The Laddie's Dear Sel' by Robert Burns
The poem describes a handsome, finely dressed youth whom the local lassies would regret losing. Though he courts several attractive and well-endowed women, including Meg, Susie, and Nancy, his chief attraction is their money. In the end, his greatest love is himself.
By Robert Burns · First published 1792 · Genre: Scottish lyric poetry, Satirical poetry, Love poetry · 225 words
First lines
There's a youth in this city, it were a great pity / That he from our lassies should wander awa'; / For he's bonie and braw, weel-favor'd witha', / An' his hair has a natural buckle an' a'.
His coat is the hue o' his bonnet sae blue, / His fecket is white as the new-driven snaw; / His hose they are blae, and his shoon like the slae, / And his clear siller buckles, they dazzle us a'.
For beauty and fortune the laddie's been courtin; / Weel-featur'd, weel-tocher'd, weel-mounted an' braw; / But chiefly the siller that gars him gang till her, / The penny's the jewel that beautifies a'.
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Genres
- Scottish lyric poetry — Written in Scots dialect with compact, musical stanzas, the work is primarily a lyric poem in the Scottish song tradition.
- Satirical poetry — The poem humorously exposes the young man's vanity and mercenary courtship, culminating in the joke that he loves himself best.
- Love poetry — Its subject is courtship and romantic desirability, though it treats these matters ironically rather than sentimentally.
- Comic poetry — Exaggerated praise of the laddie's appearance, clothing, wealth, and numerous admirers produces a playful comic effect.
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · Scots language · lyric poem · courtship satire · romantic mercenary motives · self-love · vanity · materialism · marriage and money · dowries · fortune hunting · handsome young man
What this Textopian page supports
The Laddie's Dear Sel' 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: Scottish lyric poetry, Satirical poetry, Love poetry, Comic poetry, Social commentary
- Length: 225 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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