Tag Archives: Anne Ross

Anne Ross, “Upon the Flight of a Favorite Owl”

ANNE ROSS

“Upon the Flight of a Favourite Owl”

It happen’d in the month of May,
A Lady’s pet flew far away,
From a fine house as bright as day,
To seek a gloomy dwelling.

To thickest woods, as dark as night,                                                 5
Where neither coal nor candle light,
Nor Ladies with their eyes so bright,
Would set his pipe a-yelling.

But Robin Redbreast, he comes in,
When Winter’s frosts and snows begin,                                            10
Says, “Ladies, please to let me in,
To warm me by your fire.

Your hospitable care I claim;
The helpless you do oft maintain:
I only ask a little grain,                                                                         15
‘Tis all that I require.

Let Owls in solitude seek rest,
To me good company is best;
None ever was with want oppress’d
When under your protection.”                                         20

The Ladies smil’d to see their guest,
And kindly thus the bird address’d:
“We’ll skreen you till the Winter’s past,
And warm you in our dwelling.

With bounteous hand we will maintain,                                            25
And keep you from the wind and rain,
That cheerful here you may remain,
And let the wind be bell’wing.”

Then Robin Redbreast made a bow:
“Ladies, a thousand thanks to you,                                                      30
Your kindness you shall never rue,
In granting my desire.

May Providence keep you from harm,
And fill your stack-yard and your barn,
And shield you safely from the storm,                                                  35
And warm you in a caul’ day.

And when ye walk among your trees,
The ground that’s damp I’ll spread with leaves,
And spare the flow’rs to feed your bees,
That ye may still have honey.”                                               40

The bees that suck the summer flowers,
From labour, all their sweetness pours,
And plenty, in a golden shower,
Supplies the land with money.

The sun did shine, he took his leave,                                                       45
And many a bow and glance did give,
Then gallantly his wings did wave,
“Good-morrow to you Ladies.”

NOTES:

8 pipe “The voice or vocal cords” (OED).

23 skreen Variant of “screen,” “to shelter or protect” (OED).

33 Providence “The care of God over all beings” (Johnson).

34 stack-yard “A farmyard where stacks of hay are stored” (OED).

36 caul’ Variant of “cauld,” Scottish form of “cold” (SND).

SOURCE: A Collection of Poems (Glasgow, 1798), pp. 15-17. [Google Books]

 Edited by Grace Elfers

Anne Ross, “To the memory of a Young Lady, who died in the eleventh year of her age”

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[ANNE ROSS]

“To the memory of a Young LADY, who died in the eleventh year of her age”

All ye who mourn
The loss of friends that’s dear,
The mournful scene that is exhibit here,
Bids envy cease, and pity drop a tear.

To you, whose hearts can feel when others mourn,
This is address’d, it soon may be your turn;
Their case to day, to-morrow may be your’s,
The clearest sun oft sets in clouds and showers.

A tender mother reared a darling child,                                                   5
Joy of her friends, and all the country’s pride;
Her person graceful, her complexion fair,
An antient Baronet’s apparent heir.

Her comely face display’d a lively bloom,
Which promis’d health, and many years to come;                               10
T’ inform her mind, and make her wise as fair,
Was still her honour’d mother’s constant care.

For her, to Heav’n, she still address’d her prayer,
That it might always keep her in its care;
That she, in ev’ry stage of life, might shine,                                            15
And see her race, a long and prosp’rous line.

Her aunt and mother saw, with glad surprise,
Inherent virtues near perfection rise:
Their hopes were rais’d, their expectations high;
But soon, alas! their expectations fly.                                                       20

How fleeting are our pleasures, here below?
A stream of joy, now turns a tide of woe.

From bloom of health, this darling child is seiz’d,
Laid on her bed and pain’d with sore disease;
If human aid could cure, that aid was giv’n;                                           25
But who can alter the decree of Heav’n.

How calm and patient in distress she lay;
In all her trouble never ceas’d to pray:
Th’ afflicted mother sends her sighs to Heav’n,
Restore my child, and all I wish is giv’n.                                                   30

If this request’s deny’d, O! help me still,
To be resign’d unto thy heavenly will;
Heav’n, oft in mercy, does our wish deny,
Our surest hope is fix’d above the sky.

The child was quite resign’d; to die was gain,                                           35
Her prayer was not for life, but ease from pain:
Her prayer was not unheard, her wish was given;
Her blessed Saviour takes her home to heaven.

In youth and innocence, the child she dies,
And angels waft her spirit to the skies.                                                     40

NOTES:

Epigraph Unable to trace; possibly provided by the author.

5 reared “To raise a person” (OED).

8 antient “The spelling of ‘ancient’ from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century; it refers to the titles of office or position formerly occupied” (OED).

16 race A poetical term that refers to “a set of children or descendants” (OED).

24 sore “Violent with pain” (Johnson).

40 waft “To carry through the air” (Johnson).

Source: Poems on Several Occasions (Glasgow, 1791), pp. 36-38. [Google Books]

Edited by Ka Wing Tsang