Lyric Poem · Death & Loss

Epigram on Francis Grose the Antiquary

by Robert Burns

Reading room

1THE DEVIL got notice that Grose was a-dying

2So whip! at the summons, old Satan came flying;

3But when he approached where poor Francis lay moaning,

4And saw each bed-post with its burthen a-groaning,

5Astonish’d, confounded, cries Satan—“By G—,

6I’ll want him, ere I take such a damnable load!”

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“Epigram on Francis Grose the Antiquary” by Robert Burns — quilloak.com/poems/epigram-on-francis-grose-the-antiquary

Quick facts

Poem: Epigram on Francis Grose the Antiquary
Poet: Robert Burns
Length: 6 lines
Form: Lyric Poem, Short Poems
Themes: Death & Loss, Short

Craft notes

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Shape: 6 lines · one 6-line stanza
Line length: Mostly 12-syllable lines (hexameter length).

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Text, source & rights

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Author record: Robert Burns1759–1796
Source record: PoetryDBEpigram on Francis Grose the Antiquary by robert-burns, PoetryDB transcription
Display decision: Full text · United States · reviewed 2026-07-18
Publication record: Not recorded in the imported source
Text fingerprint: SHA-256 e090ecff9e76b112…
Editorial handling: Whitespace and stanza breaks normalized for web display; no material wording change recorded.

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Lyric Poem Short Poems Death & Loss Short

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