This poem holds in it a strong emotional feel to it from the talk that is almost synonymous to crying and sadness, such as “O, Jenny’s a weet, poor body, Jenny’s seldom dry” (Burns 1-2). This poem gives a mysterious feel to the woman named Jenny for there is little to go by on her background. What can be said about her is that she is wearing a ‘petticoatie’ which is more commonly seen being worn by the more high societal class given the estimate of the time period this poem takes place in. Also the crying is attributed to this woman giving her some degree of emotional depth but little in the way of knowing what it is she is crying about. Further insight shows an inconsistency, the rye. The rye is a type of grain crop and ‘comin thro’ the rye’ could mean she is trying to run away or hide from something, the inconsistency is the fact that Jenny is described as wealthy yet rye is crop that a farmer plants to feed his family and she doesn’t seem to relate with farmers.
Looking at the some of the verses there is mention of two separate bodies, “Gin a body meet a body” (Burns 9). This second body might provide answers as to the reason for the woman crying. The lines “Gin a body kiss a body, Need a body cry?” (Burns 11-12) shows indication that there was love involved but the question that follows might indicate that she did not manage to get a kiss for the question implies that a kiss is not something to cry about. That could take two meanings, one she did not get kissed and is crying for the fact or two, she did get kissed and the narrating voice is confused as to why the woman is still crying.
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