The Ronalds of the Bennals by Robert Burns
The Ronalds of the Bennals are praised as the finest young people in Tarbolton. Their father is a laird with enough wealth to provide generous dowries, giving suitable young men hundreds of gold guineas. Jean Ronald is celebrated for beauty, good sense, taste, and conduct; unlike merely physical charms, her qualities of mind grow more admirable with time. She has powerful suitors: the Laird of Blackbyre would go through fire to win her, the Laird of Braehead has pursued her for more than a year or two, and the Laird of the Ford would lie stretched on a board if he could not have her. Anna Ronald, the pride of her family and the delight of local bachelors, is described as sweet, complete, and able to steal men’s affections. The speaker says that, even among the best local women, the Ronald sisters would shine as the sweetest and best. The speaker loves Anna but feels restrained by poverty, since writing rhymes and occasional work bring little income. Nevertheless, he refuses to surrender his pride or place himself in a position where she could reject him. Though unable to ride grandly like wealthy men, he insists that he can hold his head high among them. He lists his respectable Scottish coat and vest, two pairs of good breeches, stockings, pumps, several new shirts, a hat, and a Holland cravat, claiming that few poets are so well dressed. He has inherited no money and has no rich aunts to serve for gain, but he neither hoards nor borrows: he has little to spend and nothing to lend, yet owes no one a shilling.
By Robert Burns · First published 1787 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Scottish Vernacular Poetry, Love Poetry · 773 words
First lines
In Tarbolton, ye ken, there are proper young men, / And proper young lasses and a', man; / But ken ye the Ronalds that live in the Bennals, / They carry the gree frae them a', man.
Their father's laird, and weel he can spare't, / Braid money to tocher them a', man; / To proper young men, he'll clink in the hand / Gowd guineas a hunder or twa, man.
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — A short, first-person verse poem expressing admiration, desire, pride, and social observation through regular stanzas and a recurring refrain.
- Scottish Vernacular Poetry — The poem is written prominently in Scots dialect, using vocabulary and idioms such as 'braw,' 'bonie,' 'laird,' 'awa,' and 'ken,' and is rooted in Ayrshire local culture.
- Love Poetry — Its central subject is the speaker's admiration for Jean and Anna Ronald, especially his restrained personal attraction to Anna.
- Courtship Poetry — The poem presents eligible women, their prospective suitors, dowries, rival lovers, and the speaker's own hesitation to declare his affection.
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · 18th-century Scotland · Tarbolton · rural Ayrshire · courtship · admiration of women · the Ronald sisters · Jean Ronald · Anna Ronald · female beauty and virtue · inner beauty · marriage prospects
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The Ronalds of the Bennals is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1787 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: 1787 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Scottish Vernacular Poetry, Love Poetry, Courtship Poetry, Pastoral Poetry
- Length: 773 words
- Structure: 1 section, 15 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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