“Handsome Nell”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Handsome Nell was the first poem that Burns wrote.<\/em> He was fifteen and the subject of his admiration was the fourteen year old Nelly Kilpatrick, the daughter of a blacksmith near Mount Oliphant. It was written in the autumn of 1773.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n O, once I lov’d a bonie lass, <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ay, and I love her still!<\/p>\n\n\n\n And whilst that virtue warms my breast,<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’ll love my handsome Nell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n As bonie lasses I hae seen, <\/p>\n\n\n\n And monie full as braw,<\/p>\n\n\n\n But for a modest gracefu’ mien<\/p>\n\n\n\n The like I never saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n A bonie lass, I will confess, <\/p>\n\n\n\n Is pleasant to the e’e;<\/p>\n\n\n\n But without some better qualities<\/p>\n\n\n\n She’s no a lass for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But Nelly’s looks are blythe and sweet,<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, what is best of a’,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her reputation is complete<\/p>\n\n\n\n And fair without a flaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n She dresses ay sae clean and neat,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both decent and genteel;<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then there’s something in her gait<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gars onie dress look weel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n A gaudy dress and gentle air<\/p>\n\n\n\n May slightly touch the heart;<\/p>\n\n\n\n But it’s innocence and modesty<\/p>\n\n\n\n That polishes the dart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘Tis this in Nelly pleases me,<\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘Tis this enchants my soul;<\/p>\n\n\n\n For absolutely in my breast<\/p>\n\n\n\n She reigns without controul.” Robert Burns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Excerpted from Robert Burns [In Your Pocket].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Publisher: Waverly Books, 144 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow, G4 OHZ<\/p>\n\n\n\n Islander..<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n .<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “Handsome Nell” “Handsome Nell was the first poem that Burns wrote. He was fifteen and the subject of his admiration was the fourteen year old Nelly Kilpatrick, the daughter of a blacksmith near Mount Oliphant. It was written in the autumn of 1773.” O, once I lov’d a bonie lass, Ay, and I love her … Continue reading “Burns”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2107","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewalrussaid.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewalrussaid.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewalrussaid.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewalrussaid.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewalrussaid.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2107"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thewalrussaid.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2112,"href":"https:\/\/thewalrussaid.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2107\/revisions\/2112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewalrussaid.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}