Hey, the Dusty Miller by Robert Burns
The speaker celebrates the dusty Miller, whose dusty coat, colour, kiss, sack, and work are all affectionately praised. The Miller earns or spends money, fills his peck through his calling, and brings in “dusty siller.” The speaker values him so highly that she would give her coatie for him.
By Robert Burns · First published 1792 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Scottish Folk Song, Love Poetry · 127 words
First lines
Hey, the dusty Miller, / And his dusty coat, / He will win a shilling, / Or he spend a groat: / Dusty was the coat, / Dusty was the colour, / Dusty was the kiss / That I gat frae the Miller.
Hey, the dusty Miller, / And his dusty sack; / Leeze me on the calling / Fills the dusty peck: / Fills the dusty peck, / Brings the dusty siller; / I wad gie my coatie / For the dusty Miller.
What this Textopian page supports
Hey, the Dusty Miller is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1792 CE.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: 1792 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Scottish Folk Song, Love Poetry, Pastoral Poetry, Comic Poetry
- Length: 127 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — A short, musical poem structured in two rhyming stanzas, expressing a speaker's lively admiration for the miller.
- Scottish Folk Song — Written in Scots dialect with a repetitive, singable refrain-like structure, it draws on traditional Scottish rural song conventions.
- Love Poetry — The speaker affectionately celebrates the dusty miller and declares a willingness to give up her coat for him.
- Pastoral Poetry — Its central figure, occupation, and imagery—milling, grain sacks, pecks, and rural earnings—belong to an agrarian setting.
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · lyric poem · love song · admiration · working-class romance · miller · mill work · flour dust · dusty clothing · dusty kiss · mill sack · grain measure