On John Morine, Laird of Laggan
written in 1793
On John Morine, Laird of Laggan - context Summary
Written in 1793
Composed in 1793, this short satirical piece by Robert Burns presents a comic epitaph for John Morine, laird of Laggan. It imagines Morine arriving in Hell and attempting to claim Satan’s crown, only to be rebuffed with a cutting rebuke: he may be wicked, but he’s not clever enough for that prize. The poem uses blunt humor and irony to reduce its subject, turning moral judgment into a jest and emphasizing Burns’s ability to caricature social figures with economy and wit.
Read Complete AnalysesWhen Morine, deceased, to the Devil went down, 'Twas nothing would serve him but Satan's own crown: Thy fool's head, quoth Satan, that crown shall wear never; I grant thou'rt as wicked - but not quite so clever.
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