The Bonie Wee Thing
written in 1791
The Bonie Wee Thing - meaning Summary
Petite Love and Protective Desire
A brief love lyric in which the speaker admires and longs for a small, beloved figure — repeatedly called a "bonie wee thing." The poem combines tender diminutives with protective feeling: the speaker wants to keep the beloved close "in my bosom" to prevent loss. Praise for wit, grace, love, and beauty condenses into a devotional tone, framing attraction as both desire and duty. The repeated stanza reinforces the speaker’s anxious affection and the wish to possess and safeguard the object of love.
Read Complete AnalysesBonie wee thing, cannie wee thing, Lovely wee thing, wert thou mine, I wad wear thee in my bosom, Lest my jewel it should tine. Wishfully I look and languish In that bonie face o' thine, And my heart it stounds wi' anguish, Lest my wee thing be na mine. Bonie wee thing, cannie wee thing, Lovely wee thing, wert thou mine, I wad wear thee in my bosom, Lest my jewel it should tine. Wit, and Grace, and Love, and Beauty, In ae constellation shine; To adore thee is my duty, Goddess o' this soul o' mine! Bonie wee thing, cannie wee thing, Lovely wee thing, wert thou mine, I wad wear thee in my bosom, Lest my jewel it should tine.
Feel free to be first to leave comment.