Sweet Afton

This article is about the Robert Burns poem. For the Irish cigarette of the same name, see Sweet Afton (cigarette).

Sweet Afton is a lyrical poem describing the Afton Water in Ayrshire, Scotland. It was written by Robert Burns in 1791^[1] and set to music by Jonathan E. Spilman in 1837, under the title Flow gently, sweet Afton.

Sweet Afton contains a lot of monosyllables, which contribute to a gentle, soothing rhythm. It can be seen as a hymn for peace. The poem is in the metre 11 - 11 - 11- 11, and is often sung to the tune of the popular Christmas carol Away in a Manger called Cradle Song.

In the town of New Cumnock in East Ayrshire there is a bridge across Afton Water on the A76 upon which there is a plaque commemorating Robert Burns and this great poem. The Afton of New Cumnock gives its name to the Glen of Afton, which has connections with William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots (1568), and Robert Burns. The Wallace seal attached to the Lubeck Letter of 1297 gives substance to the theory that Wallace's father was from Kyle Regis (this area) and a rock formation "up the glen" is named Castle William, supposedly after the Scottish patriot's fortification.

References

↑ http://www.robertburns.org/works/340.shtml

External links

Digitised copy of Afton water in James Johnson's Scots Musical Museum, printed between 1787 and 1803, from National Library of Scotland. JPEG, PDF, XML versions.

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Sweet Afton

Robert Burns

Poems	"Comin' Thro' the Rye" (1782) "John Barleycorn" (1782) "Address to the Deil" (1785) "Epitaph for James Smith" (1785) Halloween (1785) Holy Willie's Prayer (1785) "To a Mouse" (1785) The Kilmarnock volume (1786) "To a Louse" (1786) "To a Mountain Daisy" (1786) "The Battle of Sherramuir" (1787) "The Birks of Aberfeldy" (1787) "Auld Lang Syne" (1788) Tam o' Shanter (1790) "Ae Fond Kiss" (1791) "Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation" (1791) "Sweet Afton" (1791) "The Slave's Lament" (1792) "Oh, whistle and I'll come to you, my lad" (1793) "Scots Wha Hae" (1793) "A Red, Red Rose" (1794) "Is There for Honest Poverty" (1795)

Articles	Bachelors' Club, Tarbolton Burns Clubs Irvine Atlanta Burns supper List of Robert Burns memorials Robert Burns' diamond point engravings Robert Burns and the Eglinton Estate Robert Burns Humanitarian Award Robert Burns World Federation

Places	Burns Cottage Drukken Steps Ellisland Farm The Hermitage (Friars Carse) Writers' Museum

Family	Jean Armour (wife) Agnes Broun (mother) William Burnes (father) Gilbert Burns (brother)

People	John Anderson Alison Begbie Thomas Blacklock Nelly Blair Richard Brown May Cameron Mary Campbell Jenny Clow Lord Glencairn Frances Dunlop Jean Gardner Jean Glover Helen Hyslop Nelly Kilpatrick John MacKenzie Agnes Maclehose Ann Park Elizabeth Paton David Sillar Peggy Thompson

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