Ettrick

"Ettrick"
Alicia Ann Spottiswood (Lady John Scott) June 24, 1810 - March 12, 1900 Born and died in Berwickshire, Scotland Married Lord John Douglas Scott in 1836 Scottish songwriter and composer Known for setting poem "Annie Laurie" to music and rewriting

"Ettrick" By Alicia Ann Spottiswood

When I last rade down Ettrick.

 * Theme: || 1. "When we first/next/last rade down Ettrick"

2. "An' blithely our voices rang out thegither, / As we brushed the dew frae the blooming heather"

3. "closer thegither, / We urged our steeds thro' the faded heather"

4. "The winds were shifting, the storm was waking" || 1. Time changes all relationships betwixt people. In this case (and considered most cases), the relationship starts out fantastic and gradually decays.

2. New relationships create a dream-like state of happiness between those involved. Beginning to meet a person on a different level of a relationship, considered "the honeymoon phase" (even for mere friendships), can almost seem unreal.

3. Closer relationships have their fair share of difficulties. As a closer bond is formed between people, more obstacles tend to arise, however, overcoming these obstacles could bring the people closer.

4. Over time, all relationships will come to an end. There is always an underlying storm that will eventually become present and separate those in it's path. ||
 * Imagery: || 1. "In sun or storm on the mountain heather"

2. "The wild birds calling"

3. "The winds were shifting"

4. "Our hearts were dancing"

5. "Sun" "Leaves falling" "Snow" || 1. Spottiswood uses visual imagery as a symbol for the conditions of the future relationship. The sun and storm represent the good and bad times had together, while the heather has remained a constant representation of the people's relationship. The author realizes she will never reach the point again where she can enjoy pleasant or unfortunate moments with this person or people.

2. The wild birds could be considered and omen for what is to come or their current state. Use of the auditory imagery of calling suggests that the wildness has not quite arrived, or that the people in focus are the wild birds fighting between each other.

3. The speaker can feel a change in the air from the impending storm (tactile imagery). All is not calm as it was before and perhaps these winds are strong enough to actually toss our speaker around, which could be them physically or mentally.

4. Obviously, hearts cannot actually dance (unless of course you give them tap shoes and throw them bread), so this line is an example of personification. The speaker feels like their heart is racing with delight because of this person.

5. The seasons represent the inevitable change of the relationship. They can also represent growth as a person if taken from a Native American point of view. Summer represents youth and a period of growth, Fall represents adulthood and a deeper emotional understanding, and Winter represents eldership and reflection. If taken from this point of view, it is more evident that the relationship could be between the speaker and society. ||
 * Meter: || 1. 3 sestets

2. Narrative

3. Repetition of first line at end of sestet indented

4. ABBCCA rhyme scheme || 1. Each sestet represents different stages of the relationship. They are arranged chronologically and each contain a shift in mood.

2. Tells story from first person about the development of a relationship. Although the lines themselves appear to be more lyrical due to the abundance of metaphors, the poem ultimately tells a long term story.

3. Repetition creates clear boundaries between where one era ends and another begins. It also circles back to the beginning of the stanza to summarize what was just said. Indentation serves as a dramatic pause to separate it from the overall flow. This separation adds to the reminiscent effect of the poem.

4. Technically, only the B's rhyme since they don't repeat, but they all rhyme throughout the entire poem so it connects the stanzas together. They also all end in "-ing" meaning that what is being said is present tense, so each experience in the stanzas are different because they are seemingly in the moment. The repetition of the A's was discussed in number three, but the repetition of thegither and heather (C's) is important as well. Thegither is an old way of saying together, which shows the bond between the people, even if they are separated. Heather is a constant representation of their relationship and each stanza attaches unique adjectives to the word to properly display the current state. || 1. "The waters were singing, the sun was glancing" 2. "The day was dying" 3. "My heart was breaking"
 * Emotion: || 1. Tone / Mood

2. Diction

3. Connotation 1. "sighing" 2. "drifting" || 1. The overall tone of the poem is decaying, depressing, and closure. 1. Bright, cheery, happy 2. Dread, crumbling 3. Sadness, understanding

2. The overall diction in each stanza shifts as each mood shifts. The words in the first sestet are very light and cheery, while the words progressively get darker until the last stanza. Due to the repetition of the A lines, one could argue that there is an overall word choice displaying reflection.

3. Examples: 1. Tolerance, beginning to be tired 2. Slowly shifting, separating || Works Cited: Anonymous. "Scottish Poetry Library." //Lady John Scott //. ALBA, n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2014. Lausier, Annie. "Ettrick: Imagery Parelleling Emotion." //IMEJ //. Wake Forest University, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2014. Lyn. "I Prefer Reading." //: Sunday Poetry //. Blogspot, 27 Nov. 2011. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.