Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Tam O’Shanter is a long narrative poem by Robert Burns that he wrote in 1790. It was first published in the Edinburgh Herald and the Edinburgh Magazine in March 1791. However, the poem was written for the second volume of the collection of Francis Grose’s Antiquities of Scotland in which the poem was republished in April 1791. Robert Burns wrote the entire poem within a day and the central character of Tam O’Shanter was based on Douglas Graham, one of Robert Burns’ friends. The early version of the poem had 228 lines but the second revised version had 224 lines as Robert Burns deleted four lines at the request of his friends. The basic theme of Tam O’Shanter is the reality of the macabre and things beyond explanation. The titular character sets off late on a dark night, full of drink, on his horse Meg Maggie). On his travels, he spots a wild gathering of witches and warlocks partying with the devil. Having inadvertently called out to one of the witches, he sets off at high speed in search of home, with the ghastly crew in hot pursuit. He makes it away in the nick of time, but not before one of the witches has snatched off Meg’s tail.
The poem stresses the celebration of life-affirming enjoyment of the joys of this world while recognizing that human pleasure is fleeting and thus more precious. The poem also suggests that one should be careful about the consequences of their actions.
Structure of Tam O’Shanter:
Robert Burns wrote the poem in a mixture of Scots and English in a mock-epic form, with iambic tetrameters, with nine syllables or lines of eight and often four emphasized syllables each line, are used in the composition of the poem. The lines are arranged in couplets – rhyming a/a, b/b, c/c, etc. This creates a pacey, lively feel. The supernatural comedy uses folktales that horrified locals or had only recently terrified their hits on the horrifying aspects of eighteenth-century life. Burns used alliteration, consonance, assonance, metaphor, juxtaposition, and contrast in this poem.
Summary of Tam O’Shanter:
The opening stanza describes Ayr as a calm place where Tam is enjoying daily life. The poem begins with a cliche “it was a dark and stormy night” and describes a dark and stormy late October night in the Scottish town of Ayrshire. In the first stanza, the poet describes the atmosphere in Ayr at the end of a busy market day. Tam O’Shanter is a farmer who brought his harvest into town to sell it and after profitable dealing, he celebrates with his friends in the tavern. In the pub, he is sitting with his friends around a roaring fire. The atmosphere appears calm and relaxed but things change from the 7th line. Tam begins thinking of returning to his home as he knows it would be best to start the long trip home not just because of the inclement weather but because his wife, Kate, admonished him not to be late. The poet describes Tam's hurdles in the passage from the inn to his home: "The mosses, waters, slaps, and styles”. Tam remembers his wife and how intimidating she is “Gathering her brows like a gathering storm / Nursing her wrath to keep it warm” (Lines 11-12). These lines suggest that Tam’s wife Kate is a responsible housewife and mother, nursing her child, but she appears dominant with a streak of vengeance against Tam.
The poet again describes Tam as an honest, calm, and fun-loving person. But Tam’s wife Kate has a different opinion of him and describes him as “a blethering, blustering, drunken blellum (Line 20)”. Burns used a nice combination of Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, and Assonance to suggest that Kate believes Tam is a useless drunkard. Tam would often get drunk. Kate admonished him that whenever he goes to the market with the miller, he gets drunk. Whenever he goes with the blacksmith, he drinks a lot. When he went to the Lord’s House even on Sunday he returned drunk. Kate prophesized that one day he may get so drunk that he may get drowned in the river Doon or get caught by intimidating ‘warlocks’ at ‘the auld, haunted kirk’ of Alloway Church (Line 32). Here, the poet introduces the paranormal forces he is about to describe.
However, like any other husband, Tam preferred to ignore the wise pieces of advice of his wife. He continues to enjoy the atmosphere with his friends as the ale is flowing, the talk is animated, the pub inviting—Tam delays, “a man so happy / Even drowned in ale” (Line 54). The landlady of the inn appears gracious and friendly towards Tam but it all appears a sham as the landlord notices all this happening. In Lines 59-60, the poet describes how human pleasure is fleeting “But pleasures are like poppies spread:/You seize the flower, its bloom is shed.” Tam finally decides to leave for home as he rides his horse, Meg. The storm is terrible but, once Meg the horse, is into her stride, she and Tam seem to outdo it. He knows he must pass Alloway’s Church, long abandoned and, according to town legend, haunted by spirits from Hell, a forbidding place where “ghosts and owls nightly cry” (Line 89). When he passes the church, he is surprised to see light flooding from inside; the church seems “a blaze” (Line 103). However, he is in the effect of alcohol and he feels no fear. He decides to check into the church. He tethers his horse and creeps to a church window and sees therein an “incredible sight” (Line 115). Witches and warlocks, dressed in black, dance in the church to the hornpipe being blown on bagpipes by none other than Satan himself in the shape of a “shaggy dog, black, grim, and large” (Line 122). Burns explored the Gothic folk-tale horror of the journey in this stanza. To the harsh squeal of the bagpipes, the demon spirits cavort. Scattered about the church, Tam notes, are grim memento mori objects of murder and mayhem, hacked bones, heavy chains, bloodied tomahawks, swords “with murder crusted” (Line 137), a “garter with which a baby strangled” and a “knife a father’s throat had mangled (Lines 138-139). Most terrifying of all, however, are three lawyers’ tongues, turned inside out, and three priests’ rotten, black hearts.
Tam is terrified now. He watches the crazy dervishes of the old witches and warlocks until they are thick with sweat. Caught up in the frenzied dancing, the witches begin to strip off their clothes. Tam is repulsed by the withered witches, “ugly enough to suckle a foal” (Line 165). It is, then that Tam’s eye is caught by a young, beautiful witch. As Tam watches in carnal delight, this young witch, named Nannie, strips down to her “short underskirt” (Line 178). Tam is beside himself, “bewitched” (Line 188), driven by the sudden itch of lust. He cannot help himself. He yells out loudly and carelessly, “Well done, short skirt!” (Line 194). Tam is already under the effect of alcohol but the dreadful witches are so fearsome and ugly that he gets repulsed when he sees them naked. However, when one of the young beautiful witches undresses, he feels a sudden urge of lust. The “hellish legions” (Line 198), suddenly aware they are being watched, turn their attention to Tam. “Catch the thief” (Line 203), Nannie yells. They all head outside to chase Tam down. Now panicked, certain they will drag him to hell as “roast [him] like a herring” (Line 207), Tam throws himself on Meg and tries to gallop away as fast as he, but his exit is hampered by the muddy roads. He heads to the bridge over the River Doon, the road out of town, knowing that demons cannot cross running water. He would be safe if he got to the bridge. But Nannie, flying furiously, is fast approaching Tam. The narrator is truly caught in the action as he offers a juxtaposition. He despairs over Tam’s fate ‘Ah, Tam! ah, Tam!’ and encourages Meg: ‘Now, do thy speedy utmost, Meg’
Desperate to stop him, as Tam lurches onto the bridge, Nannie reaches out and snags Meg’s tail, pulling it out, which “left poor Maggie scarce a stump” (Line 223). Tam is safe. The Narrator then offers wisdom to the readers: whenever you are inclined to imbibe strong drink or are tempted by short skirts, the poet cautions the reader to “Remember Tam O’Shanter’s mare” (Line 228). The ludicrous rhyme of rump…stump and the fact that Tam remains unpunished while Maggie is the one to suffer help to undermine the moral that is to follow.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!
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