Comin' Thro' the Rye
written in 1788
Comin' Thro' the Rye - meaning Summary
Chance Meetings, Private Acts
Burns' short lyric in Scots presents a frank, playful depiction of chance encounters on a rural path. Using a repeated chorus about a woman soaked comin thro' the rye
, the poem frames meetings between strangers as ordinary and intimate. The speaker treats kissing and sexual contact as natural and private — need a body cry
and need the warld ken
suggest that consent and discretion matter more than public judgment. The tone is conversational and teasing, normalizing bodily desire in a communal, lowland setting.
Comin thro' the rye, poor body, Comin thro' the rye, She draigl't a' her petticoatie Comin thro' the rye. Oh Jenny's a' weet, poor body, Jenny's seldom dry, She draigl't a' her petticoatie Comin thro' the rye. Gin a body meet a body Comin thro' the rye, Gin a body kiss a body Need a body cry. Gin a body meet a body Comin thro' the glen; Gin a body kiss a body Need the warld ken! Oh Jenny's a' weet, poor body, Jenny's seldom dry, She draigl't a' her petticoatie Comin thro' the rye.
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