Complimentary Epigram on Maria Riddell
written in 1793
Complimentary Epigram on Maria Riddell - form Summary
A Brief Flattering Epigram
This short epigram compresses an affectionate compliment to Maria Riddell into two tight quatrains. Burns frames praise as both habitual and inadequate: public flattery is dismissed while the speaker insists his admiration transcends mere compliment. The poem’s compact address balances ardor and self-awareness, claiming that sincere praise can sound truer the more it is given. Its dedication to Maria Riddell and its epigrammatic form foreground concision and wit rather than narrative or reflection, making the piece a focused declaration of personal devotion rather than a sustained argument or portrait.
Read Complete Analyses"Praise Woman still," his lordship roars, "Deserv'd or not, no matter?" But thee, whom all my soul adores, Ev'n Flattery cannot flatter: Maria, all my thought and dream, Inspires my vocal shell; The more I praise my lovely theme, The more the truth I tell.
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