Epitaph on Holy Willie by Robert Burns
Holy Willie lies dead, his worn body buried while his soul is feared to have taken the “left-hand road.” The speaker imagines him blackened and standing before the devil, who has arrived to claim him. Though Willie is beyond pity, justice, and mercy, the speaker urges the devil to delay punishment and consider his own reputation, since taking responsibility for such a foolish man would disgrace even him.
By Robert Burns · First published 1786 · Genre: Satirical Poetry, Mock Epitaph, Religious Satire · 204 words
First lines
Here Holy Willie's sair worn clay / Taks up its last abode; / His saul has ta'en some other way, / I fear, the left-hand road.
Stop! there he is, as sure's a gun, / Poor, silly body, see him; / Nae wonder he's as black's the grun, / Observe wha's standing wi' him.
Your brunstane devilship, I see, / Has got him there before ye; / But haud your nine-tail cat a wee, / Till ance you've heard my story.
Your pity I will not implore, / For pity ye have nane; / Justice, alas! has gi'en him o'er, / And mercy's day is gane.
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Genres
- Satirical Poetry — The poem ridicules Holy Willie through biting irony, portraying his supposed piety as hypocrisy and imagining his disgrace in hell.
- Mock Epitaph — It adopts the conventional form of an epitaph for a dead person but subverts its solemn commemorative purpose with derision and condemnation.
- Religious Satire — Its central target is self-righteous, punitive religiosity, especially the moral hypocrisy associated with strict Calvinist judgment.
- Scots Poetry — Burns writes prominently in Scots diction and idiom, including words such as 'sair,' 'wha,' 'haud,' and 'coof,' placing it within the Scots literary tradition.
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · mock epitaph · satirical poem · religious satire · Calvinist hypocrisy · death and burial · damnation · hell · the devil · afterlife judgment · fallen soul · blackened apparition
What this Textopian page supports
Epitaph on Holy Willie 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, Mock Epitaph, Religious Satire, Scots Poetry, Comic Verse
- Length: 204 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for Epitaph on Holy Willie by Robert Burns
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