My Hoggie by Robert Burns (1790)
The speaker anxiously laments that Hoggie, their only beast and chief source of joy and pride, may die. During a long night guarding the sheepfold with a faithful dog, the speaker hears the roaring linn among rough braes, then the cries of an owl, a blitter from the bog, and a fox answering from the hill. Frightened for Hoggie’s safety, the speaker keeps watch until dawn, when, in the foggy morning, a strange dog leaps over the dyke and nearly kills Hoggie.
By Robert Burns · First published 1790 · Genre: Pastoral Poetry, Scottish Vernacular Poetry, Comic Poetry · 170 words
First lines
What will I do gin my Hoggie die? / My joy, my pride, my Hoggie! / My only beast, I had nae mae, / And vow but I was vogie! / The lee-lang night we watch'd the fauld, / Me and my faithfu' doggie; / We heard nocht but the roaring linn, / Amang the braes sae scroggie.
But the houlet cry'd frau the castle wa', / The blitter frae the boggie; / The tod reply'd upon the hill, / I trembled for my Hoggie. / When day did daw, and cocks did craw, / The morning it was foggie; / An unco tyke, lap o'er the dyke, / And maist has kill'd my Hoggie!
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Genres
- Pastoral Poetry — The poem centers on a rural speaker, his treasured hog, a fold, a faithful dog, hills, bogs, and the dangers of the countryside.
- Scottish Vernacular Poetry — It is written prominently in Scots dialect, using words such as 'nae,' 'fauld,' 'braes,' 'tod,' and 'tyke,' a defining feature of Burns's vernacular verse.
- Comic Poetry — The speaker's exaggerated anguish over his sole pig and the mock-dramatic suspense surrounding its near death create a humorous effect.
- Animal Poetry — The hog is the poem's emotional focus, while the dog, owl, fox, and threatening stray dog shape its action and atmosphere.
Tags
Scottish pastoral poetry · vernacular Scots · rural life · shepherding · sheepfold · livestock · animal companionship · anxiety · fear of loss · night watch · faithful dog · dawn
What this Textopian page supports
My Hoggie is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1790 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: 1790 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Pastoral Poetry, Scottish Vernacular Poetry, Comic Poetry, Animal Poetry, Rural Life Poetry
- Length: 170 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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