My Eppie Adair by Robert Burns
The speaker joyfully declares his devotion to Eppie Adair, calling her his jewel and insisting that anyone would be happy with her. He swears, by love, beauty, law, and duty, to remain true to her. He further vows that pleasure should abandon him and dishonour stain him if he ever deceives or betrays Eppie.
By Robert Burns · First published 1792 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Love Poetry, Scottish Poetry · 155 words
First lines
Chorus. -An' O my Eppie, my jewel, my Eppie, / Wha wad na be happy wi' Eppie Adair?
By love, and by beauty, by law, and by duty, / I swear to be true to my Eppie Adair! / By love, and by beauty, by law, and by duty, / I swear to be true to my Eppie Adair! / And O my Eppie, &c.
A' pleasure exile me, dishonour defile me, / If e'er I beguile ye, my Eppie Adair! / A' pleasure exile me, dishonour defile me, / If e'er I beguile thee, my Eppie Adair! / And O my Eppie, &c.
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a short, highly musical poem centered on personal emotion, repetition, refrain, and direct address to the beloved.
- Love Poetry — Its principal theme is the speaker's devoted love for Eppie Adair and his solemn promise of fidelity.
- Scottish Poetry — Burns writes in Scots dialect, using forms such as 'wha,' 'wad,' 'a',' and 'ye,' placing the poem firmly in the Scottish vernacular tradition.
- Song — The recurring chorus, regular phrasing, and repeated declarations make the poem structured as a singable love song.
Tags
Scottish song · love lyric · romantic devotion · faithfulness · vow of fidelity · courtship · beloved woman · admiration of beauty · joyful speaker · refrain · chorus · Scottish vernacular
What this Textopian page supports
My Eppie Adair 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, Scottish Poetry, Song, Pastoral Love Song
- Length: 155 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
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