Lovely Polly Stewart
written in 1791
Lovely Polly Stewart - meaning Summary
Enduring Praise of a Beloved
This short lyric is a straightforward declaration of admiration and hope. The speaker praises Polly Stewart’s sweetness by contrasting her with a transient flower, arguing that while blooms fade, Polly’s worth and truth grant her lasting youth. The poem moves from praise to a benediction: the speaker wishes that any man who embraces her will have a faithful heart and thereby grasp heaven through her. Its tone is simple, affectionate, and moralizing, emphasizing constancy and inner worth over physical beauty.
Read Complete AnalysesO lovely Polly Stewart! O charming Polly Stewart! There's ne'er a flower that blooms in May, That's hauf sae sweet as thou art. The flower it blaws, it fades, it fa's, And art can ne'er renew it; But Worth and Truth, eternal youth Will gie to Polly Stewart. May he, whase arms shall fauld thy charms, Possess a leal and true heart! To him be given, to ken the Heaven He grasps in Polly Stewart! O lovely Polly Stewart! O charming Polly Stewart! There's ne'er a flower that blooms in May, That's hauf sae sweet as thou art.
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