Epitaph on a Noisy Polemic

Epitaph on a Noisy Polemic - fact Summary

Written in 1784

Written by Robert Burns in 1784, this very short epitaph uses Scots dialect and biting humor to mock a man named Jamie. It functions as a satirical memorial: rather than honoring the dead, the speaker derides him as a noisy, fault-finding figure whose arrival in death is greeted with scorn. The poem exemplifies Burns’ characteristic wit and colloquial voice, turning a conventional epitaph into a pointed, comedic insult.