Elegy on "Stella" by Robert Burns
Beside a grave at the western edge of an island, a solitary bard mourns someone who died young and far from friends. The loss renews his grief for his beloved Stella, who also died young, and he longs for death and an obscure burial.
By Robert Burns · Genre: Elegy, Meditative Poetry · 791 words
First lines
The following poem is the work of some hapless son of the Muses who deserved a better fate. There is a great deal of "The voice of Cona" in his solitary, mournful notes; and had the sentiments been clothed in Shenstone's language, they would have been no discredit even to that elegant poet. -R. B.
Strait is the spot and green the sod / From whence my sorrows flow; / And soundly sleeps the ever dear / Inhabitant below.
Genres
- Elegy — The speaker weeps over an unmarked grave, recalls Stella's early death, and voices his renewed grief.
- Meditative Poetry — The surrounding graves prompt reflections on death claiming both the aged and the young, followed by the bard's anticipation of his own burial.
Tags
mourning · unmarked graves · early death · bereavement · mortality
What this Textopian page supports
Elegy on "Stella" is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated Date unknown.
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: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Elegy, Meditative Poetry
- Length: 791 words
- Structure: 1 section, 21 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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