Adam Armour's Prayer by Robert Burns
A small but spirited speaker prays for pity while hiding from punishment. The speaker and companions have disgraced themselves by attacking Geordie’s “jurr” and injuring her, so they dare not appear in the clachan and are pursued through dens and hollows by constables and soldiers. They beg God to save them from the gallows, while wishing dreadful torment on Geordie, drunken Nanse, Jock, and hav’rel Jean. Although Geordie’s injured “jurr” has already suffered from the attack, the speaker adds a final curse should she offend again.
By Robert Burns · First published 1786 · Genre: Satirical Poetry, Scottish Dialect Poetry, Mock Prayer · 416 words
First lines
Gude pity me, because I'm little! / For though I am an elf o' mettle, / An' can, like ony wabster's shuttle, / Jink there or here, / Yet, scarce as lang's a gude kail-whittle, / I'm unco queer.
An' now Thou kens our waefu' case; / For Geordie's jurr we're in disgrace, / Because we stang'd her through the place, / An' hurt her spleuchan; / For whilk we daurna show our face / Within the clachan.
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Genres
- Satirical Poetry — The poem uses vicious comic exaggeration, mock piety, and extravagant curses to ridicule its targets.
- Scottish Dialect Poetry — It is written predominantly in Scots vernacular, employing regional vocabulary, idiom, pronunciation, and comic speech rhythms.
- Mock Prayer — Its speaker adopts the form of a prayer to God, but transforms devotional language into a plea for protection and revenge.
- Comic Verse — Despite its hostile content, the poem relies on grotesque imagery, energetic insults, absurd punishments, and humorous contrasts.
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · comic prayer · mock-religious satire · fugitive speakers · fear of the gallows · criminal punishment · rural Scottish village · clachan life · constables and soldiers · hiding in dens and hollows · violent assault · revenge curses
What this Textopian page supports
Adam Armour's Prayer is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1786 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: 1786 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satirical Poetry, Scottish Dialect Poetry, Mock Prayer, Comic Verse, Burlesque
- Length: 416 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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