Poetry · Chapter
Lines on Embro and Zorra explained
This chapter describes the settlement of Scottish emigrants from Sutherland and Ross in the townships of Embro and Zorra, Ontario.
What happens
This chapter describes the settlement of Scottish emigrants from Sutherland and Ross in the townships of Embro and Zorra, Ontario. It celebrates their journey across the Atlantic, their establishment of farms and a village along the middle branch of the Thames River, and the construction of flour mills, drawing a parallel between the hilltop village of Embro and Edinburgh (Edina Town).
Themes in this chapter
Pioneer and Settler Struggles
The poem recounts the displacement of Scottish families due to 'cruel order' and their subsequent journey across the Atlantic to find fertile farmland in Canada.
Cultural Heritage and Immigrant Identity
The settlers maintain their Scottish identity by naming their village Embro after Edinburgh (Edina Town), linking their new home to their homeland.
Key passages
“O’er various counties of the north, When cruel order did go forth, For to destroy many a home, So that the wild deer free might roam;”
Across the northern counties of Scotland, a harsh decree was issued to demolish homes so that deer could roam freely.
Refers to the Highland Clearances, where tenants were evicted to make way for sheep and deer hunting estates.
“The men of Sutherland and Ross, The broad Atlantic they did cross, Each seeking for a fertile farm, These rolling lands for them had charm;”
The people from Sutherland and Ross crossed the Atlantic Ocean, each looking for a productive farm, and they were attracted to these rolling landscapes.
Highlights the emigration of Scottish Highlanders to Canada in search of agricultural land.
“Where middle branch of Thames doth flow They built the village of Embro, And it the hill tops now doth crown Like its grand namesake Edina Town,”
Along the middle branch of the Thames River, they established the village of Embro, which now sits atop the hills much like its famous namesake, Edinburgh.
Compares the Ontario village of Embro to Edinburgh, Scotland, emphasizing the settlers' pride in their heritage.