Shetlan by John Peterson
'Shetlan', by John Peterson, is one of the poems from 'The Kist' - an anthology of Scots (and Gaelic) poetry and prose that was digitised by Education Scotland and gifted to the Scots Language Centre so that teachers and learners can continue to benefit from this valuable resource.
Shetlan by John Peterson
Du may waander on fir ever,
An seek idder laands dee lane,
Bit someday du’ll come driftin
Ta da laand o laands agen.
Shos a laand o faeries dancing
In a ring o snaa-white scom,
Whaar da grit, grey sea lies skulkin
I’ da dim, saft simmer hom.
Dere, A’m pluckin kokkiluries,
An gadderin paddock-stols,
Or guddlin tricky skeeticks
Ida clear saat-waater pols,
A’m rickin peerie sillicks
Wi a preen an dockin-waand
Or poking efter smislins
Ida ebb-stanes ida saand.
Shos a laand whaar winter’s souchin
Trowe da spondrift an da squaal,
An da smorin mooricaavie
Fills da Nort-wind’s oobin waal
Dere, I look alang da tide-line
Among da tang an waar,
Fir barrel-scows, an battens,
An bits o brokken spar;
Fir da muckle seas is brakkin
In stoor laek cloods o snaa.
An der tales o vessels wrackin
Wi dir sails aa blawn awa.
Learning Resources
Reading
Read the poem and listen to the audio file.
Please note that the following questions can also be found on the interactive, online reading exercise based on Shetlan.
- From the poem, find three words which tell us that the poet is describing how the seascape looks in Summer.
- From the poem, find three words which tell us that the poet is describing how the seascape looks in Winter.
- In the section of the poem that begins, ‘Dere, A’m pluckin kokkiluries’, the poet goes on to describes several activities that he takes part in during summer. What are the three activities that he describes?
- In the section of poem that begins, ‘Sho’s a laand whaar winter’s souchin’, the poet describes what he can see on the beach during winter. Find at least one thing that he sees and try to describe it in your own words.