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Description: | The second page of a poem of two pages which Burns first inclosed in a letter to Mrs Dunlop dated 5th February 1789 whose first line is 'Flow gently sweet Afton, among thy green braes'. The six verse lyrics were to be one of Burns's contributions to Johnson's Musical Museum.
Burns describes the Afton as being a small river, 'that falls into the Nith near New Cummnock, which has some charming, wild, romantic scenery on its banks.' He also comments to Mrs Dunlop 'I have a particular pleasure in those little pieces of poetry ... where the names and landskip-features of rivers, lakes, or woodlands, that one knows, are introduced' (letter no 310).
In verse 5 on page 47 Burns describes a favourite image of his of paddling in the burn and finishes in verse 6 almost a refrain of the first verse. This poem must measure as one of his most-loved and beautiful works. | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0 | Publisher: | Burns Monument Trust | Temporal: | 1791-01-01 - 1791-12-31 | Source: | Burns Scotland | Identifier: | Poem by Robert Burns: 'Sweet Afton - a S | Go to resource |
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