Death & Dying
Jeanie's Grave
From The Modern Scottish Minstrel, vol. 3 (1855–57)
I saw my true-love first on the banks of queenly Tay,
Nor did I deem it yielding my trembling heart away;
I feasted on her deep, dark eye, and loved it more and more,
For, oh! I thought I ne'er had seen a look so kind before!
I heard my true-love sing, and she taught me many a strain,
But a voice so sweet, oh! never shall my cold ear hear again.
In all our friendless wanderings--in homeless penury--
Her gentle song and jetty eye were all unchanged to me.
I saw my true-love fade--I heard her latest sigh;
I wept no friv'lous weeping when I closed her lightless eye:
Far from her native Tay she sleeps, and other waters lave
The markless spot where Ury creeps around my Jeanie's grave.
Move noiseless, gentle Ury! around my Jeanie's bed,
And I 'll love thee, gentle Ury! where'er my footsteps tread;
For sooner shall thy fairy wave return from yonder sea,
Than I forget yon lowly grave, and all it hides from me.
Cite this poem
MLA
Thom, William. “Jeanie's Grave.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/thom/0/.
Chicago
Thom, William. “Jeanie's Grave.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/thom/0/.
Read this poem with the Codex →