The Lord of Burleigh
In her ear he whispers gaily,“If my heart by signs can tell,Maiden, I have watched thee daily,And I think thou lov’st me well.”She replies, in accents fainter,“There is none I love like thee.”He is but a landscape-painter,And a village maiden she.
He to lips, that fondly falter,Presses his without reproof;Leads her to the village altar,And they leave her father’s roof.
“I can make no marriage present;Little can I give my wife.Love will make our cottage pleasant,And I love thee more than life.”
They by parks and lodges goingSee the lordly castles stand;Summer woods, about them blowing,Made a murmur in the land.
From deep thought himself he rouses,Says to her that loves him well,“Let us see these handsome housesWhere the wealthy nobles dwell.”
So she goes by him attended,Hears him lovingly converse,Sees whatever fair and splendidLay betwixt his home and hers.
Parks with oak and chestnut shady,Parks and order’d gardens great,Ancient homes of lord and lady,Built for pleasure and for state.
All he shows her makes him dearer;Evermore she seems to gazeOn that cottage growing nearer,Where they twain will spend their days.
O but she will love him truly!He shall have a cheerful home;She will order all things dulyWhen beneath his roof they come.
Thus her heart rejoices greatlyTill a gateway she discernsWith armorial bearings stately,And beneath the gate she turns;Sees a mansion more majesticThan all those she saw before;Many a gallant gay domesticBows before him at the door.
And they speak in gentle murmurWhen they answer to his call,While he treads with footstep firmer,Leading on from hall to hall.
And while now she wanders blindly,Nor the meaning can divine,Proudly turns he round and kindly,“All of this is mine and thine.”
Here he lives in state and bounty,Lord of Burleigh, fair and free.Not a lord in all the countyIs so great a lord as he.All at once the colour flushesHer sweet face from brow to chin;As it were with same she blushes,And her spirit changed within.
Then her countenance all overPale again as death did prove:But he clasp’d her like a lover,And he cheer’d her soul with love.
So she strove against her weakness,Tho’ at times her spirits sank;Shaped her heart with woman’s meeknessTo all duties of her rank;And a gentle consort made he,And her gentle mind was suchThat she grew a noble lady,And the people loved her much.But a trouble weigh’d upon herAnd perplex’d her, night and morn,With the burden of an honourUnto which she was not born.
Faint she grew and ever fainter.As she murmur’d, “Oh, that heWere once more that landscape-painterWhich did win my heart from me!”
So she droop’d and droop’d before him,Fading slowly from his side;Three fair children first she bore him,Then before her time she died.
Weeping, weeping late and early,Walking up and pacing down,Deeply mourn’d the Lord of Burleigh,Burleigh-house by Stamford-town.
And he came to look upon her,And he look’d at her and said,“Bring the dress and put it on herThat she wore when she was wed.”
Then her people, softly treading,Bore to earth her body, drestIn the dress that she was wed in,That her spirit might have rest.
Words in this poem 18
- gaily adv.
- Merrily; showily. See gaily. [From Gay.]
- fondly adv.
- Foolishly. Verstegan (1673).
- falter v. t.
- To thrash in the chaff; also, to cleanse or sift, as barley.
- reproof n.
- Refutation; confutation; contradiction. [OE. reproef. See Proof, Reprove.]
- dwell v. i.
- To delay; to linger. [OE. dwellen, dwelien, to err, linger, AS. dwellan to deceive, hinder, delay, dwelian to err; akin to Icel. dvelja to delay, tarry, Sw. dväljas to dwell, Dan. dv]
- lovingly adv.
- With love; affectionately.
- betwixt prep.
- In the space which separates; between. [OE. betwix, bitwix, rarely bitwixt, AS. betweox, betweohs, betweoh, betwih; pref. be- by + a form fr. AS. twa two. See Between.]
- evermore adv.
- During eternity; always; forever; for an indefinite period; at all times; -- often used substantively with for.
- twain a.
- Two;- nearly obsolete in common discourse, but used in poetry and burlesque. [OE. twein, tweien, tweyne, AS. twegen, masc. See Two.]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- mansion n.
- A dwelling place, -- whether a part or whole of a house or other shelter. [OF. mansion, F. maison, fr. L. mansio a staying, remaining, a dwelling, habitation, fr. manere, mansum, to stay, dwell; akin to Gr. Manse, Manor, Menagerie, Men]
- blindly adv.
- Without sight, discernment, or understanding; without thought, investigation, knowledge, or purpose of one's own.
- bounty n.
- Goodness, kindness; virtue; worth. [OE. bounte goodness, kindness, F. bonté, fr. L. bonitas, fr. bonus good, for older duonus; cf. Skr. duvas honor, respect.]
- county n.
- An earldom; the domain of a count or earl. [F. comt, fr. LL. comitatus. See Count.]
- meekness n.
- The quality or state of being meek.
- 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.]
- honour n.
- Esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation; respect; consideration; reverence; veneration; manifestation of respect or reverence. [OE. honor, honour, onour, onur, OF. honor, onor, honur, onur, honour, onour, F. honneur, fr. L. honor, honos.]
- fading n.
- An Irish dance; also, the burden of a song.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
The Lord of Burleigh is in the public domain. This text is taken from Poems Every Child Should Know The What-Every-Child-Should-Know-Library, Project Gutenberg ebook #16436; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Mary E. Burt, The Lord of Burleigh, in Poems Every Child Should Know (1904), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #16436, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/poems-every-child/the-lord-of-burleigh.html, id L25210.
Form and metre
The Lord of Burleigh is 100 lines in 20 stanzas. The rhyme scheme is ABAB, complete in 14 of its 20 stanzas. The metre is trochaic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 92%).
See other poems in trochaic 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 gailyA · tellB · dailyA · wellB · fainterC · theeD · painterC · sheD
- 2 ABAB falterA · reproofB · altarA · roofB
- 3 ABAB presentA · wifeB · pleasantA · lifeB
- 4 ABAB goingA · standB · blowingA · landB
- 5 ABAB rousesA · wellB · housesA · dwellB
- 6 ABAB attendedA · converseB · splendidA · hersB
- 7 ABAB shadyA · greatB · ladyA · stateB
- 8 ABAB dearerA · gazeB · nearerA · daysB
- 9 ABAB trulyA · homeB · dulyA · comeB
- 10 ABABCDCD greatlyA · discernsB · statelyA · turnsB · majesticC · beforeD · domesticC · doorD
- 11 ABAB murmurA · callB · firmerA · hallB
- 12 ABAB blindlyA · divineB · kindlyA · thineB
- 13 ABABCDCD bountyA · freeB · countyA · heB · flushesC · chinD · blushesC · withinD
- 14 ABAB overA · proveB · loverA · loveB
- 15 ABAB-C-C-D-D weaknessA · sankB · meeknessA · rankB · he · suchC · lady · muchC · her · mornD · honour · bornD
- 16 ABAB fainterA · heB · painterA · meB
- 17 ABAB himA · sideB · himA · diedB
- 18 -A-A early · downA · burleigh · townA
- 19 ABAB herA · saidB · herA · wedB
- 20 -A-A treading · drestA · in · restA
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 trochaic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| In her ear he whispers gaily, | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| “If my heart by signs can tell, | 7 | ······· |
| Maiden, I have watched thee daily, | 8 | /˘····/˘ |
| And I think thou lov’st me well.” | 7 | ······· |
| She replies, in accents fainter, | 8 | ·˘/·/˘/˘ |
| “There is none I love like thee.” | 7 | ······· |
| He is but a landscape-painter, | 8 | ····/·/˘ |
| And a village maiden she. | 7 | ··/˘/˘· |
| He to lips, that fondly falter, | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| Presses his without reproof; | 7 | /˘···˘/ |
| Leads her to the village altar, | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| And they leave her father’s roof. | 7 | ····/˘· |
| “I can make no marriage present; | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| Little can I give my wife. | 7 | /˘····· |
| Love will make our cottage pleasant, | 9 | ···/˘/˘/˘ |
| And I love thee more than life.” | 7 | ······· |
| They by parks and lodges going | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| See the lordly castles stand; | 7 | ··/˘/˘· |
| Summer woods, about them blowing, | 8 | /˘····/˘ |
| Made a murmur in the land. | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| From deep thought himself he rouses, | 8 | ···˘/·/˘ |
| Says to her that loves him well, | 7 | ······· |
| “Let us see these handsome houses | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| Where the wealthy nobles dwell.” | 7 | ··/˘/˘· |
| So she goes by him attended, | 8 | ·····˘/˘ |
| Hears him lovingly converse, | 7 | ··/˘˘˘/ |
| Sees whatever fair and splendid | 8 | ··/˘··/˘ |
| Lay betwixt his home and hers. | 7 | ·˘/···· |
| Parks with oak and chestnut shady, | 8 | ····/·/˘ |
| Parks and order’d gardens great, | 7 | ··/˘/˘· |
| Ancient homes of lord and lady, | 8 | /˘····/˘ |
| Built for pleasure and for state. | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| All he shows her makes him dearer; | 8 | ······/˘ |
| Evermore she seems to gaze | 7 | /˘····· |
| On that cottage growing nearer, | 8 | ··/˘/˘/˘ |
| Where they twain will spend their days. | 7 | ······· |
| O but she will love him truly! | 8 | ······/˘ |
| He shall have a cheerful home; | 7 | ····/˘· |
| She will order all things duly | 8 | ··/˘··/˘ |
| When beneath his roof they come. | 7 | ······· |
| Thus her heart rejoices greatly | 8 | ···˘/˘/˘ |
| Till a gateway she discerns | 7 | ··/··˘/ |
| With armorial bearings stately, | 9 | ·˘/˘˘/˘/˘ |
| And beneath the gate she turns; | 7 | ······· |
| Sees a mansion more majestic | 8 | ··/˘·˘/˘ |
| Than all those she saw before; | 7 | ······· |
| Many a gallant gay domestic | 9 | /˘·/˘·˘/˘ |
| Bows before him at the door. | 7 | ······· |
| And they speak in gentle murmur | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| When they answer to his call, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| While he treads with footstep firmer, | 8 | ····/·/˘ |
| Leading on from hall to hall. | 7 | /˘····· |
| And while now she wanders blindly, | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| Nor the meaning can divine, | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| Proudly turns he round and kindly, | 8 | /˘····/˘ |
| “All of this is mine and thine.” | 7 | ······· |
| Here he lives in state and bounty, | 8 | ······/˘ |
| Lord of Burleigh, fair and free. | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Not a lord in all the county | 8 | ······/˘ |
| Is so great a lord as he. | 7 | ······· |
| All at once the colour flushes | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| Her sweet face from brow to chin; | 7 | ······· |
| As it were with same she blushes, | 8 | ······/˘ |
| And her spirit changed within. | 8 | ··/˘·˘·· |
| Then her countenance all over | 8 | ··/˘˘··· |
| Pale again as death did prove: | 7 | ·˘/···· |
| But he clasp’d her like a lover, | 8 | ······/˘ |
| And he cheer’d her soul with love. | 7 | ······· |
| So she strove against her weakness, | 8 | ······/˘ |
| Tho’ at times her spirits sank; | 7 | ····/˘· |
| Shaped her heart with woman’s meekness | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| To all duties of her rank; | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| And a gentle consort made he, | 8 | ··/˘˘/·· |
| And her gentle mind was such | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| That she grew a noble lady, | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| And the people loved her much. | 8 | ··/˘·˘·· |
| But a trouble weigh’d upon her | 8 | ··/˘···· |
| And perplex’d her, night and morn, | 7 | ·˘/···· |
| With the burden of an honour | 8 | ··/˘··/˘ |
| Unto which she was not born. | 7 | ······· |
| Faint she grew and ever fainter. | 8 | ····/˘/˘ |
| As she murmur’d, “Oh, that he | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| Were once more that landscape-painter | 8 | ····/·/˘ |
| Which did win my heart from me!” | 7 | ······· |
| So she droop’d and droop’d before him, | 8 | ········ |
| Fading slowly from his side; | 7 | /˘/˘··· |
| Three fair children first she bore him, | 8 | ··/˘···· |
| Then before her time she died. | 7 | ······· |
| Weeping, weeping late and early, | 8 | /˘/˘··/˘ |
| Walking up and pacing down, | 7 | /˘··/˘· |
| Deeply mourn’d the Lord of Burleigh, | 8 | /˘····/˘ |
| Burleigh-house by Stamford-town. | 7 | /˘··/˘· |
| And he came to look upon her, | 8 | ········ |
| And he look’d at her and said, | 7 | ······· |
| “Bring the dress and put it on her | 8 | ········ |
| That she wore when she was wed.” | 7 | ······· |
| Then her people, softly treading, | 8 | ··/˘/˘/˘ |
| Bore to earth her body, drest | 7 | ····/˘· |
| In the dress that she was wed in, | 8 | ········ |
| That her spirit might have rest. | 7 | ··/˘··· |
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