Robert Burns wrote this playful epitaph for a real schoolmaster, William Michie. It’s just four lines, spoken over the man’s bones, but instead of solemn mourning, it turns into a cheeky address to the Devil. The speaker tells Satan that when he takes Michie’s soul, he should put him in charge of teaching the young devils. Why? Because Michie was such an effective, no-nonsense teacher that he’d turn those little demons into very clever fiends.
The tone is warm and mischievous, not mean-spirited. Burns is winking at the idea that a strict disciplinarian could whip even hell’s children into shape. There’s real fondness behind the joke: Michie was clearly a formidable educator, and the poem immortalizes that quality by picturing him bossing imps around the blackboard. It’s a comic send-off that feels like a grin shared at a wake.