My Land by Thomas Osborne David

She is a rich and rare land;
Oh! she's a fresh and fair land;
She is a dear and rare land -
This native land of mine.

No men than her's are braver -
her women's hearts never waver;
I'd freely die to save her,
And think my lot divine.

She's not a dull or cold land;
No! She's a warm and bold land;
Oh! she's a true and old land -
This native land of mine.

Could beauty ever guard her,
And virtue still reward her,
no foe would cross her border -
no friend within it pine!

Oh" she's a fresh and fair land;
Oh! she's a true and rare land;
Yes! She's a rare and fair land -
This native land of mine.

This is a ballad that expresses the love of a man for his homeland of Ireland. The first stanza uses simple but meaningful words to describe the richness and simplicity of the land. The next stanza tells of the bravery of the people. Because of their love for Ireland, they will sacrifice their lives to protect each other and preserve its freedom. The next two stanzas further describes Ireland’s beauty and warmth. Finally, the last stanza echoes the first stanza, except for a slight difference in the order of the words.
The poem uses an intricate rhyme structure. The first 3 lines of each stanza rhyme with each other, and each set of these 3 lines rhyme again in alternate lines. The last line of every stanza also rhyme. There is also internal rhyme and assonance in many instances, such as “rare,” “fair,” and “rare” in the first stanza, and “cold,” “bold,” and “old” in the third stanza. There is much alliteration, such as “rich and rare” and “fresh and fair.” Of course, this whole poem uses personification to describe his homeland, calling it “her” and describing it as “warm and bold.” Lastly, the poem uses an accentual-syllabic meter, with consistent 3-beat lines and a 7-7-7-6 syllable structure per stanza. The author uses these poetic devices beautifully to create such a memorable ballad.