Analysis of Border Ballad

Sir Walter Scott 1771 (College Wynd, Edinburgh) – 1832 (Abbotsford, Roxburghshire)



March, march, Ettrick and Teviotdale,
Why the deil dinna ye march forward in order!
March, march, Eskdale and Liddesdale,
All the Blue Bonnets are bound for the Border.
Many a banner spread,
Flutters above your head,
Many a crest that is famous in story.
Mount and make ready then,
Sons of the mountain glen,
Fight for the Queen and our old Scottish glory.

Come from the hills where your hirsels are grazing,
Come from the glen of the buck and the roe;
Come to the crag where the beacon is blazing,
Come with the buckler, the lance, and the bow.
Trumpets are sounding,
War-steeds are bounding,
Stand to your arms, then, and march in good order;
England shall many a day
Tell of the bloody fray,
When the Blue Bonnets came over the Border.


Scheme ABABCCDEED FXFXFFBGGB
Poetic Form Etheree  (35%)
Metre 11101 10111110010 11101 1011111010 100101 100111 10011110010 101101 110101 110101011010 1101111110 1101101001 11011010110 11010001001 10110 11110 11111010110 1011001 110101 1011110010
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 745
Words 136
Sentences 7
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 10, 10
Lines Amount 20
Letters per line (avg) 29
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 289
Words per stanza (avg) 67
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 13, 2023

40 sec read
175

Sir Walter Scott

Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, poet, playwright, and historian. more…

All Sir Walter Scott poems | Sir Walter Scott Books

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