Sigh, wind in the pine;
River, weep as you flow;
Terrible things were done
Long, long ago.
In daylight golden and mild
After the night of Glencoe
They found the hand of a child
Lying in the snow.
Lopped by the sword to the ground
Or torn by wolf or fox,
That was the snowdrop they found
Among the granite rocks.
Oh, life is fierce and wild
And the heart of the earth is stone
And the hand of a murdered child
Will not bear thinking on.
Sigh, wind in the pine,
Cover it with snow;
But terrible things were done
Long, long ago.
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Comments
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Help??
From guest Katee (contact)
Please help. What was the purpose of the poem?? I've got a history paper with this question left!! Thanks, -
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For Guest Katee
It is hard to say what the purpose of a poem is since very few are actually written for a specific purpose other than to pass on the poets feelings of an event, emotion, situation etc.
In this case it is probably an attempt to describe the poet's feeling's about the Massacre of Glencoe following the Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland.
Although born in New Zealand the author's name suggests a Scottish ancestry and Glencoe is a deep wound in the Scottish Psyche.
Jim
Oldpoetry Research Team
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Hello Guest Renee,
It is often hard to say just WHY a poet writes a particular poem. He or she is moved by some feeling or urge to write and so the poem is born.
Personally I think that Stewart was trying to express his own ideas about this terrible massacre in his own way.
Although he was born in New Zealand he has a very Scottish name and was probably affected by one of the darker deeds of scots history.
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Hello Guest Jess
In the early morning of 13 February 1692, in the lonely Glen Coe in Scotland, many of the family of Clan Macdonald were murdered by some members of the Campbell Clan. This was on the orders of the military and is a tale worth studying.
The poem is based on that incident.
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stunning, just perfect..
From guest chazwazza (contact)
its just so beautiful.... it brings a little tear to my eye each time i read it.... well done old buddy, well done... -
Wonderful
From guest BlazingCandle (contact)
This really is a marvellous poem! We recently have been discussing it at school and it really toched my heart...very nice stylistic devices and a terrible topic. I hope that work like this will never be forgotten ;-)
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