Named source · 1795

A Man’s a Man for A’ That Quotes by Robert Burns: Context & Meanings

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The rank is but the guinea’s stamp, The man’s the gowd for a’ that.

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“The rank is but the guinea’s stamp, The man’s the gowd for a’ that.”

Robert Burns

Meaning & context

Burns contrasts social rank with intrinsic human worth, treating title and status as external marks rather than the measure of the person.

Source details

“A Man’s a Man for A’ That,” 1795, represented in Project Gutenberg #18388. The Scots “gowd” means gold; the poem argues for human worth beyond inherited rank and wealth.

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