To Miss Cruickshank, a Very Young Lady
written in 1789
To Miss Cruickshank, a Very Young Lady - fact Summary
A Dedication to Youth
This short dedicatory poem by Robert Burns addresses Miss Cruickshank as an emblematic young woman. In plain pastoral imagery the speaker likens her to a fresh rosebud and wishes her protection from harsh winds, pests, and premature fading. The later stanzas foresee a peaceful, natural end: the flower maturing, beloved by birds, then dying gracefully back to earth. The tone is affectionate and protective, framing youthful beauty as something to be preserved until a tranquil, dignified decline. It reads as a personal compliment couched in conventional nature symbolism.
Read Complete AnalysesBeauteous rose-bud, young and gay, Blooming on thy early May, Never may'st thou, lovely Flower, Chilly shrink in sleety shower! Never Boreas' hoary path, Never Eurus' pois'nous breath, Never baleful stellar lights, Taint thee with untimely blights! Never, never reptile thief Riot on thy virgin leaf! Nor even Sol too fiercely view Thy bosom blushing still with dew! Mayst thou long, sweet crimson gem, Richly deck thy native stem; Till some evening, sober, calm, Dropping dews, and breathing balm, While all around the woodland rings, And ev'ry bird thy requiem sings; Thou, amid the dirgeful sound, Shed thy dying honours round, And resign to Parent Earth The loveliest form she e'er gave birth.
Feel free to be first to leave comment.