Analysis of My Nannie, O

Robert Burns 1759 (Alloway) – 1796 (Dumfries)



Behind yon hills, where Lugar flows,
    'Mang moors an' mosses many, O,
The wintry sun the day has clos'd,
    And I'll awa to Nannie, O.

The westlin wind blaws loud and shill;
    The night's baith mirk an' rainy, O;
But I'll get my plaid, an' out I'll steal,
    An' owre the hills to Nannie, O.

My Nannie's charming, sweet, an' young:
    Nae artfu' wiles to Will ye, O:
May ill befa' the flattering tongue
    That wad beguile my Nannie, O.

Her face is fair, her heart is true,
    She's spotless as she's bonnie, O:
The op'ning gowan, wet wi' dew,
    Nae purer is than Nannie, O.

A country lad is my degree,
    And few there be that ken me, O;
But what care I how few they be
    I'm welcome aye to Nannie, O.

My riches a' 's my penny-fee,
    An' I maun guide it cannie, O;
But warl's gear ne'er troubles me,
    My thoughts are a' my Nannie, O.

Our auld guidman delights to view
    His sheep and kye thrive bonnie, O;
But I'm as blythe that hauds his pleugh,
    An' has nae care but Nannie, O.

Come weel, come woe, I care na by,
    I'll tak' what Heav'n will sen' me, O;
Nae ither care in life have I,
    But live, an' love my Nannie, O.


Scheme XAXA XAXA BABA CACA DADA DADA CAXA EAEA
Poetic Form Quatrain 
Metre 01111101 11110101 01010111 011111 0111101 01111101 111111111 1101111 1110111 1111111 11101001 1101111 01110111 11011101 01110111 1101111 01011101 01111111 11111111 1101111 110011101 1111111 1111101 1110111 10110111 11011101 11111111 1111111 11111111 11111111 1110111 1111111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,128
Words 220
Sentences 9
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 98
Words per stanza (avg) 27
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:10 min read
145

Robert Burns

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist. more…

All Robert Burns poems | Robert Burns Books

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