Highland Harry Back Again by Robert Burns
The speaker mourns the banishment of her beloved Highland Harry, once a gallant, cheerful, stately figure on the plain. She longs so intensely for his return that she would surrender all of Knockhaspie’s land to have him back. While others sleep, she wanders sadly through the glen, sits weeping, and repeatedly wishes for Harry’s restoration. Her grief turns to bitter anger against unnamed villains: she wishes they were hanged and that every person received what was due to them, believing such justice would allow her to see Highland Harry return.
By Robert Burns · First published 1792 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Scottish Folk Song, Lament · 180 words
First lines
My Harry was a gallant gay, / Fu' stately strade he on the plain; / But now he's banish'd far away, / I'll never see him back again.
Chorus. -O for him back again! / O for him back again! / I wad gie a' Knockhaspie's land / For Highland Harry back again.
When a' the lave gae to their bed, / I wander dowie up the glen; / I set me down and greet my fill, / And aye I wish him back again. / O for him, &c.
O were some villains hangit high, / And ilka body had their ain! / Then I might see the joyfu' sight, / My Highland Harry back again. / O for him, &c.
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a brief, highly emotional first-person lyric focused on the speaker's longing for the return of Highland Harry.
- Scottish Folk Song — Its refrain, simple stanzas, Scots language, and singable emotional repetition place it strongly in the Scottish folk-song tradition.
- Lament — The speaker mourns Harry's banishment, wanders sorrowfully at night, weeps, and repeatedly wishes for his return.
- Love Song — Harry is described admiringly as "gallant" and "gay," while the speaker's personal grief and desire to see him again suggest romantic attachment.
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · Scottish Highlands · Highland landscape · glen · Knockhaspie · banishment · separation · longing for return · lament · love and devotion · absent beloved · female speaker
What this Textopian page supports
Highland Harry Back Again 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, Scottish Folk Song, Lament, Love Song, Ballad
- Length: 180 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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