Epitaph. Here Lies Robert Fergusson, Poet
written in 1787
No sculptur'd marble here, nor pompous lay, 'No story'd urn nor animated bust;' This simple stone directs pale Scotia's way To pour her sorrows o'er her Poet's dust. [She mourns, sweet, tuneful youth, thy hapless fate, Tho' all the pow'rs of song thy fancy fir'd; Yet Luxury and Wealth lay by in state, And thankless starv'd what they so much admir'd. This humble tribute with a tear he gives, A brother Bard, he can no more bestow; But dear to fame thy Song immortal lives, A nobler monument than Art can show.]
Epitaph. Here Lies Robert Fergusson, Poet - context Summary
Composed in 1787
Robert Burns composed this short epitaph in 1787 as a public memorial to fellow Scottish poet Robert Fergusson. Addressed to Scotland, the poem notes the absence of grand monuments and instead invites national mourning at a simple stone. Burns contrasts Fergusson’s poetic gifts with his neglected, impoverished end, presenting himself as a "brother Bard" who can only offer a modest tribute. The closing lines assert that Fergusson’s songs are a more enduring monument than sculpted art, claiming poetic fame as the true legacy that outlasts material wealth.
Read Complete Analyses
Feel free to be first to leave comment.