I Dream'd I Lay

Robert Burns 1759 (Alloway) – 1796 (Dumfries)



I dream'd I lay where flowers were springing
Gaily in the sunny beam;
List'ning to the wild birds singing,
By a falling crystal stream:
Straight the sky grew black and daring;
Thro' the woods the whirlwinds rave;
Tress with aged arms were warring,
O'er the swelling drumlie wave.

Such was my life's deceitful morning,
Such the pleasures I enjoyed:
But lang or noon, loud tempests storming
A' my flowery bliss destroy'd.
Tho' fickle fortune has deceiv'd me-
She promis'd fair, and perform'd but ill,
Of mony a joy and hope bereav'd me-
I bear a heart shall support me still.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 20, 2023

33 sec read
171

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABACAC ADADEFEF
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 566
Words 102
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 8

Robert Burns

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist. more…

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