Famous Ain Poems by Famous Poets

These are examples of famous Ain poems written by some of the greatest and most-well-known modern and classical poets. PoetrySoup is a great educational poetry resource of famous ain poems. These examples illustrate what a famous ain poem looks like and its form, scheme, or style (where appropriate).

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113. A Dedication to Gavin Hamilton Esq

...be,
He’s just—nae better than he should be.


 I readily and freely grant,
He downa see a poor man want;
What’s no his ain, he winna tak it;
What ance he says, he winna break it;
Ought he can lend he’ll no refus’t,
Till aft his guidness is abus’d;
And rascals whiles that do him wrang,
Ev’n that, he does na mind it lang;
As master, landlord, husband, father,
He does na fail his part in either.


 But then, nae thanks to him for a’that;
Nae godly symptom ye can ca’ that;
It’s ...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert


145. Song—Yon Wild Mossy Mountains

...YON wild mossy mountains sae lofty and wide,
That nurse in their bosom the youth o’ the Clyde,
Where the grouse lead their coveys thro’ the heather to feed,
And the shepherd tends his flock as he pipes on his reed.


Not Gowrie’s rich valley, nor Forth’s sunny shores,
To me hae the charms o’yon wild, mossy moors;
For there, by a lanely, sequesterèd stream,
Besides a sweet lassi...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert

300. Scots Prologue for Mr. Sutherland

...Muses fled that could produce
A drama worthy o’ the name o’ Bruce?
How here, even here, he first unsheath’d the sword
’Gainst mighty England and her guilty Lord;
And after mony a bloody, deathless doing,
Wrench’d his dear country from the jaws of Ruin!
O for a Shakespeare, or an Otway scene,
To draw the lovely, hapless Scottish Queen!
Vain all th’ omnipotence of female charms
’Gainst headlong, ruthless, mad Rebellion’s arms:
She fell, but fell with spirit truly Roman,
To glut...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert

310. Tam o' Shanter: A Tale

...yr, wham ne’er a town surpasses,
For honest men and bonie lasses).


 O Tam! had’st thou but been sae wise,
As taen thy ain wife Kate’s advice!
She tauld thee weel thou was a skellum,
A blethering, blustering, drunken blellum;
That frae November till October,
Ae market-day thou was na sober;
That ilka melder wi’ the Miller,
Thou sat as lang as thou had siller;
That ev’ry naig was ca’d a shoe on
The Smith and thee gat roarin’ fou on;
That at the L—d’s house, ev’n on Sunday,
Th...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert

403. The Soldier's Return: A Ballad

...odger,
My humble knapsack a’ my wealth,
 A poor and honest sodger.


A leal, light heart was in my breast,
 My hand unstain’d wi’ plunder;
And for fair Scotia hame again,
 I cheery on did wander:
I thought upon the banks o’ Coil,
 I thought upon my Nancy,
I thought upon the witching smile
 That caught my youthful fancy.


At length I reach’d the bonie glen,
 Where early life I sported;
I pass’d the mill and trysting thorn,
 Where Nancy aft I courted:
Wha spied I but my ain de...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert


492. Dialogue Song—Philly and Willy

.... O Willy, aye 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.
Both. For a’ the joys that gowd can gie,
I dinna care a single flie;
The { lad lass } I love’s the { lad lass } for me,
 And that’s my ain dear { Willy. Philly. }


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 br...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert

57. Holy Willie's Prayer

...ght hae plunged me in hell,
To gnash my gums, to weep and wail,
 In burnin lakes,
Where damned devils roar and yell,
 Chain’d to their stakes.


Yet I am here a chosen sample,
To show thy grace is great and ample;
I’m here a pillar o’ Thy temple,
 Strong as a rock,
A guide, a buckler, and example,
 To a’ Thy flock.


O L—d, Thou kens what zeal I bear,
When drinkers drink, an’ swearers swear,
An’ singin there, an’ dancin here,
 Wi’ great and sma’;
For I am keepit by Thy fear
 ...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert

62. Epistle to William Simson

...GAT your letter, winsome Willie;
Wi’ gratefu’ heart I thank you brawlie;
Tho’ I maun say’t, I wad be silly,
 And unco vain,
Should I believe, my coaxin billie
 Your flatterin strain.


But I’se believe ye kindly meant it:
I sud be laith to think ye hinted
Ironic satire, sidelins sklented
 On my poor Musie;
Tho’ in sic phraisin terms ye’ve penn’d it,
 I scarce excuse ye.


My senses wad be in a creel,
Should I but dare a hope to speel
Wi’ Allan, or wi’ Gilbertfield,
 The brae...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert

67. Epistle to John Goldie in Kilmarnock

...el, 2
 Near unto death.


It’s you an’ Taylor 3 are the chief
To blame for a’ this black mischief;
But, could the L—d’s ain folk get leave,
 A toom tar barrel
An’ twa red peats wad bring relief,
 And end the quarrel.


For me, my skill’s but very sma’,
An’ skill in prose I’ve nane ava’;
But quietlins-wise, between us twa,
 Weel may you speed!
And tho’ they sud your sair misca’,
 Ne’er fash your head.


E’en swinge the dogs, and thresh them sicker!
The mair they squeel aye cha...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert

68. The Holy Fair

...Thrang winkin on the lasses
 To chairs that day.


O happy is that man, an’ blest!
 Nae wonder that it pride him!
Whase ain dear lass, that he likes best,
 Comes clinkin down beside him!
Wi’ arms repos’d on the chair back,
 He sweetly does compose him;
Which, by degrees, slips round her neck,
 An’s loof upon her bosom,
 Unkend that day.


Now a’ the congregation o’er
 Is silent expectation;
For Moodie 3 speels the holy door,
 Wi’ tidings o’ damnation:
Should Hornie, as in anc...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert

75. Halloween

...allie;
An’ Mary, nae doubt, took the drunt,
 To be compar’d to Willie:
Mall’s nit lap out, wi’ pridefu’ fling,
 An’ her ain fit, it brunt it;
While Willie lap, and swore by jing,
 ’Twas just the way he wanted
 To be that night.


Nell had the fause-house in her min’,
 She pits hersel an’ Rob in;
In loving bleeze they sweetly join,
 Till white in ase they’re sobbin:
Nell’s heart was dancin at the view;
 She whisper’d Rob to leuk for’t:
Rob, stownlins, prie’d her bonie mou’,
 F...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert

96. The Inventory

...t puts but little in your pat;
Sae dinna put me in your beuk,
Nor for my ten white shillings leuk.


 This list, wi’ my ain hand I wrote it,
The day and date as under noted;
Then know all ye whom it concerns,
Subscripsi huic, ROBERT BURNS.MOSSGIEL, February 22, 1786.


 Note 1. The “Inventory” was addressed to Mr. Aitken of Ayr, surveyor of taxes for the district. [back]
Note 2. Kilmarnock.—R. B. [back]...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert

A Florida Night

...Win' a-blowin' gentle so de san' lay low,
San' a little heavy f'om de rain,
All de pa'ms a-wavin' an' a-weavin' slow,
Sighin' lak a sinnah-soul in pain.
Alligator grinnin' by de ol' lagoon,
Mockin'-bird a-singin' to be big full moon.[Pg 192]
'Skeeter go a-skimmin' to his fightin' chune
(Lizy Ann's a-waitin' in de lane!).
Moccasin a-sleepin' in de cyprus swamp;
Need n't...Read more of this...
by Laurence Dunbar, Paul

A Grievance

...ton up yo' jacket,
Les'n you 'll git froze."
I sit at de windah
Lookin' at de groun',
Nuffin nigh to hindah,
Mammy ain' erroun';
Wish 't she would n' mek me
Set down in dis chaih;
Pshaw, it would n't tek me
Long to git some aih.
So I jump down nimble
Ez a boy kin be,
Dough I 's all a-trimble
Feahed some one 'll see;
Bet in a half a minute
I fly out de do'
An' I 's knee-deep in it,
Dat dah blessed snow.
Den I hyeah a pattah
Come acrost de flo'.
Den dey come...Read more of this...
by Laurence Dunbar, Paul

A Love Letter

...o' music dat I do' know what to do;
Oh, my; oh, my.
I got a man to read it an' he read it fine;
Oh, my; oh, my.
Dey ain' no use denying dat her love is mine;
Oh, my; oh, my.
But hyeah's de t'ing dat's puttin' me in such a awful plight,
I t'ink of huh at mornin' an' I dream of huh at night;
But how's I gwine to cou't huh w'en I do' know how to write?
Oh, my; oh, my.
My heaht is bubblin' ovah wid de t'ings I want to say;
Oh, my; oh, my.
An' dey's lots of folks to co...Read more of this...
by Laurence Dunbar, Paul

How Lucy Backslid

...is mighty easy led
By dey hea'ts an' don't go foolin' 'bout de reasons of de haid.
So huh mammy laid de law down (she ain' reckernizin' wrong),
But you got to mek erlowance fu' de cause dat go along.
Now de cause dat made Miss Lucy fu' to th'ow huh grace away
I 's afeard won't baih no 'spection w'en hit come to jedgement day;
Do' de same t'ing been a-wo'kin' evah sence de worl' began,—
De ooman disobeyin' fu' to 'tice along a man.
Ef you 'tended de revivals which we h...Read more of this...
by Laurence Dunbar, Paul

Signs of the Times

...s."

Tu'key gobbler gwine 'roun' blowin',
Gwine 'roun' gibbin' sass an' slack;
Keep on talkin', Mistah Tu'key,
You ain't seed no almanac.

Fa'mer walkin' th'oo de ba'nya'd
Seein' how things is comin' on,
Sees ef all de fowls is fatt'nin' --
Good times comin' sho's you bo'n.

Hyeahs dat tu'key gobbler braggin',
Den his face break in a smile --
Nebbah min', you sassy rascal,
He's gwine nab you atter while.

Choppin' suet in de kitchen,
Stonin' raisins in de ha...Read more of this...
by Laurence Dunbar, Paul

Song of Man XXV

...I was here from the moment of the 
Beginning, and here I am still. And 
I shall remain here until the end 
Of the world, for there is no 
Ending to my grief-stricken being. 


I roamed the infinite sky, and 
Soared in the ideal world, and 
Floated through the firmament. But 
Here I am, prisoner of measurement. 


I heard the teachings of Confucius; 
I listened to Brahma's wisdom; 
I sat by Buddha under the Tree of Knowledge. 
Yet here I am...Read more of this...
by Gibran, Kahlil

Tam OShanter

...Ayr, wham ne'er a town surpasses,
For honest men and bonie lasses).

O Tam! hadst thou but been sae wise,
As ta'en thy ain wife Kate's advice!
She tauld thee weel thou was a skellum,
A blethering, blustering, drunken blellum,
That frae November till October,
Ae market-day thou was nae sober;
That ilka melder, wi' the miller,
Thou sat as lang as thou had siller;
That ev'ry naig was ca'd a shoe on,
The smith and thee gat roarin fou on;
That at the Lord's house, ev'n on Sunday,...Read more of this...
by Burns, Robert

The Old Front Gate

...creak an' cry,
An' de bahs go slantin' down,
You kin reckon dat hit's time
Fu' to cas' yo' eye erroun',
'Cause daih ain't no 'sputin' dis,
Hit's de trues' sign to show
Dat daih's cou'tin goin' on
W'en de ol' front gate sags low.

Oh, you grumble an' complain,
An' you prop dat gate up right;
But you notice right nex' day
Dat hit's in de same ol' plight.

So you fin' dat hit's a rule,
An' daih ain' no use to blow,
W'en de gals is growin' up,
Dat de front gate w...Read more of this...
by Laurence Dunbar, Paul

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