Epitaph on John Rankine by Robert Burns
Death drives a mixed and shameful company toward the other world, including clergy of every denomination and thieves of every social rank, from men decorated with the star and garter to those swinging from a halter. Embarrassed to be seen among such sinners, Death decides he needs at least one honest man to lend dignity to the infernal crowd. Spotting Rankine by Adamhill, he judges him the man he needs and quickly stops his breath.
By Robert Burns · First published 1786 · Genre: Epitaph, Satire, Mock Elegy · 200 words
First lines
Ae day, as Death, that gruesome carl, / Was driving to the tither warl' / A mixtie-maxtie motley squad, / And mony a guilt-bespotted lad- / Black gowns of each denomination, / And thieves of every rank and station, / From him that wears the star and garter, / To him that wintles in a halter: / Ashamed himself to see the wretches, / He mutters, glowrin at the bitches,
"By God I'll not be seen behint them, / Nor 'mang the sp'ritual core present them, / Without, at least, ae honest man, / To grace this damn'd infernal clan! " / By Adamhill a glance he threw, / "Lord God! " quoth he, "I have it now; / There's just the man I want, i' faith! " / And quickly stoppit Rankine's breath.
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Genres
- Epitaph — The poem is explicitly framed as a mock epitaph for John Rankine, ending with Death taking him into the afterlife.
- Satire — Burns uses scathing irony to ridicule social hypocrisy, corrupt clergy, criminals, and Rankine's supposed moral character.
- Mock Elegy — Rather than solemnly mourning the dead, the poem parodies elegiac and commemorative verse through comic, insulting treatment of Rankine's death.
- Comic Verse — The exaggerated image of Death seeking one honest man among the damned creates a darkly humorous and deliberately irreverent tone.
Tags
Scottish poetry · Scots language · epitaph · satirical verse · comic death poem · personification of Death · afterlife · hell · moral satire · honesty · sin and hypocrisy · clergy
What this Textopian page supports
Epitaph on John Rankine is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1786 CE.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: 1786 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Epitaph, Satire, Mock Elegy, Comic Verse, Dialect Poetry
- Length: 200 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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