Divine Service in the Kirk of Lamington
written in 1791
Divine Service in the Kirk of Lamington - meaning Summary
Cold, Scant Devotion
The poem presents a terse, vivid scene of a frigid church service. The speaker notes a biting wind, an almost empty kirk, and a minister whose words are as cold as the room. The final line, a confident claim that others will be "hot" before the speaker returns, suggests defiance or impatience—either at the discomfort, the minister’s ineffectiveness, or the congregation’s passivity. Overall, it compresses physical chill and emotional distance into a short, ironic observation about religious ritual and social atmosphere.
Read Complete AnalysesAs cauld a wind as ever blew, A cauld kirk, an in't but few: As cauld a minister's e'er spak; Ye'se a' be het e'er I come back.
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