Poetry · Chapter
A Ghost Story explained
A humorous poem about a Scottish lass named Mary who tricks her two cowardly suitors into hiding in a graveyard to frighten each other, only for both to be terrified by the sight of each other's white sheets.
What happens
A humorous poem about a Scottish lass named Mary who tricks her two cowardly suitors into hiding in a graveyard to frighten each other, only for both to be terrified by the sight of each other's white sheets. The suitors fall ill from fright, and Mary marries a brave farmer's son instead.
Themes in this chapter
Moral Lessons and Domestic Virtue
The poem illustrates the folly of cowardice and the reward of bravery, as Mary chooses the farmer's son who 'never from a ghost had run.'
Community and Social Gatherings
The story revolves around local courtship and the social dynamics of a small Scottish community.
Characters to notice
- Mary Crosby
The bonnie Scottish lass who plays a trick on her two cowardly suitors, ultimately marrying a brave farmer's son.
Key passages
“There was a bonnie Scottish lass, She had two lovers green as grass; This fair maiden’s name was Mary, And she was playful as a fairy.”
A pretty Scottish girl named Mary had two inexperienced suitors, and she enjoyed teasing them.
Introduces Mary and her playful nature.
“She promised each one to reward, If ho would go to the church yard, Which was close by, the first dark night So that the other he would fright.”
She offered a reward to whichever suitor would hide in the nearby graveyard on a dark night to scare the other.
Mary's trick to expose their cowardice.
“Both had around them sheets so white Each wished the other for to fright, While rival on the road did pass, They both quick rose, but sad, alas.”
Both suitors wrapped themselves in white sheets, hoping to scare each other, but when they saw each other rise, they were terrified.
The comedic climax where both are frightened by the other's ghostly appearance.
“When they arose from their sick bed, They heard the news that Mary wed A brave and handsome farmer’s son, Who never from a ghost had run.”
After recovering from their fright, the suitors learned that Mary had married a courageous farmer's son who was not afraid of ghosts.
The moral conclusion rewarding bravery over cowardice.