Epitaph on Wm. Hood, Senr., in Tarbolton
“Epitaph on Wm. Hood, Senr., in Tarbolton” presents Souter Hood lying in death. The speaker jokes that, if Hood has gone to hell, Satan should entrust him with his goods, since Hood would keep them safely and hold them well together.
By Robert Burns · First published 1808 · Genre: Epitaph, Satirical Poetry, Scottish Vernacular Poetry · 41 words
First lines
Here Souter Hood in death does sleep; / To hell if he's gane thither, / Satan, gie him thy gear to keep; / He'll haud it weel thegither.
Similar titles
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- A Ballade Of Suicide by G. K. Chesterton
- The Sword And The Spit by Tomas De Iriarte
- Commandeering by Andrew Barton Paterson
- The Quest Eternal by Andrew Barton Paterson
- Some Ante Mortem Epitaphs by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Epitaph — The poem is explicitly an inscription-like verse commemorating the death and burial of William Hood.
- Satirical Poetry — It uses mocking humor to portray Hood as so skilled at keeping possessions that Satan should make him keeper of hell's goods.
- Scottish Vernacular Poetry — Burns writes in Scots dialect, including terms such as 'gie,' 'haud,' 'weel,' and 'thegither.'
- Humorous Poetry — The comic final conceit turns the deceased's presumed miserliness or carefulness into a joke about employment in hell.
Tags
epitaph · Scottish vernacular poetry · comic verse · death · burial · afterlife · hell · Satan · shoemaker · Souter Hood · Tarbolton · rural Scotland
What this Textopian page supports
Epitaph on Wm. Hood, Senr., in Tarbolton 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
- Language: English
- Genres: Epitaph, Satirical Poetry, Scottish Vernacular Poetry, Humorous Poetry, Funerary Poetry
- Length: 41 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
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