On the Death of John M'Leod, Esq by Robert Burns
The speaker laments the death of Isabella's brother, comparing her shattered hopes to a rose laid low by cold blasts. The speaker offers consolation through God's power to heal her grief and the promise of happiness beyond the grave.
By Robert Burns · Genre: Elegy, Religious Poetry · 210 words
First lines
Brother to a young Lady, a particular friend of the Author's.
Sad thy tale, thou idle page, / And rueful thy alarms: / Death tears the brother of her love / From Isabella's arms.
Sweetly deckt with pearly dew / The morning rose may blow; / But cold successive noontide blasts / May lay its beauties low.
Fair on Isabella's morn / The sun propitious smil'd; / But, long ere noon, succeeding clouds / Succeeding hopes beguil'd.
Genres
- Elegy — The verses mourn Isabella's brother and describe the grief his death causes her.
- Religious Poetry — The closing stanzas locate healing in God's power and promise Isabella happiness beyond the grave.
Tags
bereavement · sibling loss · divine consolation · afterlife
What this Textopian page supports
On the Death of John M'Leod, Esq 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, Religious Poetry
- Length: 210 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for On the Death of John M'Leod, Esq by Robert Burns
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph