Bonnie Joann
We’ve stookit the hairst an’ we’re needin’To gaither it in,Syne, gin the morn’s dry, we’ll be leadin’An’ wark’ll begin;But noo I’ll awa doon the braesideMy lane, while I can--Wha kens wha he’ll meet by the wayside,My bonnie Joann?
East yonder, the hairst-fields are hidin’The sea frae my een,Gin ye keek whaur the stocks are dividin’Ye’ll see it atween.Sae douce an’ sae still it has sleepitSince hairst-time beganLike my he’rt--gin ye’d tak’ it an’ keep itMy bonnie Joann.
Owre a’thing the shadows gang trailin’,Owre stubble an’ strae;Frae the hedge to the fit o’ the pailin’They rax owre the way;But the sun may gang through wi’ his beamin’An’ traivel his span,For aye, by the licht o’ my dreamin’,I see ye, Joann.
Awa frae ye, naebody’s braver,Mair wise-like an’ bauld,Aside ye, I hech an’ I haver,I’m het an’ I’m cauld;But oh! could I tell wi’out speakin’The he’rt o’ a man,Ye micht find I’m the lad that ye’re seekin’,My bonnie Joann!
Words in this poem
- syne adv.
- Afterwards; since; ago. R. of Brunne. [See Since.]
- morn n.
- The first part of the day; the morning; -- used chiefly in poetry. [OE. morwen, morgen, AS. morgen; akin to D. morgen, OS. morgan, G. morgen, Icel. morginn, morgunn, Sw. morgon, Dan. morgen, Goth. maúrgins. Cf. Morrow, Morning.]
- wark n.
- Work; a building. [See Work.]
- wayside n.
- The side of the way; the edge or border of a road or path.
- yonder adv.
- At a distance, but within view. [OE. yonder, ýonder; cf. OD. ginder, Goth. jaindr there. Yond, adv.]
- atween adv.
- Between. Spenser. [See Atwain, and cf. Between.]
- douce a.
- Sweet; pleasant. [F. doux, masc., douce, fem., sweet, fr. L. duleis sweet.]
- haver n.
- A possessor; a holder.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Bonnie Joann is in the public domain. This text is taken from Bonnie Joann, and other poems, Project Gutenberg ebook #69484; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Violet Jacob, Bonnie Joann, in Bonnie Joann, and Other Poems (1921), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #69484, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/jacob-bonnie-joann/bonnie-joann.html, id L21932.
Form and metre
Bonnie Joann is 32 lines in 4 stanzas of 8 lines each. The rhyme scheme is ABABCDCD, complete in 2 of its 4 stanzas. This poem did not settle on a metre of its own; the book it comes from is in iambic tetrameter.
See other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 ABABCDCD needinA · inB · leadinA · beginB · braesideC · canD · waysideC · joannD
- 2 ABAB-C-C hidinA · eenB · dividinA · atweenB · sleepit · beganC · it · joannC
- 3 ABABCDCD trailinA · straeB · pailinA · wayB · beaminC · spanD · dreaminC · joannD
- 4 -A-ABCBC braver · bauldA · haver · cauldA · speakinB · manC · seekinB · joannC
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| We’ve stookit the hairst an’ we’re needin’ | 9 | ········· |
| To gaither it in, | 5 | ·/˘·· |
| Syne, gin the morn’s dry, we’ll be leadin’ | 9 | ········· |
| An’ wark’ll begin; | 4 | ··˘/ |
| But noo I’ll awa doon the braeside | 9 | ········· |
| My lane, while I can-- | 5 | ····· |
| Wha kens wha he’ll meet by the wayside, | 9 | ·······/· |
| My bonnie Joann? | 5 | ·/˘·/ |
| East yonder, the hairst-fields are hidin’ | 9 | ·/˘······ |
| The sea frae my een, | 5 | ····· |
| Gin ye keek whaur the stocks are dividin’ | 10 | ·········· |
| Ye’ll see it atween. | 5 | ···˘/ |
| Sae douce an’ sae still it has sleepit | 9 | ········· |
| Since hairst-time began | 5 | ···˘/ |
| Like my he’rt--gin ye’d tak’ it an’ keep it | 10 | ·········· |
| My bonnie Joann. | 5 | ·/˘·/ |
| Owre a’thing the shadows gang trailin’, | 9 | ····/···· |
| Owre stubble an’ strae; | 5 | ·/˘·· |
| Frae the hedge to the fit o’ the pailin’ | 10 | ·········· |
| They rax owre the way; | 5 | ····· |
| But the sun may gang through wi’ his beamin’ | 10 | ·········· |
| An’ traivel his span, | 5 | ····· |
| For aye, by the licht o’ my dreamin’, | 9 | ········· |
| I see ye, Joann. | 5 | ····/ |
| Awa frae ye, naebody’s braver, | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Mair wise-like an’ bauld, | 5 | ····· |
| Aside ye, I hech an’ I haver, | 9 | ˘/·····/˘ |
| I’m het an’ I’m cauld; | 5 | ····· |
| But oh! could I tell wi’out speakin’ | 8 | ········ |
| The he’rt o’ a man, | 5 | ····· |
| Ye micht find I’m the lad that ye’re seekin’, | 10 | ·········· |
| My bonnie Joann! | 5 | ·/˘·/ |
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