Merry Margaret

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint an almost impossibly perfect portrait of "Merry Margaret." She's presented as a radiant figure, "as midsummer flower," embodying a pure, unblemished goodness. The opening lines immediately establish her as gentle, comparing her to a "falcon / Or hawk of the tower," suggesting grace and keenness without predatory harshness. This initial depiction sets a tone of almost divine admiration, where Margaret exists in a state of "solace and gladness," "mirth and no madness," and "all good and no badness." The narrator struggles to articulate the full extent of Margaret's virtues, stating "Far, far passing / That I can indite / Or suffice to write." This admission of inadequacy highlights the overwhelming nature of her positive qualities. The repetition of her name and the "midsummer flower / Gentle as falcon / Or hawk of the tower" refrain reinforces her idealized image. The lyrics then expand on her character, listing attributes like patience, good will, steadfastness, and being "well made, well wrought," further emphasizing her exceptional nature. The true craft here lies in the sheer accumulation of positive descriptors, creating a hyperbole that borders on the ethereal. By listing virtues and comparing her to natural beauty and noble birds, the lyrics construct an image of someone so inherently good that she seems beyond ordinary human description. The narrator’s inability to fully capture her essence, despite listing numerous perfections, is the core tension, suggesting Margaret’s virtue transcends mere words and is something to be sought after, as the closing lines imply: "Far may be sought / Ere that ye can find / So courteous, so kind / As merry Margaret."