The Bonnie Broukit Bairn by Hugh MacDiarmid

• The Bonnie Broukit Bairn is a lyric poem written by Hugh MacDiarmid in 1925.
• MacDiarmid was a Scottish poet, journalist, essayist and political figure.
• In this poem, the speaker looks at the sky and observes planets and the moon, viewing them as aristocratic, self-absorbed figures.
• This poem does not have a conventional narrative. It presents a moment rather than a sequence of events.

Each reader will interpret what a poem means to them in their own way. Everyone's response is different. While The Bonnie Broukit Bairn may reflect Hugh MacDiarmid's personal beliefs, the reader can separate the poet from the words of the poem and think about how they contribute to wider themes or feelings.

The poem explores themes of:

• the insignificance of humanity compared to larger forces
• the limits of human understanding
• innocence versus harsh reality

You can read The Bonnie Broukit Bairn by Hugh MacDiarmid on the Scottish Poetry Library website.

Hugh MacDiarmid published this poem after World War I. Having served in the Royal Army Medical Corps, MacDiarmid had seen much of the horror and futility of war, and this impacted:

• his outlook on life
• his personal philosophy
• his political views

He believed that the world needed radical change, that Scotland should be an independent country, and that socialism was a solution to the world’s political problems.

MacDiarmid also believed that Scottish culture, identity, and language should be championed. He believed in the importance of Scotland's unique voice being represented broadly in the literary world.

He was an integral part of the Scottish Literary Renaissance, and he believed that the Scots language was a pathway to national confidence. He wrote predominantly in the Lallans dialect of Scots, which was part of what MacDiarmid called 'synthetic Scots'. He often borrowing words from dictionaries and older literary works, an act he saw as reviving the language. Often he would mix the two, creating a lively combination of vernacular language, and words the reader would likely have to look up to understand their meaning.

MacDiarmid was also a European modernist and believed that Scotland must not only focus on its roots and culture but also be modern, revolutionary and outward-looking.

The Bonnie Broukit Bairn can be seen to represent a number of MacDiarmid's beliefs and concerns:

• it presents the effects of war
• it mourns for lost innocence
• it critiques the elites who he believes are disconnected from the horror of war, and the damage inflicted on the world by world leaders
• it stresses the power of ordinary people to rise up and 'drown' or overthrow these elites.

As this poem is a lyric poem, it is an expression of feelings, or ideas, rather than a sequence of events.

This poem does not have a conventional narrative: it does not tell a story, show characters or events developing, nor does it have a conventional beginning, middle, or ending.

Instead, it is essentially a cosmic observation in which a speaker looks at Mars, Venus, and the moon, viewing them as aristocratic, self-absorbed figures. The speaker presents them as indifferent to the vulnerability of planet Earth. This perspective is what drives the poem.

The poem moves through a range of ideas:

• describing the glamorous, careless planets
• dismissing their empty, vacuous talk
• a direct address to Earth
• a final emotional moment with a defiant ending

MacDiarmid rejects conventional narrative structures in order to achieve his philosophical purpose. His focus moves us away from plot and towards thought. This reflects MacDiarmid’s modernist interest in ideas rather than events.

Mars is braw in crammasy,
Venus in a green silk goun,
The auld mune shak’s her gowden feathers,

Mars and Venus are two of the planets that are easiest to see with the naked eye. Along with the moon they are among the brightest objects in the night sky.

These celestial bodies are observed from below, emphasising their assumed superior, godlike status. They are described as being richly dressed and possibly imperious or regal in the night sky.

Mars

The first sentence is a strong declaration. MacDiarmid’s personification compares the planet to the Roman ‘god of war’ it is named after, giving it the same characteristics.

The planet is personified as wearing crimson and looking fine. The choice of 'crimson' rather than red creates a great sense of grandeur. Crimson was historically considered a regal colour and was often used in royal clothing and religious robes. The colour is also associated with high status, wealth, and luxury.

More broadly, red is associated with anger, danger, and warfare, linking to the mythology and features of the god Mars. The god’s traits (strength, aggression, masculine drive, and military power) are transferred onto the planet itself.

The word ‘braw,’ is emphasised through the use of sibilance at either side of it in "Mars" and "cramassy". This short word starting with a plosive 'b' sound, is emphasised by its position in the middle of the line, and by the contrast with the softer sounds around it. The Scots word and the planet's grandeur are highlighted at the same time.

Venus

The second celestial body referenced is the planet (and Roman goddess) Venus, who is dressed in green silk. Although not scientifically accurate, the use of ‘green’ to describe Venus’s colour is significant. While Venus is actually yellowish-white in colour, this characterisation adds symbolic meaning: green has connotations of both money and envy. The silk she wears, as a rich, expensive and possibly decadent fabric, highlights her alluring, elegant and luxurious appearance. This continues to reinforce the speaker's portrayal of these planets as being aloof, aristocratic figures, unconcerned with the vulnerable Earth.

The moon

The moon, in keeping with historical and cultural precedents, is portrayed as a female character. She is depicted as an older woman wearing golden feathers, ostentatiously shaking them. These ‘gowden feathers’ continue the idea of wealth and aristocracy… Gold is, of course, synonymous with wealth and status, and feathers would be worn as a deliberate display of fashion, luxury and display.

The speaker personifies the planets, Mars and Venus, by describing them dressed in ‘crammasy’ and ‘green silk’ clothing.

Brush up on your understanding of personification with this short Higher English revision video.

Their starry talk’s a wheen o’ blethers,
Nane for thee a thochtie sparin’
Earth, thou bonnie broukit bairn!

After the first three lines, which seem to praise and celebrate the planets, the fourth line punctures their self-importance immediately. Their ‘talk’ is described as being ‘starry’, which has multiple connotations:

• being related to the stars
• their celebrity
• being pretentious, inflated and idealistic
• not rooted in reality
• meaningless chatter

This is further emphasised by their conversations being described as ‘a wheen o’ blethers’ – a lot of nonsense. These planets are brash, aloof and ostentatious. Their shallow conversations contain nothing of meaning or significance. None of these personalities spares any thought for Earth. It seems significant that Scots words are used to mock these bodies.

The speaker then shifts focus to Earth. Rather than observing and judging, as he did with the planets, the speaker uses direct address to speak to Earth. This suggests a sense of equality that ties in with MacDairmid's socialist beliefs. It could be that the Earth stands in for ordinary, working class people, and the poet is speaking to them while judging the upper classes.

Addressing the Earth, the speaker calls it the ‘bonnie broukit bairn’ of the poem's title.

• the word ‘bonnie’ is affectionately used in Scots to suggest goodness, charm, or spirit
• the word ‘broukit’ means soiled, dirty, or blackened with soot, possibly neglected.
• ‘bairn’ is a Scots, and Northern English, term for child.

The speaker's use of contrast is effective in juxtaposing beauty and grandeur of the planets with neglect of Earth. It suggests that humanity has much to offer but is currently suffering under the rule of the elites.

This also mirrors MacDiarmid's views of Scotland – as a ‘bonnie’ but neglected part of the United Kingdom, largely ignored by those who watch over us: governments; the aristocracy and the monarchy. The speaker concludes this with an exclamation to emphasise their condemnation of this neglect and to rebuke the planets for their lack of care and appreciation.

In the final two lines, the speaker creates a twist, where Earth’s power is acknowledged. This is introduced with an emphatic ‘But’. This indicates the contrast to come.

– But greet, an’ in your tears ye’ll drown
The haill clanjamfrie!

Despite being the lowliest of the planets discussed, Earth’s impact could be massive if it chose to 'greet', to cry the tears it is entitled to. The tears of the Earth will ‘drown’ the others, overwhelming the god-like, upper-class characters. ‘Clanjamfrie’ is a Scots word meaning a crowd of people or a collection of worthless items/junk. This juxtaposition is a strong statement which shows that the Earth is resilient and strong.

These final lines act like a call to action; the speaker suggests the Earth could respond to its neglect by expressing its hurt. Written in 1925, so soon after world events like the Easter Rising in Ireland, and the Russian Revolution, this could be read as MacDiarmid's call for some type of revolution.

In The Bonnie Broukit Bairn, MacDiarmid sets the vulnerable child, Earth, against the haughty, indifferent celestial bodies of the cosmos, showing Earth to be tiny and fragile:

Earth, thou bonnie broukit bairn!

However, in its humanity, it is also shown to have the power to overthrow those larger forces.

in your tears ye’ll drown / The haill clanjamfrie!

The relative significance of humanity is also shown in the other poems:

In The Bonnie Broukit Bairn, the planets, as representatives of the upper class, demonstrate their inability to understand the plight of the workers and those who suffer at war.

Nane for thee a thochtie sparin’

The neglect is a warning about what will happen if more care is not taken - we must understand more about the most vulnerable among us.

The limit of human understanding is also shown in the other poems:

In The Bonnie Broukit Bairn, the innocent child is contrasted with the harsh realities of a cold and indifferent universe.

Earth, thou bonnie broukit bairn!

The theme of innocence versus harsh reality is also shown in the other poems: