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Release 15
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THE MODERN POET

Edinburgh

By William Topaz McGonagall

Beautiful city of Edinburgh! Where the tourist can drown his sorrow By viewing your monuments and statues fine During the lovely summer-time. I'm sure it will his spirits cheer As Sir Walter Scott's monument he draws near, That stands in East Prince's Street Amongst flowery gardens, fine and neat. And Edinburgh Castle is magnificent to be seen With its beautiful walks and trees so green, Which seems like a fairy dell; And near by its rocky basement is St Margaret's Well, Where the tourist can drink at when he feels dry, And view the castle from beneath so very high, Which seems almost towering to the sky. Then as for Nelson's monument that stands on Calton Hill, As the tourist gazes thereon, with wonder his heart does fill As he thinks on Admiral Nelson who did the Frenchmen kill, Then, as for Salisbury Crags, they are most beautiful to be seen, Especially in the month of June, when the grass is green; There numerous mole-hills can be seen, And the busy little creatures howking away, Searching for worms among the clay; And as the tourist's eye does wander to and fro From the south side of Salisbury Crags below, His bosom with admiration feels all aglow As he views the beautiful scenery in the valley below; And if, with an observant eye, the little loch beneath he scans, He can see the wild ducks about and beautiful white swans. Then, as for Arthur's Seat, I'm sure it is a treat Most worthy to be seen, with its rugged rocks and pastures green, And the sheep browsing on its sides To and fro, with slow-paced strides, And the little lambkins at play During the livelong summer day, Beautiful city of Edinburgh! the truth to express, Your beauties are matchless I must confess, And which no one dare gainsay, But that you are the grandest city in Scotland at the present day!

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Poetry data from PoetryDB, curated by The Combed Thunderclap · metadata CC BY 4.0 · Public-domain poem text (USA)

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