Analysis of MacGregor's Gathering

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



The moon's on the lake, and the mist's on the brae,
And the Clan has a name that is nameless by day;
Then gather, gather, gather Grigalach!
Gather, gather, gather Grigalach!

Our signal for fight, that from monarchs we drew,
Must be heard but by night in our vengeful haloo!
Then haloo, Grigalach! haloo, Grigalach!
Haloo, haloo, haloo, Grigalach!

Glen Orchy's proud mountains, Coalchuirn and her towers,
Glenstrae and Glenlyon no longer are ours;
We're landless, landless, landless, Grigalach!
Landless, landless, landless, Grigalach!

But doom'd and devoted by vassal and lord,
MacGregor has still both his heart and his sword!
Then courage, courage, courage, Grigalach!
Courage, courage, courage, Grigalach!

If they rob us of name, and pursue us with beagles,
Give their roofs to the flame, and their flesh to the eagles!
Then vengeance, vengeance, vengeance, Grigalach!
Vengeance, vengeance, vengeance, Grigalach!

While there's leaves in the forest, and foam on the river,
MacGregor despite them, shall flourish for ever!
Come then Grigalach, come then Grigalach,
Come then, come then, come then Grigalach!

Through the depths of Loch Katrine the steed shall career,
O'er the peak of Ben Lomond the galley shall steer,
The rocks of Craig-Royston like icicles melt,
Ere our wrongs be forgot, or our vengeance unfelt!
Then gather, gather, gather Grigalach!
Gather, gather, gather Grigalach!


Scheme aaBB xxbb ccbb ddbb eebb ffbb ggxdBB
Poetic Form
Metre 01101001101 001101111011 11010101 1010101 10101111111 111111010101 11111 1111 1111010010 101110110 11010101 1010101 11001011001 01011111011 11010101 1010101 1111110011110 1111010111010 11010101 1010101 1110010011010 010011110110 111111 1111111 10111101101 100111101011 01111011001 1101101110101 11010101 1010101
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,397
Words 219
Sentences 20
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 6
Lines Amount 30
Letters per line (avg) 36
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 156
Words per stanza (avg) 31
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 03, 2023

1:07 min read
198

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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