To John Syme [a]

To John Syme [a] - fact Summary

Addressed to John Syme

This short epistolary poem is a friendly admonition addressed to John Syme, a close friend of Robert Burns. Burns warns against lavish entertaining and cookery, suggesting that a host’s personal conversation and wit are the true attraction. The speaker implies that anyone insusceptible to Syme’s conversational charms would resist other temptations as well. The piece frames sociability and personal charisma as more valuable than status or culinary display, reflecting Burns’s interest in character and intimate friendship over public show.