Analysis of Honister Crag, Cumberland
Letitia Elizabeth Landon 1802 (Chelsea) – 1838 (Cape Coast)
In this wild and picturesque glen a skirmish took place between the Elliotts and the Graemes, in which the young leader of the Scottish clan was slain, though his party were victorious. They buried him in an opening on the hillside ; and every clansman brought a fragment of rock, to raise a rude monument to his honour. On the summit of the pile they placed his bonnet, shield, and claymore, that neither friend nor foe should pass irreverently the youthful warrior’s grave.”
Not where the green grass hides
His kindred before him ;
Not where his native trees
Droop to deplore him ;
But in the stranger’s land
Must we bestow him.
Leave there his sword and shield,
That all may know him.
Never was fairer youth,
Never was bolder ;
Who would have met his sword
A few summers older !
Ne’er will our chieftain’s line
Yield such another ;
Who can, amid us all !
Tell it his mother.
The country in this part is filled with traditions that record, and ballads that celebrate anecdotes of the predatory warfare then so general. The following ballad was communicated to me by a friend, who has the usual vivid memory of childhood on subjects connected with its early impressions. Not only has it never been published, but it is so curious and quaint, that I cannot resist its insertion here. At least, it is illustrative of the wild scenery haunted by yet wilder memories.
THE lord said to his ladie,
As he mounted his horse,
Beware of Long Lonkin
That lies in the moss.
The lord said to his ladie
As he rode away,
Beware of Long Lonkin,
That lies in the clay.
What care I for Lonkin,
Or any of his gang,
My doors are all shut,
And my windows penn’d in ?
There were six little windows,
And they were all shut,
But one little window,
And that was forgot.
* * * * * * *
* * * * *
And at that little window
Long Lonkin crept in.
Where’s the lord of the hall ?
Says the Lonkin ;
He’s gone up to London,
Says Orange to him.
Where are the men of the hall ?
Says the Lonkin ;
They are at the field ploughing,
Says Orange to him.
Where are the maids of the hall ?
Says the Lonkin ;
They are at the well, washing,
Says Orange to him.
Where are the ladies of the hall ?
Says the Lonkin ;
They are up in their chambers,
Says Orange to him.
How shall we get them down ?
Says the Lonkin ;
Prick the babe in the cradle,
Says Orange to him.
Rock well my cradle,
And be-ba my son ;
You shall have a new gown
When the lord he comes home.
Still she did prick it,
And be-ba she cried ;
Come down, dearest mistress,
And still your own child.
Oh! still my child Orange,
Still him with a bell ;
I can’t still him, ladie,
Till you come down yoursell.
Hold the gold bason
For your heart’s blood to run in ;
* * * * * * *
* * * * *
To hold the gold bason,
It grieves me full sore ;
Oh, kill me, dear Lonkin,
And let my mother go.
* * * * * *
* * * * *
* * * * * * *
* * * * *
Scheme | x xabacaxa xdxdedfd b CxEx CgEg ehij xikx kj fElA fEhA fExA fExA mEnA nlmx xxxx xxcf lj lxek |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 0110100101011010100101011010101111110001001101011001010100110101111011001111010101111101011101111110101001 110111 110011 111101 11011 100101 11011 111101 11111 101101 10110 111111 011010 1110101 11010 110111 11110 010011111010101010110101010011110001001010100111011101001010011110010111001011011101101111100011110011010111110100101100101110100 011111 111011 01111 11001 011111 11101 01111 11001 11111 110111 11111 011010 1011010 01011 111010 01101 1 1 0111010 1110 101101 101 111110 11011 1101101 101 111011 11011 1101101 101 1110110 11011 11010101 101 1110110 11011 111111 101 1010010 11011 11110 01111 111011 101111 11111 01111 111010 01111 111110 11101 11111 11111 10110 1111110 1 1 110110 11111 11111 011101 1 1 1 1 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 3,068 |
Words | 560 |
Sentences | 34 |
Stanzas | 20 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 8, 8, 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 82 |
Letters per line (avg) | 26 |
Words per line (avg) | 9 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 106 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 37 |
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