I halted ma menD
For there on a stretcher wis Sandy McGrawC
Weel he looks in ma face jist as game as ye pleaseC
Ye ken hoo I hate tae be workin' says heM
But noo I can play in the street for bawbeesC
Wi' baith o' ma legs taken aff at the kneeM
And though I could see he wis rackit wi' painD
He reached for his whistle and stertit tae playI
And quaverin' sweet wis the pensive refrainD
The floors o' the forest are a' wede awayI
Then sudden he stoppit Man wis it no grandF
Hoo we took a' them trenches He shakit his heidF
I'll no play nae mair feebly doon frae his handF
Slipped the wee penny whistle and Sandy wis deidF
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And so you may talk o' your Steinways and StradsC
Your wonderful organs and brasses sae brawC
But oot in the trenches jist gie me ma ladsC
Yon wee penny whistle o' Sandy McGrawC

Robert William Service



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