Lines Sent to Sir John Whiteford, of Whiteford, Bart
written in 1791
Lines Sent to Sir John Whiteford, of Whiteford, Bart - meaning Summary
Tearful Tribute to a Patron
This short elegy addresses Sir John Whiteford as a man of honor and fearlessness and offers a "votive" token of mourning. Burns frames the poem as the tearful tribute of a broken heart for a shared friend and patron, praising the deceased's worth and universal approval. The tone mixes personal grief with sober reflection on mortality: the speaker promises continued mourning until they themselves follow the same "shadowy path" into an unknown death, underscoring loyalty and the inevitability of loss.
Read Complete AnalysesThou, who thy honour as thy God rever'st, Who, save thy mind's reproach, nought earthly fear'st, To thee this votive off'ring I impart, The tearful tribute of a broken heart. The Friend thou valued'st, I, the Patron lov'd; His worth, his honour, all the world approved: We'll mourn till we too go as he has gone, And tread the shadowy path to that dark world unknown.
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