O were my Love yon Lilac fair

Robert Burns 1759 (Alloway) – 1796 (Dumfries)



O WERE my Love yon lilac fair,
   Wi' purple blossoms to the spring,
And I a bird to shelter there,
   When wearied on my little wing;
How I wad mourn when it was torn
   By autumn wild and winter rude!
But I wad sing on wanton wing
   When youthfu' May its bloom renew'd.

O gin my Love were yon red rose
   That grows upon the castle wa',
And I mysel a drap o' dew,
   Into her bonnie breast to fa';
O there, beyond expression blest,
   I'd feast on beauty a' the night;
Seal'd on her silk-saft faulds to rest,
   Till fley'd awa' by Phoebus' light.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 08, 2023

33 sec read
176

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABXCBC XXXXDEDE
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 558
Words 107
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 8

Robert Burns

Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist. more…

All Robert Burns poems | Robert Burns Books

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    "O were my Love yon Lilac fair" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 31 Oct. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/30540/o-were-my-love-yon-lilac-fair>.

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