The Joyful Widower (1)
By Robert Burns
I married with a scolding wife
The fourteenth of November;
She made me weary of my life,
By one unruly member.
Long did I bear the heavy yoke,
And many griefs attended;
But to my comfort be it spoke,
Now, now her life is ended.
The Joyful Widower (2)
We liv’d full one-and-twenty years
A man and wife together;
At length from me her course she steer’d,
And gone I know not whither:
Would I could guess, I do profess,
I speak, and do not flatter,
Of all the woman in the world,
I never could come at her.
The Joyful Widower (3)
Her body is bestowed well,
A handsome grave does hide her;
But sure her soul is not in hell,
The deil would ne’er abide her.
I rather think she is aloft,
And imitating thunder;
For why, — methinks I hear her voice
Tearing the clouds asunder.
Poem Analysis:
Robert Burns’ “The Joyful Widower” is a satirical and humorous poem that narrates the experience of a man who, after enduring a long marriage with a quarrelsome wife, finds an odd sense of relief in her passing. Written in the form of a witty ballad, the poem blends dark humor, personal commentary, and hyperbole to explore themes of marital strife, liberation, and the persistence of personality beyond death.
Burns, known for his ability to mix humor with serious observations on human relationships, offers a tongue-in-cheek reflection on marriage and freedom. While the poem may initially appear to be purely comedic, its exaggerated tone also highlights the emotional toll of an unhappy relationship.
Structure and Form
The poem is divided into three stanzas of equal length, each with a consistent rhyme scheme (ABAB), which creates a rhythmic, song-like quality. This structure mirrors the ballad tradition, often used for storytelling, and enhances the ironic tone of the widower’s narrative.
The simple language and direct address give the poem a conversational tone, as though the speaker is telling his story to friends in a pub — a technique Burns frequently employed to engage his audience.
Stanza 1: A Marriage of Conflict
“I married with a scolding wife / The fourteenth of November;She made me weary of my life, / By one unruly member.”
The poem opens with a blunt declaration: the widower’s marriage was defined by his wife’s “scolding” nature, which drained him of joy. The phrase “one unruly member” humorously refers to her sharp tongue, suggesting that verbal conflict was a defining feature of their relationship.
Despite this, the speaker claims he bore the “heavy yoke” — a metaphor that equates marriage to the burdensome harness of an ox. Yet the stanza concludes on a note of relief: her death has freed him from his long-standing misery. The tone is sardonic, almost celebratory, setting the stage for the rest of the poem.
Stanza 2: Reflection on Their Years Together
“We liv’d full one-and-twenty years / A man and wife together;At length from me her course she steer’d, / And gone I know not whither.”
In this stanza, the speaker acknowledges the length of their marriage — twenty-one years — but rather than mourning her departure, he humorously pretends ignorance about her afterlife.
The lines “Would I could guess, I do profess, / I speak, and do not flatter, / Of all the woman in the world, / I never could come at her” reveal both the emotional distance between them and his comedic resignation. Even in life, he implies, she was difficult to understand or connect with, which adds to the satire of his supposed grief.
Stanza 3: The Afterlife with a Twist
“Her body is bestowed well, / A handsome grave does hide her;But sure her soul is not in hell, / The deil would ne’er abide her.”
Here, Burns employs mock-religious humor. The widower speculates that his wife’s soul is not in hell because even the devil could not endure her. Instead, he imagines her in the heavens, “imitating thunder,” tearing through the clouds with her voice. This image combines humor and exaggeration, suggesting that her argumentative nature persists even after death.
Themes
- Marital Strife and Liberation: The central theme is the oppressive nature of a quarrelsome marriage and the freedom the widower feels upon his wife’s passing. His relief is exaggerated for comic effect but underscores the reality of emotional strain in unhappy unions.
- Humor and Hyperbole: Burns uses humor to address what could otherwise be a tragic or somber subject. The playful tone — joking about hell, the devil, and his wife’s loud voice — lightens the narrative while satirizing conventional mourning.
- Persistence of Personality: Even in death, the wife’s personality is imagined as alive and powerful, suggesting that strong temperaments leave a lasting impression.
Tone
The tone is comic, irreverent, and ironic, avoiding any hint of genuine sorrow. The widower does not adhere to traditional expectations of grief; instead, he openly mocks his late wife’s faults and seems almost jubilant. This unexpected approach gives the poem its unique charm and reflects Burns’ fondness for using humor to critique social and personal issues.
Imagery and Language
- “Heavy yoke” — Symbolizes the burden of his marriage, using pastoral imagery.
- “Imitating thunder” — A vivid metaphor for his wife’s loud and domineering presence, even after death.
- The devil (“deil”) — Represents the extreme of endurance, humorously suggesting that hell itself would refuse her company.
- The use of Scottish dialect (e.g., “deil” for “devil”) adds authenticity and regional character, grounding the humor in Burns’ cultural voice.
“The Joyful Widower” is a witty and satirical poem that turns the traditional narrative of mourning upside down. Through humor, irony, and exaggerated imagery, Robert Burns captures the complexities of marital relationships, portraying a widower who is both relieved and bemused by his wife’s passing.
Rather than being a simple tale of bitterness, the poem highlights Burns’ talent for combining humor with deeper commentary on human nature — particularly the strains and enduring impressions of love, conflict, and domestic life.