---
title: "Lines on the Author’s Death"
author: "Robert Burns"
form: "Poem"
year: "1784"
location: "Mossgiel"
source: "Project Gutenberg #1279 — Poems and Songs of Robert Burns"
source_url: "https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1279/pg1279.txt"
canonical_url: "https://robert-burns.com/poems/lines-on-the-authors-death/"
---

# Lines on the Author’s Death

## Poem
Written With The Supposed View Of  
Being Handed To Rankine After The Poet’s Interment

He who of Rankine sang, lies stiff and dead,  
And a green grassy hillock hides his head;  
Alas! alas! a devilish change indeed.

---

Source: [Project Gutenberg #1279 — Poems and Songs of Robert Burns](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1279/pg1279.txt)  
Canonical HTML: https://robert-burns.com/poems/lines-on-the-authors-death/