Awa' Whigs, Awa' by Robert Burns
The speaker condemns the Whigs as traitorous men who can do no good. Their arrival is compared to a June frost that destroys flourishing thistles, roses, and prosperity. The speaker laments that the ancient crown has fallen into dust and curses those who gave the Whigs power. Claiming that church and state have fallen into a decay beyond description, the speaker calls the Whigs a curse and foresees grim vengeance awakening, with royal heads hunted like a hare.
By Robert Burns · First published 1790 · Genre: Political Poetry, Satirical Poetry, Scottish Vernacular Poetry · 248 words
First lines
Chorus. -Awa' Whigs, awa'! / Awa' Whigs, awa'! / Ye're but a pack o' traitor louns, / Ye'll do nae gude at a'.
Our thrissles flourish'd fresh and fair, / And bonie bloom'd our roses; / But Whigs cam' like a frost in June, / An' wither'd a' our posies. / Awa' Whigs, &c.
Our ancient crown's fa'en in the dust- / Deil blin' them wi' the stoure o't! / An' write their names in his black beuk, / Wha gae the Whigs the power o't. / Awa' Whigs, &c.
Our sad decay in church and state / Surpasses my descriving: / The Whigs cam' o'er us for a curse, / An' we hae done wi' thriving. / Awa' Whigs, &c.
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Genres
- Political Poetry — The poem is an explicitly partisan attack on the Whigs, blaming them for national, religious, and royal decline.
- Satirical Poetry — Burns uses derisive insults, exaggerated condemnation, and hostile imagery to ridicule his political opponents.
- Scottish Vernacular Poetry — It is written prominently in Scots dialect, using forms such as 'awa',' 'nae,' 'cam',' and 'gude.'
- Song — Its recurring chorus, compact stanzas, and repeated refrain give it the structure of a political song or ballad.
Tags
Scottish political song · anti-Whig satire · royalist sentiment · Jacobite politics · treachery · political condemnation · church and state · national decline · fallen crown · monarchy · vengeance · political unrest
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Awa' Whigs, Awa' is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1790 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: 1790 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Political Poetry, Satirical Poetry, Scottish Vernacular Poetry, Song, Jacobite Poetry
- Length: 248 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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- Work identity for Awa' Whigs, Awa' by Robert Burns
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
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