Analysis of Here's To Thy Health
Robert Burns 1759 (Alloway) – 1796 (Dumfries)
Tune - "Laggan Burn."
Here's to thy health, my bonie lass,
Gude nicht and joy be wi' thee;
I'll come nae mair to thy bower-door,
To tell thee that I lo'e thee.
O dinna think, my pretty pink,
But I can live without thee:
I vow and swear I dinna care,
How lang ye look about ye.
Thou'rt aye sae free informing me,
Thou hast nae mind to marry;
I'll be as free informing thee,
Nae time hae I to tarry:
I ken thy frien's try ilka means
Frae wedlock to delay thee;
Depending on some higher chance,
But fortune may betray thee.
I ken they scorn my low estate,
But that does never grieve me;
For I'm as free as any he;
Sma' siller will relieve me.
I'll count my health my greatest wealth,
Sae lang as I'll enjoy it;
I'll fear nae scant, I'll bode nae want,
As lang's I get employment.
But far off fowls hae feathers fair,
And, aye until ye try them,
Tho' they seem fair, still have a care;
They may prove waur than I am.
But at twal' at night, when the moon shines bright,
My dear, I'll come and see thee;
For the man that loves his mistress weel,
Nae travel makes him weary.
Scheme | X XAXAXABA AAAAXAXA XAAAXXXX BXBXXAXA |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111 1111111 1101111 111111101 11111111 1111101 1111011 1101111 1111011 11110101 1111110 11110101 1111110 11111101 111011 01011101 1101011 11111101 1111011 11111101 1101011 11111101 1111011 11111111 1111010 11111101 0101111 11111101 1111111 1111110111 1111011 101111101 1101110 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,043 |
Words | 215 |
Sentences | 9 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 33 |
Letters per line (avg) | 24 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 159 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 42 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:08 min read
- 132 Views
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