John Anderson, My Jo Analysis

John Anderson, my jo, John,
When we were first acquent;
Your locks were like the raven,
Your bonie brow was brent;
But now your brow is beld, John,
Your locks are like the snow,
But blessings on your frosty pow,
John Anderson, my jo.

John Anderson, my jo, John,
We clamb the hill thegither;
And mony a cantie day, John,
We've had wi' ane anither:
Now we maun totter down, John,
And hand in hand we'll go,
And sleep thegither at the foot,
John Anderson, my jo.

.: :.

The speaker in the poem is obviously his wife.
The way she names him gives it more credibility and also adds a hint of intimacy.
The poem is balanced by the structure. In stanza 1, lines 1-4 are about youth, and 5-8 are about their present old age.
In stanza 2, lines 1-4 are about youth, and 5-8 about their inevitable and eventual death.
There are a few contrasts in the poem -
Your locks were like the raven
Your locks are like the snow
Were and are - these are contrasts and the contrast of black and white works well comparing the past to the present.
We clamb the hill thegither - suggests a struggle
Now we maun totter down - walking slowly, not struggling.
Also the hill is a metaphor for life and death - when they are going up they are young and when they are going down they are old. "And sleep thegither at the foot" - the idea that they will be together even in death.
The alliteration "John Anderson, my jo" suggests youthfulness and vigour.

| Posted on 2006-01-24 | by Approved Guest