The narrative poem follows a romantic triangle among early settlers in a new colonial settlement, focusing on a soldier who asks a friend to speak for him to a young woman, the friend's concealed affection, and the woman's measured response. Interwoven episodes depict the settlers' voyage, communal hardships, encounters with local inhabitants, and seasonal labors. The verse balances comic misunderstanding and earnest feeling while exploring themes of love, duty, honor, and communal endurance, shifting between intimate domestic scenes and broader sketches of pioneer life.