On Fergusson a
written in 1787
Curse on ungrateful man, that can be pleas'd, And yet can starve the author of the pleasure! O thou, my elder brother in Misfortune, By far my elder Brother in the muse, With tears I pity thy unhappy fate! Why is the Bard unfitted for the world, Yet has so keen a relish of its Pleasures?
On Fergusson a - context Summary
Composed in 1787
Written in 1787, this short poem is Burns s tribute to Robert Fergusson, an earlier Scottish poet whom Burns regarded as a mentor. Addressing Fergusson as an "elder brother" in both misfortune and poetic vocation, Burns expresses pity for Fergusson s wasted potential and for a society that enjoys poetic pleasures while neglecting the poet who provides them. The poem frames Fergusson s talent and tragic circumstances as emblematic: a sensitive artist keenly attuned to life s pleasures yet ill-suited to survive in the material world that should reward him.
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