Song Meaning
The poem opens with a stark, atmospheric image: a solitary, strange "watergaw" – a rainbow – seen on a wet, early evening during sheep shearing. This fleeting, "chitterin' licht" appears "Ayont the on-ding," suggesting it's beyond the immediate, perhaps even the natural order. The narrator immediately connects this eerie sight to the "last wild look" of someone who has died, creating a profound sense of foreboding and unresolved grief.
The central tension lies in the narrator's struggle to comprehend the meaning of that final look. The absence of "reek" (smoke) in both the lark's house and the narrator's own home signifies a chilling emptiness, a lack of warmth or life. This starkness amplifies the impact of the "foolish licht" of the watergaw, which has haunted the narrator "Ever sin' syne," implying a persistent, unsettling memory.
The poem's power resides in its stark, almost elemental language and the potent juxtaposition of the natural world with profound human loss. The "watergaw," a transient phenomenon, becomes a vessel for the narrator's grief and a catalyst for understanding. The shift from observing an external, strange light to an internal realization – "I ken / What your look meant then" – marks a significant, albeit somber, moment of clarity.
This lyrical moment resonates because it captures the way profound experiences, even seemingly random ones, can unlock buried emotions and memories. The watergaw, with its ethereal and unpredictable nature, mirrors the elusive nature of understanding death and the final moments of a loved one. The poem suggests that sometimes, it takes an unexpected, almost otherworldly sign to finally grasp the inexpressible.
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