Epitaph on Wm. Graham, Esq of Mossknowe

Epitaph on Wm. Graham, Esq of Mossknowe - context Summary

Composed in Burns's Last Year

This brief epitaph, written in 1794 near the end of Burns's life, mourns William Graham with the poet’s characteristic blend of affection and mockery. Addressing Nature and Death, the speaker stages a comic complaint that Death has taken the poet’s "choicest model," leaving Nature unable to make another fool like Willy. The tone is playful rather than solemn, turning a memorial into a witty observation about the deceased’s social persona. It functions as a personal, ironic tribute that both acknowledges loss and preserves Graham’s comic reputation.