Sweet Afton
written in 1791
Sweet Afton - fact Summary
Inspired by Mary Campbell
A pastoral lullaby addressed to the Afton River, the poem asks the stream and woodland birds to move gently so the speaker’s beloved Mary can sleep undisturbed. It presents an idealized rural scene—green braes, winding rills, primroses, and a cot—framed by affectionate, protective attention. The voice alternates between tender imperative and vivid observation, linking landscape and intimacy: the countryside both contains and reflects the speaker’s devotion. The final refrain returns to the original plea, reinforcing the poem’s calm, sentimental tone and its focus on love sheltered by nature.
Read Complete AnalysesFlow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes, Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise; My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream, Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream. Thou stock-dove, whose echo resounds thro' the glen, Ye wild whistling blackbirds in yon thorny den, Thou green-crested lapwing, thy screaming forbear, I charge you disturb not my slumbering fair. How lofty, sweet Afton, thy neighbouring hills, Far mark'd with the courses of clear winding rills; There daily I wander as noon rises high, My flocks and my Mary's sweet cot in my eye. How pleasant thy banks and green valleys below, Where wild in the woodlands the primroses blow; There oft, as mild Ev'ning leaps over the lea, The sweet-scented birk shades my Mary and me. Thy crystal stream, Afton, how lovely it glides, And winds by the cot where my Mary resides, How wanton thy waters her snowy feet lave, As gathering sweet flowrets she stems thy clear wave. Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes, Flow gently, sweet river, the theme of my lays; My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream, Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream
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