The Maker to Posterity
The poem reflects on the passage of time and the inevitable decay of human achievements and language. It addresses a future reader, possibly a scholar or an heir, who may stumble upon the speaker's work. The speaker anticipates the reader's confusion regarding the language, which is a dialect that has fallen out of use. The speaker expresses a sense of nostalgia for a language that was once vibrant but is now obscure, likening it to ancient runes. There is a recognition that despite the reader's education and knowledge, they will face their own struggles and challenges, suggesting that wisdom does not guarantee an easier life. The poem conveys a sense of futility in the face of time, as all human endeavors, including literature, are subject to decay and oblivion. The speaker warns that even the most celebrated works will eventually be forgotten, and the world will continue to change, indifferent to individual contributions. Ultimately, the work serves as a meditation on legacy, the transience of language, and the universal human experience of grappling with the passage of time. It emphasizes that regardless of one's achievements, all are bound to the same fate of being lost to history.
By Robert Louis Stevenson · First published 1896 · Genre: Poetry, Literary Fiction, Philosophical · 500 words
First lines
FAR 'yont amang the years to be When a' we think, an' a' we see, An' a' we luve, 's been dung ajee By time's rouch shouther, An' what was richt and wrang for me Lies mangled throu'ther,
It's possible-it's hardly mair- That some ane, ripin' after lear- Some auld professor or young heir, If still there's either- May find an' read me, an' be sair Perplexed, puir brither!
What this Textopian page supports
The Maker to Posterity is listed on Textopian as an essay by Robert Louis Stevenson, dated 1896 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
- Date: 1896 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Poetry, Literary Fiction, Philosophical, Historical, Satire
- Length: 500 words
- Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Maker to Posterity by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
- The Files by Rudyard Kipling
- The Old Men by Rudyard Kipling
- Say Not Of Me That Weakly I Declined by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Our Fathers Also by Rudyard Kipling
- The Counterblast 1886 by Robert Louis Stevenson
- The Burial by Rudyard Kipling
Genres
- Poetry — The work is written in verse and employs poetic devices, making it primarily a poem.
- Literary Fiction — The themes of legacy, language, and the passage of time reflect deep literary concerns typical of literary fiction.
- Philosophical — The exploration of existence, knowledge, and the human condition indicates philosophical themes.
- Historical — The reference to language and culture suggests a historical context, particularly regarding Scottish heritage.
Tags
poetry · Scottish · language · heritage · time · memory · identity · literature · reflection · philosophy · mortality · cultural
More by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Treasure Island (1883)
- The Pavilion on the Links (1909)
- Olalla (1885)
- A Child's Garden of Verses (1885)
- Father Damien, An Open Letter To The Reverend Doctor Hyde Of Honolulu (1914)
- A Lowden Sabbath Morn (1916)
- Songs of Travel and Other Verses (1908)
- Prayers Written At Vailima (1916)
- All works by Robert Louis Stevenson