---
title: "The Poet’s Reply to the Threat of a Censorious Critic"
author: "Robert Burns"
form: "Poem"
year: "1787"
location: "Edinburgh"
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/the-poets-reply-to-the-threat-of-a-censorious-critic/"
---

# The Poet’s Reply to the Threat of a Censorious Critic

## Preface
My imprudent lines were answered, very petulantly, by somebody, I believe, a Rev. Mr. Hamilton. In a MS., where I met the answer, I wrote below:—

## Poem
With Esop’s lion, Burns says: Sore I feel  
Each other’s scorn, but damn that ass’ heel!

---

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/the-poets-reply-to-the-threat-of-a-censorious-critic/