My Bonie Mary by Robert Burns (1792)
The speaker asks for a pint of wine in a silver tassie so that he may drink a farewell service to his bonie lassie before departing. A boat waits at the pier of Leith amid loud wind, while a ship passes Berwick-law, and he must leave his bonie Mary. Although trumpets, banners, ordered spears, distant war cries, and a deep, bloody battle surround his departure, neither the sea’s noise nor the sounds of war make him reluctant to go as much as the pain of leaving Mary.
By Robert Burns · First published 1792 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Love Poetry, Farewell Poetry · 179 words
First lines
Go, fetch to me a pint o' wine, / And fill it in a silver tassie; / That I may drink before I go, / A service to my bonie lassie. / The boat rocks at the pier o' Leith; / Fu' loud the wind blaws frae the Ferry; / The ship rides by the Berwick-law, / And I maun leave my bonie Mary.
The trumpets sound, the banners fly, / The glittering spears are ranked ready: / The shouts o' war are heard afar, / The battle closes deep and bloody; / It's not the roar o' sea or shore, / Wad mak me langer wish to tarry! / Nor shouts o' war that's heard afar- / It's leaving thee, my bonie Mary!
Similar titles
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a concise, songlike poem centered on the speaker's personal emotion, using rhythmic stanzas, repetition, and direct address.
- Love Poetry — Its primary subject is the speaker's painful separation from his beloved Mary, whom he honors with a farewell toast.
- Farewell Poetry — The poem dramatizes an imminent departure by ship and repeatedly emphasizes the sorrow of leaving 'my bonie Mary.'
- Scottish Poetry — Burns employs Scots dialect, Scottish locations such as Leith and Berwick Law, and cultural vocabulary including 'tassie' and 'bonie.'
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · lyric poem · farewell song · love and separation · departing lover · soldier leaving for war · bonnie lass · romantic devotion · parting toast · wine and silver cup · Leith pier · Scottish coastal setting
What this Textopian page supports
My Bonie Mary 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, Love Poetry, Farewell Poetry, Scottish Poetry, War Poetry
- Length: 179 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for My Bonie Mary by Robert Burns
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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