Meg Merrilies-John Keats

MEG MERRILIES

Old Meg she was a gipsy;

And lived upon the moors;

Her bed it was the brown heath turf,

And her house was out of doors.

Her apples were swart blackberries,

Her currants, pods o' broom;

Her wine was dew of the wild white rose,

Her book a churchyard tomb.

Her brothers were the craggy hills,

Her sisters larchen trees;

Alone with her great family

She lived as she did please.

No breakfast had she many a morn,

No dinner many a noon,

And, 'stead of supper, she would stare

Full hard against the moon.

But every morn, of woodbine fresh

She made her garlanding,

And, every night, the dark glen yew

She wove, and she would sing.

And with her fingers, old and brown,

She plaited mats of rushes,

And gave them to the cottagers

She met among the bushes.

Old Meg was brave as Margaret Queen,

And tall as Amazon;

An old red blanket cloak she wore,

A chip-hat had she on :

God rest her aged bones somewhere!

She died full long agone!

JOHN KEATS

Summary: The poem 'Meg Merrilies' by John Keats is a ballad that portrays the life of an eccentric and unconventional woman named Meg Merrilies. Living as a gipsy on the moors, Meg's lifestyle is connected to nature. Her bed is the brown heath turf, and she lives outdoors. Meg gathers her food from the wild, with apples as swart blackberries, currants as pods o'broom, and her wine as dew from the wild white rose.

Meg's family consists of the craggy hills as her brothers and larchen trees as her sisters. Despite her lack of conventional meals, Meg lives freely and independently, doing as she pleases with her 'great family.' She is described as making garlands of woodbine in the morning and weaving dark glen yew at night, singing while engaged in these activities.

The poem emphasizes Meg's resourcefulness, as she plaited mats of rushes with her old and brown fingers, which she generously gave to cottagers she encountered in the bushes. Meg is depicted as a brave and tall figure, akin to Margaret Queen and an Amazon. The poem concludes with a wish for peace for Meg's aged bones, indicating that she has long since passed away. The narrative captures the unconventional yet resilient and free-spirited life of Meg Merrilies.