As I Walk'd by Mysel

As I Walk'd by Mysel - meaning Summary

Self-talk and Stubborn Independence

This short lyric presents a speaker’s internal dialogue about care and independence. Walking alone, he warns himself that "nobody cares for thee," then immediately replies with stubborn self-reliance, resolving to look after himself and "care for nobody." The poem compresses a tension between vulnerability and proud autonomy into a compact exchange. Its plain, colloquial Scots voice makes the private debate direct and immediate. The repetition and brevity intensify the circular thinking and the effort to persuade oneself, leaving a clear moral: solitary resilience and refusal to depend on others.