The Captain's Lady by Robert Burns
The singer urges a beloved to prepare herself to become the Captain’s lady. She is promised a place of honour while her love fights amid drums and cannons. After the enemy is defeated and seeks peace, the pair will withdraw to the shades to enjoy love together.
By Robert Burns · First published 1792 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Love Poetry, Military Poetry · 164 words
First lines
Chorus. -O mount and go, mount and make you ready, / O mount and go, and be the Captain's lady.
When the drums do beat, and the cannons rattle, / Thou shalt sit in state, and see thy love in battle: / When the drums do beat, and the cannons rattle, / Thou shalt sit in state, and see thy love in battle. / O mount and go, &c.
When the vanquish'd foe sues for peace and quiet, / To the shades we'll go, and in love enjoy it: / When the vanquish'd foe sues for peace and quiet, / To the shades we'll go, and in love enjoy it. / O mount and go, &c.
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is a short verse lyric structured around a recurring chorus and compact stanzas, emphasizing musical rhythm, repetition, and emotional expression.
- Love Poetry — Its central subject is romantic devotion: the speaker invites the beloved to become the captain's lady and anticipates private enjoyment together after the conflict.
- Military Poetry — Drums, cannons, battle, conquest, and a defeated foe seeking peace establish a strongly martial setting and vocabulary.
- Song — The repeated refrain, chorus designation, direct address, and rhythmic phrasing indicate that the poem is written as a song or song lyric.
Tags
Scottish song · lyric poetry · courtship · romantic love · military romance · captain · soldier's beloved · battlefield · drums and cannons · martial imagery · honour and status · love in wartime
What this Textopian page supports
The Captain's Lady 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, Military Poetry, Song, Pastoral Poetry
- Length: 164 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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