To the Beautiful Miss Eliza J-N by Robert Burns
The speaker teases Eliza about her principles of liberty and equality, jokingly casting her as a despot who holds men's hearts captive.
By Robert Burns · Genre: Epigram, Satirical Poetry · 61 words
First lines
On her Principles of Liberty and Equality.
How, Liberty! girl, can it be by thee nam'd? / Equality too! hussey, art not asham'd? / Free and Equal indeed, while mankind thou enchainest, / And over their hearts a proud Despot so reignest.
Genres
- Epigram — Four rhyming lines turn Eliza's professions of freedom and equality into a pointed joke about her power over men's hearts.
- Satirical Poetry — The speaker uses mock indignation and the metaphor of despotism to tease Eliza about a contradiction in her professed principles.
Tags
liberty · equality · flirtation · epigram
What this Textopian page supports
To the Beautiful Miss Eliza J-N is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Poem
- Author: Robert Burns
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Epigram, Satirical Poetry
- Length: 61 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
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