Philly and Willy
written in 1794
Philly and Willy - meaning Summary
Simple Pastoral Affection
This short dialogue presents a mutual, idealized love between Philly and Willy set in rural, seasonal imagery. Each speaker praises the beloved by comparing them to pleasant natural scenes and simple pleasures—harvest suns, swallows, roses, bees—while rejecting wealth and fortune. The poem frames affection as steady, reciprocal, and rooted in everyday country life rather than social ambition. Its tone is sincere and celebratory, emphasizing emotional constancy and the pleasure of shared rural experience. The exchange reads as an intimate vow of preference for one another above material or social gain.
Read Complete AnalysesHe O Philly, happy be that day, When roving thro' the gather'd hay, My youthfu' heart was stown away, And by thy charms, my Philly. She O Willy, ay I bless the grove Where first I own'd my maiden love, Whilst thou did pledge the Powers above, To be my ain dear Willy. He As Songsters of the early year, Are ilka day mair sweet to hear, So ilka day to me mair dear And charming is my Philly. She As on the brier the budding rose, Still richer breathes and fairer blows, So in my tender bosom grows The love I bear my Willy. He The milder sun and bluer sky That crown my harvest cares wi' joy, Were ne'er sae welcome to my eye As is a sight o' Philly. She The little swallow's wanton wing, Tho' wafting o'er the flowery Spring, Did ne'er to me sic tydings bring, As meeting o' my Willy. He The bee that thro the sunny hour Sips nectar in the opening flower, Compar'd wi' my delight is poor, Upon the lips o' Philly. She The woodbine in the dewy weet, When evening shades in silence meet, Is nocht sae fragrant or sae sweet As is a kiss o' Willy. He Let fortune's wheel at random run; And Fools may tyne, and Knaves may win; My thoughts are a' bound up on ane, And that's my ain dear Philly. She What's a' the joys that gowd can gie? I care n wealth a single flie; The lad I love's the lad for me, And that's my ain dear Willy.
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