O Mally's Meek, Mally's Sweet
written in 1788
O Mally's Meek, Mally's Sweet - meaning Summary
Praise of a Modest Maid
This short lyric praises a young woman called Mally, presenting her as modest, beautiful, and perfectly composed. The speaker admires both her physical features—hair, eyes, and feet—and her demeanor, framing her qualities as rare and complete. A brief encounter on the street emphasizes contrast between Mally’s apparent poverty (bare feet) and the speaker’s imagining of her in luxury, which heightens his idealization. The tone is affectionate and celebratory rather than narrative; the poem fixates on admiration and the speaker’s romantic projection onto the maid.
Read Complete AnalysesO Mally's meek, Mally's sweet, Mally's modest and discreet, Mally's rare, Mally's fair, Mally's ev'ry way compleat. As I was walking up the street, A barefit maid I chanc'd to meet, But O, the road was very hard For that fair maiden's tender feet. It were mair meet, that those fine feet Were weel laced up in silken shoon, And twere more fit that she should sit Within yon chariot gilt aboon, Her yellow hair, beyond compare, Comes trinkling down her swan white neck, And her two eyes, like stars in skies, Would keep a sinking ship frae wreck. O Mally's meek, Mally's sweet, Mally's modest and discreet, Mally's rare, Mally's fair, Mally's ev'ry way compleat.
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