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