Living

The Henpecked Husband

by Robert Burns 1759–1796

From Poems and Songs, 1788

Living

Curs’d be the man, the poorest wretch in life,
The crouching vassal to a tyrant wife!
Who has no will but by her high permission,
Who has not sixpence but in her possession;
Who must to he, his dear friend’s secrets tell,
Who dreads a curtain lecture worse than hell.
Were such the wife had fallen to my part,
I’d break her spirit or I’d break her heart;
I’d charm her with the magic of a switch,
I’d kiss her maids, and kick the perverse bitch.

MLA

Burns, Robert. “The Henpecked Husband.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/burns/241/.

Chicago

Burns, Robert. “The Henpecked Husband.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/burns/241/.

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