This is an analysis of Song—o Were My Love You Lilac Fair by Robert Burns.

O WERE my love yon Lilac fair,
Wi' purple blossoms to the Spring,…

Read full poem

Structure

  • Rhyme scheme: ababXcbc XXXXdddd
  • Stanza lengths: 8,8,
  • Metre: 10111111 110100001 11010101 11011101 11111011 11011101 11111101 11010101 11110111 11010101 11110111 0001101 11010101 11110101 11011101 110101101
  • Closest metre: iambic tetrameter
  • Guessed form: ballad stanza
  • Stanzas: 2
  • Lines: 17