Kidspoem/Bairnsang by Liz Lochhead

Robin   Sun Sep 24, 2006 6:48 pm GMT
This poem, is in Scots and English. It starts in Scots, and then changes to English with the words.

it was January
and a really dismal day
the first day I went to school

I want to illustrate the variety of acceptable English, and the fact that a lot of British people have real difficulty with proper English speech and spelling. I don't think that British people are unique in this.

I think it is worth remembering when discussing the finer points of grammar. Grammatical points are discussed by Academics, and not by native speakers. If someone has difficulty in understanding a particular expression, then you use another one. If you have difficulty in spelling a particular word, then you use another one.

I could have broken the poem up into Sections, but I have decided to leave it in its original form, which is a little bit confusing. It is confusing because the writer is switching between Scots and English.

The other point to make, is that there are differences between the different parts of England and Scotland, as well as differences between England and Scotland. Regional accents and dialects, are regional. They do not follow 'national boundaries'.


Kidspoem/Bairnsang

it wis January
and a gey driech day
the first day Ah went to the school
so my Mum happed me up in ma
good navy-blue napp coat wi the rid tartan hood
birled a scarf aroon ma neck
pu'ed oan ma pixie an' my pawkies
it wis that bitter
said noo ye'll no starve
gie'd me a wee kiss and a kid-oan skelp oan the bum
and sent me aff across the playground
tae the place A'd learn to say
it was January
and a really dismal day
the first day I went to school
so my mother wrapped me up in my
best nay-blue top coat with the red tartan hood,
twirled a scarf around my neck,
pulled on my bobble-hat and mittens
it was so bitterly cold
said now you won't freeze to death
gave me a little kiss and a pretend slap on the bottom
and sent me off across the playground
to the place I'd learn to forget to say
it wis January
and a gey driech day
the first day Ah went to the school
so my Mum happed me up in ma
good navy-blue napp coat wi the rid tartan hood,
birled a scarf aroon ma neck,
pu'ed oan ma pixie and' ma pawkies
it wis that bitter.

Oh saying it was one thing
But when it came to writing it
In black and white
The way it had to be said
Was as if you were posh, grown-up, male, English and dead.

Liz Lochhead
from The Colour of Black & White: poems 1984 - 2003
Permission kindly granted by Polygon
Guest   Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:26 am GMT
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Robin   Wed Sep 27, 2006 2:15 am GMT
I was very pleased to see that my Topic has attracted one post.

I not quite sure what the Post is meant to mean. Does it mean that both computers and Scots people have their own language, that is incomprehensible to everybody else.