Analysis of To a Lady

William Dunbar 1459 – 1530



SWEET rois of vertew and of gentilness,
Delytsum lily of everie lustynes,
   Richest in bontie and in bewtie clear,
   And everie vertew that is wenit dear,
Except onlie that ye are mercyless

Into your garth this day I did persew;
There saw I flowris that fresche were of hew;
   Baith quhyte and reid most lusty were to seyne,
   And halesome herbis upon stalkis greene;
Yet leaf nor flowr find could I nane of rew.

I doubt that Merche, with his cauld blastis keyne,
Has slain this gentil herb, that I of mene;
   Quhois piteous death dois to my heart sic paine
   That I would make to plant his root againe,--
So confortand his levis unto me bene.


Scheme AABBA ACDDC DDDDD
Poetic Form Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 1111011 110111 10010011 0111111 0111111 011111111 111111011 1101110011 0110111 1111111111 111111111 111111111 111111111 111111111 1111010110
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 657
Words 120
Sentences 3
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5
Lines Amount 15
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 166
Words per stanza (avg) 39
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
71

William Dunbar

William Dunbar (born 1459 or 1460–died by 1530) was a Scottish makar poet active in the late fifteenth century and the early sixteenth century. He was closely associated with the court of King James IV and produced a large body of work in Scots distinguished by its great variation in themes and literary styles. He was likely a native of East Lothian, as assumed from a satirical reference in The Flyting of Dumbar and Kennedie. His surname is also spelt Dumbar.  more…

All William Dunbar poems | William Dunbar Books

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