Answer to an Invitation

Answer to an Invitation - context Summary

Composed in 1789

Composed in 1789, this very short piece serves as a witty, informal reply to an invitation. In a few colloquial lines the speaker mockingly assumes the title of "the King’s most humble servant," offers a comic excuse about lacking time, then promises to arrive shortly or else blame the devil. The poem’s tone is playful and conversational, using Scots idiom and brisk economy to convey social ease and jocular defiance rather than solemn statement. It reads as a light, social utterance rather than a serious lyrical meditation.