Thomas Stearns Eliot

Thomas Stearns Eliot was born in Missouri, America in 1888. He lived in St. Louis during the first eighteen years of his life and attended firstly St. Louis school and then Harvard University where he edited the literary review – “Harvard Advocate”. In 1910, he left the United States for Sorbonne, and in 1914 he went to Oxford, where he wrote his doctoral thesis.
It was in London that Eliot made friends with his contemporary Ezra Pound, who recognized his poetic genius at once, and assisted in the publication of his work in some popular magazines, most notably "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" in Poetry in 1915. His first book of poems, Prufrock and Other Observations, was published in 1917, and immediately established him as a leading poet of the modern times. The poem shows Eliot’s way of writing – he uses images, fragments to build up a broad picture of the character, his anxieties and his time. With the publication of The Waste Land in 1922, now considered by many to be the most influential poetic work of the twentieth century, Eliot's reputation began to grow, because the image of the wasteland was considered as the most common images of those times. So, for the next thirty years, he was the main figure in poetry and literature in English-speaking world.
Eliot was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature; it was for his best poem “Four quartets”. His major later poems include Ash Wednesday (1930) and Four Quartets (1943). Eliot was also an important playwright, whose verse dramas include Murder in the Cathedral, The Family Reunion, and The Cocktail Party.

Anna Makhmudova 

Robert Burns. 1759-1796

Robert was born in the family of a poor farmer on the 25^th January 1759. Robert was working in the field from the early age. His father had a bookshelf in their house. These were the first steps of his education. He was lucky to have a good teacher and some acquaintances among aristocratic society. They taught him good manners.

 At the age of 15 he fell in love first time in his life. That was the time, when he wrote his first poem. When the family moved to Tram Bolton, all farmers there were singing songs, written by Burns.

In 1786, after the father’s death, he published his first book with his friend’s help. Over than 600 copies of book were disappeared from the shops.

But the last years of Burns’ life were very hard. In 1795 he fells seriously ill. On the 21^st July 1976, being 37 years old, Burns died. He was buried in Dumfries, where a great monument was put several years later.

He was a remarkable poet, who lived a remarkable life. He came to aristocratic circles from the poor family, he became the greatest poet of Scotch people, and he loved and was writing about love. We really love his poems and most favourite among us is “My Hearts in the Highlands”. We think he should be named a hero! We think that he taught us, that a poor farmer can become a famous poet, as a well-educated aristocrat.

Misha Levchenko& Anton But

Robert Burns (1759-1796)

 Robert Burns was born on the 25^th of January, 1759.

 Robert’s father, a poor farmer, worked from early morning till late at night.

 From the age of 13 ploughing all day long, he managed to take some acquaintances among fellows of his age from aristocratic society in the town of Ayr. When 15 years of age, Burns fell in love for the first time in his life and it was that he created his first poem. Nelly was a pretty girl of 14 who helped Robert ploughing the field.

 The most popular Robert’s publications were ‘My Heart’s In the Highlands’ and ‘A Red, Red Rose’.

 In 1786, with the help of his friends Burns managed to publish his poem. His name became known in London and Edinburgh.

 Burns had many attachments with women. He easily fell in love. But his life-long love was Jean Armour, his wife.

He married secretly against the will of her parents.

The famous works of Burns were published in 1829 in a brochure “Country on Saturday Night in Scotland.”

 I can call him a hero, because he was strong after his father’s death, after that the family knew misery, but he published his poems and became popular.

 In my opinion, Robert Burns is very friendly and romantic person. Friendly, because he had friends who often helped him and romantic, it can be said for his poems.

Margarita Morenova 

Robert Burns (1759-1796)

Robert Burns was born on the 25th of January, 1759 in a small clay-built cottage at Alloway. Robert’s father was a poor farmer. Robert was lucky to have a good teacher at school, a young man who taught him good English. When 15 years of age, Burns fell in love and it was then that he created his first poem. Nelly was a pretty girl of 14 who helped Robert in the fields. “My Heart’s In the Highlands” is a very popular poem. “A Red, Red Rose” is also popular. In 1786 with the help of his friends Burns managed to publish his poems. His name became known in London and Edinburgh. The last years of Burn’s life were very hard. He gave up farming and with the help of his friends got a place at an office Dumfries. Robert ‘s big problem was attachments among women. He would easily fall in love. But his life-long love was Jean Armour, his wife. She was a great help to him throughout his life.

So from his biography we can have a lesson, that working hard and doing the best to achieve your aim, you can develop your talents and become famous. In my opinion he is a great poet! Not only the Scottish people sing and recite his poems, but people all over the world admire his works!

Veronika Stolbunova

Robert Burns 
(1759-1796)

Robert Burns was born in 1759 in a small clay-built cottage at Alloway in the family of a poor farmer. He was the eldest son of a peasant farmer. His father worked from the early morning till late night and soon, when Robert was 13-year old, he began ploughing fields with him. The difficulty of the labour had a terrible effect on his health later. Life was extremely harsh and the farm was not succeeding. Even being a child he had to work long hours with his father, and many evenings were spent huddled round the fire listening to his mother's stories and his father reading the Bible. For Robert, the combination of poverty, hard work on the farm, story telling, his studies, and an ability to observe life in general, was making The Man.

It was from his father and from his own reading that he owed the most important part of his education; and by the time he had a good knowledge of English, a reading knowledge of French, and a wide acquaintance with the masterpieces of English authors from time of Shakespeare to his days. In his house he had a shelf of books from Edinburgh. Robert was lucky to have such a good teacher at school. It was a young man who taught him good English, folk ballads. It was at this tender age that Burns wrote his first verse, "My Handsome Nell", which was an ode to women. This poem was devoted to a pretty girl Nelly, with whom he worked in the field.

When his father died in 1784, Robert and his brother became partners on the farm. However, Robert was more interested in the romantic nature of poetry than in the control of the farm, so he planned to escape to the safer, sunnier places of the West Indies. That period of time he travelled around the world. In 1786 he published his first work “Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect” at nearby Kilmarnock, Scotland, and the book was a success. Burns composed hundreds of songs, poems and letters over a 22 year period of his life. Some of them were re-workings of old or lost pieces from time past. His best works are:

·         O' My Luve is like a red, red rose- surely the most famous love poem and a well-known song, which women enjoy.

·         To a Mouse This poem wonderfully demonstrates Burns' ability to observe people, his deep feeling for humanity and his emotions.

·         Address to a Haggis - One of the well known of Burns's poems, recited at Burns “Suppers, St. Andrews Nights or Caledonian Society Events”, where that most famous of Scottish delicacies "Haggis" is on the menu.

·         "Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect" was considered to be one of the greatest poetical collections ever written. Its appeal was obvious not only to the educated, but importantly, to the common man just like Burns himself.

·         My heart’s in the highlands – a poem that is known all over the world. It tells about Burns love to Scotland, to a wild nature.

Burns is remarkable from different sides. Ask anyone outside Scotland, to name "Something representative of Scotland" and you will often hear things like - "St Andrew, Haggis, Whisky, Kilts, and of course Robert Burns". You see, that he is the national symbol of Scotland. He is the most famous national bard, poet. Like many countries, the Scots have a proud and unique cultural History, but a few countries have a man of such genius and a worldwide fame, an appreciation as Burns. Then, his works are unique. Burns work is the continuing story of an ordinary Scotsman, his background, his observations and thoughts. His poems give a detailed account of the life and times, culture and politics of the period. His words still tell truth today within the Scottish Nation and awakens the great passions for which Scots are famously known, at home and abroad. 
     His success went from his early years. When he was a teen he got some acquaintances among fellows from aristocratic society, that were his first teachers of good manners. And when he appeared in the higher London society, aristocrats were surprised to see a farmer, that moved among with much dignity, spoke refined English, recited best pieces of old and modern literature. Also, his success depended on Burn’s first publication. It was popular, so Burn’s career began to rise.

     He had a saturated life, but he was unhappy before his death. Ten days before it, he wrote to his cousin asking him to send 10 pounds. He owed a large sum of money to a shopkeeper, so he wrote: “All that remains of me – bones and skin – they would surely throw in prison. Save me from the terror of prison”.

Burns had many attachments among women but his life-long love was Jean Armour - his wife, which sang every song created by him. 

This is a pleasant thing in his life. Also, it is interesting, that after his death all of his sons were well educated.

    For me, Burns is a hero, because of his life. He was born as a son of a farmer and died as a famous Man, great poet. I think, he is an example to follow. I can learn a lesson from his life – everybody can earn the success. Burns died on 21st July, 1796 aged 37 at Dumfries in the South of Scotland. During his short life he aspired to do great things. After his death, he became legendary, or as some say, immortal. Near his tomb there is a great monument, put several years later his death.


Anna Makhmudova

George Gordon Byron (1788 -1824)

George Gordon Byron was born in the aristocratic family, but he always defended the interests of the working class. He was a wonderful author, whose fans were such famous Russian poets as Pushkin and Lermontov. He went abroad, because he hated the English government.

His family was impoverished. He was unsuccessfully married in 1815 -1816. The most troubling in his life was the separation with his Motherland. He expressed his nostalgia in his famous poem “Beppo”.

He wrote many successful poems such as Beppo, Cain and Don Juan.

He was fair with reference to the working class, because he defended the interests of the “Luddites”. And he was imaginative. He thought his own hero was called “Byronic hero”.

His sympathy to the working class led him to his death. He died in Greece, when he fought for the liberation of the country.

He was a brilliant and imaginative poet. This trait helped him to be famous.

He made some mistakes: firstly he married the wrong girl; secondly he came to Greece and fought against the Turks. If I was in his shoes, I wouldn`t marry her. And, if I got to Greece I would travel. there.

The first lesson he taught us is - follow your own way. The second lesson -  never fight in the war which is not yours. The third lesson - be loyal and always love you Motherland.

We think, we can judge the quality of person`s life by the enemies of this person. He had enemies in aristocratic circles, because he fought against high rulers.

George Byron didn’t have any mentor in his life or we don`t know about him. He had his own philosophy. This philosophy was to defend oppressed people. He believed in the higher justice.

Be a hero means to believe in higher justice and do all things to reach it.

Gordon Byron was a hero because he did all things to protect oppressed people and to reach justice and he remained a generous man in all his misfortunes and troubles.

    

Gordon Byron’s Tomb

 We think that a hero is different from a celebrity because a hero isn’t always well-known but he does some remarkable deeds.

                                              Mikhail Levchenko & Anton But, 8B form