Epitaph for Mr. W. Cruikshank by Robert Burns
Honest Will has gone to Heaven, where many will mourn his loss. His faults were confined to Latin, while in English none were ever known.
By Robert Burns · First published 1808 · Genre: Epitaph, Elegy, Satirical Poetry · 43 words
First lines
Of the Edinburgh High School.
Honest Will to Heaven's away / And mony shall lament him; / His fau'ts they a' in Latin lay, / In English nane e'er kent them.
Similar titles
- Elegy On The Lord Chancellor by John Donne
- The Triple Fool by John Donne
- Threnody For A Poet by Bliss Carman
Genres
- Epitaph — The poem is explicitly composed as a brief memorial verse for Mr. W. Cruikshank following his death.
- Elegy — It laments the deceased and notes that many people will mourn him, though in a concise and comic form.
- Satirical Poetry — The closing joke satirically suggests that Cruikshank's faults were safely confined to Latin, where ordinary English speakers could not recognize them.
- Humorous Poetry — Its treatment of death is light, witty, and dependent on a punchline rather than solemn grief.
Tags
elegy · epitaph · death · heaven · mourning · memorial verse · tribute · Edinburgh High School · Edinburgh · Scottish literature · Scots language · schoolmaster
What this Textopian page supports
Epitaph for Mr. W. Cruikshank is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1808 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: 1808 CE
- Genres: Epitaph, Elegy, Satirical Poetry, Humorous Poetry, Scots Poetry
- Length: 43 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
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