The Charming Month of May
written in 1794
The Charming Month of May - context Summary
Composed in 1794
Written in 1794, this brief pastoral celebrates spring and youthful beauty rather than advancing a complex argument. The speaker fondly watches Chloe at dawn in a landscape of blooming meadows and singing birds. Refrain and repetition give it a songlike, celebratory tone. As a late-18th-century piece by Robert Burns, it aligns with his well-known production of short, lyrical pieces that idealize rural life and affectionate admiration. The poem functions as an immediate, picturesque vignette of seasonal joy and romantic appreciation more than as a reflective or narrative statement.
Read Complete AnalysesLovely was she by the dawn, Youthful Chloe, charming Chloe, Tripping o'er the pearly lawn, The youthful, charming Chloe. It was the charming month of May, When all the flow'rs were fresh and gay. One morning, by the break of day, The youthful, charming Chloe - From peaceful slumber she arose, Girt on her mantle and her hose, And o'er the flow'ry mead she goes - The youthful, charming Chloe. The feather'd people you might see Perch'd all around on every tree, In notes of sweetest melody They hail the charming Chloe; Till, painting gay the eastern skies, The glorious sun began to rise, Outrival'd by the radiant eyes Of youthful, charming Chloe. Lovely was she by the dawn, Youthful Chloe, charming Chloe, Tripping o'er the pearly lawn, The youthful, charming Chloe.
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