Bonie Dundee by Robert Burns (1792)
The speaker tenderly blesses a child whose lips, eyes, and smiles remind her of her beloved soldier. Her affection for the child grows because of that likeness. She promises to build a dwelling on the fair banks where the Tay flows clearly, to dress the child in fine tartan, and to make him a man like his dear father.
By Robert Burns · First published 1792 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Scots Poetry, Love Poetry · 97 words
First lines
My blessin's upon thy sweet wee lippie! / My blessin's upon thy e'e-brie! / Thy smiles are sae like my blythe sodger laddie, / Thou's aye the dearer, and dearer to me!
But I'll big a bow'r on yon bonie banks, / Whare Tay rins wimplin' by sae clear; / An' I'll cleed thee in the tartan sae fine, / And mak thee a man like thy daddie dear.
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a short, emotionally direct lyric expressing tenderness, affection, and private feeling through musical Scots-language verse.
- Scots Poetry — It is written prominently in Scots dialect, using vocabulary and phrasing such as 'wee lippie,' 'e'e-brie,' 'sae,' and 'blythe sodger laddie.'
- Love Poetry — The speaker affectionately blesses and cherishes the child, whose resemblance to the beloved soldier-father intensifies the poem's loving sentiment.
- Domestic Poetry — Its subject is intimate family life: a parent or maternal speaker addresses a child and imagines clothing and raising him in memory of his father.
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · lyric poem · maternal affection · mother and child · beloved child · absent father · soldier father · family resemblance · blessing · tenderness · love and devotion · domestic aspiration
What this Textopian page supports
Bonie Dundee is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1792 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: 1792 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Scots Poetry, Love Poetry, Domestic Poetry, Pastoral Poetry
- Length: 97 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
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