Verses on Captain Grose by Robert Burns
The speaker asks whether Captain Grose is among friends or foes, dead, travelling north or south, drowned in the Forth, or killed and eaten by Hielan' bodies. He wishes Grose the Lord’s protection, declares that the deil would not dare disturb him, and asks that an enclosed letter be delivered. In return, he wishes the recipient old stones, including those Adam bore, and coins from Satan’s coronation.
By Robert Burns · First published 1791 · Genre: Comic Verse, Satirical Poetry, Epistolary Poetry · 249 words
First lines
Written on an Envelope, enclosing a Letter to Him.
Ken ye aught o' Captain Grose? -Igo, and ago, / If he's amang his friends or foes? -Iram, coram, dago.
Is he to Abra'm's bosom gane? -Igo, and ago, / Or haudin Sarah by the wame? -Iram, coram dago.
Is he south or is he north? -Igo, and ago, / Or drowned in the river Forth? -Iram, coram dago.
What this Textopian page supports
Verses on Captain Grose is listed on Textopian as a poem by Robert Burns, dated 1791 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: 1791 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Comic Verse, Satirical Poetry, Epistolary Poetry, Scottish Dialect Poetry, Occasional Poetry
- Length: 249 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for Verses on Captain Grose by Robert Burns
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Genres
- Comic Verse — The poem is a deliberately humorous set of verses, using exaggerated speculation about Captain Grose's fate and a playful recurring refrain.
- Satirical Poetry — Burns affectionately mocks Grose through absurd possibilities—death, drowning, Highland attackers, and demonic intervention—while parodying grave concern.
- Epistolary Poetry — Written on an envelope enclosing a letter, the work functions as a verse message addressed to and concerning a real correspondent.
- Scottish Dialect Poetry — Its language prominently employs Scots vocabulary and idiom, including 'ken,' 'amang,' 'haudin,' 'Hielan',' and 'daur na steer.'
Tags
Scottish vernacular poetry · comic verse · mock elegy · verse epistle · envelope poem · refrain-driven stanza · Captain Grose · absent friend · uncertain fate · friends and foes · death and afterlife · Abraham's bosom