Merry Hae I Been Teethin a Heckle
written in 1785
Merry Hae I Been Teethin a Heckle - meaning Summary
Work, Song, and Kissing
Burns presents a speaker who takes pleasure in manual crafts, song, and affectionate nights with a woman named Katie. The poem balances everyday labor—shaping a spoon, mending a kettle—with recurrent moments of kissing and contentment. That warmth is offset by a bitter aside about marrying Bess, which the speaker treats with resentment and dark humor, implying regret over an earlier relationship. Overall the voice is earthy and candid, celebrating present sensual and domestic joys while acknowledging a complicated romantic past.
Read Complete AnalysesO Merry hae I been teethin' a heckle, An' merry hae I been shapin' a spoon; O merry hae I been cloutin' a kettle, An' kissin' my Katie when a' was done. O a' the lang day I ca' at my hammer, An' a' the lang day I whistle and sing; O a' the lang night I cuddle my kimmer, An' a' the lang night as happy's a king. Bitter in dool I lickit my winnins O' marrying Bess, to gie her a slave: Blest be the hour she cool'd in her linnens, And blythe be the bird that sings on her grave! Come to my arms, my Katie, my Katie; O come to my arms and kiss me again! Drucken or sober, here's to thee, Katie! An' blest be the day I did it again.
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