Reply to an Announcement by J. Rankine
The speaker says he generally observes the law, though not in every small matter, and notes that some people believe breaking even one point means breaking the whole. He admits to having been involved in such matters once or twice, perhaps nearly three times, without suffering any troubling surprise. Now, however, a rumour may arise: there is “a whaup’s i’ the nest,” suggesting that a girl is pregnant by him.
By Robert Burns · First published 1786 · Genre: Satirical Poetry, Scottish Dialect Poetry, Epistolary Verse · 147 words
First lines
On His Writing To The Poet, That A Girl In That Part Of The Country Was With A Child To Him.
I am a keeper of the law / In some sma' points, altho' not a'; / Some people tell me gin I fa', / Ae way or ither, / The breaking of ae point, tho' sma', / Breaks a' thegither.
I hae been in for't ance or twice, / And winna say o'er far for thrice; / Yet never met wi' that surprise / That broke my rest; / But now a rumour's like to rise- / A whaup's i' the nest!
What this Textopian page supports
Reply to an Announcement by J. Rankine 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, Scottish Dialect Poetry, Epistolary Verse, Comic Poetry, Occasional Poetry
- Length: 147 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
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- Work identity for Reply to an Announcement by J. Rankine by Robert Burns
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Genres
- Satirical Poetry — The poem humorously and self-mockingly answers an allegation of paternity, using comic understatement and irony.
- Scottish Dialect Poetry — It is written prominently in Scots vernacular, with forms such as 'sma'', 'gin,' 'ae,' and 'whaup.'
- Epistolary Verse — The work is a verse reply to J. Rankine's announcement or message concerning a reported pregnancy.
- Comic Poetry — Its central subject is treated through playful phrasing, exaggerated legal logic, and a punchline involving a bird in the nest.
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · eighteenth-century Scotland · humorous verse · comic confession · illicit pregnancy · paternity rumour · sexual misadventure · courtship and seduction · moral hypocrisy · religious law · sin and transgression · social gossip