Winter: A Dirge

Robert Burns 1759 (Alloway) – 1796 (Dumfries)



The wintry west extends his blast,
And hail and rain does blaw;
Or the stormy north sends driving forth
The blinding sleet and snaw:
While, tumbling brown, the burn comes down,
And roars frae bank to brae;
And bird and beast in covert rest,
And pass the heartless day.

"The sweeping blast, the sky o'ercast,"
The joyless winter day
Let others fear, to me more dear
Than all the pride of May:
The tempest's howl, it soothes my soul,
My griefs it seems to join;
The leafless trees my fancy please,
Their fate resembles mine!

Thou Power Supreme, whose mighty scheme
These woes of mine fulfil,
Here firm I rest; they must be best,
Because they are Thy will!
Then all I want-O do Thou grant
This one request of mine!-
Since to enjoy Thou dost deny,
Assist me to resign.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 14, 2023

43 sec read
198

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABXCCDED ADXDBCXC XBEBXCCC
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 749
Words 145
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8

Robert Burns

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist. more…

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