Guest Author - Jordan McCollum
Robert Burns was born Robert Burnes (or Burness) on January 25, 1759. In his short 37 years, he would create a literary legacy that would influence Scottish culture, the Scottish national identity and the future of Scottish literature. Though he enjoyed popularity in his day, his works have continued to be revered and studied for more than two centuries.
The oldest of seven children, Burns was raised on farms and educated largely by his father, but also at a series of local schools. He first began writing poetry at age fifteen, inspired by the young women he fancied. However, Burns was to attempt several fields before realizing his true literary calling.
Burns eventually failed, for various reasons, most of which were beyond his control, at farming and flax drawing. But it wasn’t until 1786, when he was 27, that Burns published his first book of verse, entitled Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish dialect (sometimes referred to as the Kilmarnock volume). This volume contained some of his most memorable works, including the ever-popular “To a Mouse,” the source of the oft-quoted line, “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley” (paraphrased in English as “The best laid plans of mice and men / Go oft awry”).
His literary career would grow to include literally hundreds of songs which he either composed or recorded as part of a collection of Scottish folk songs and Tam O’Shanter, a lengthy narrative poem. His works were composed fluently in English and/or Scots, the common Scottish dialect which is a blend of English and Gaelic.
In 1788, he married Elizabeth Paton, who had already borne him three children (and would bear him six more, though only three of their children survived to adulthood). However, he continued his lifelong history of affairs and had at least one other illegitimate son.
In 1796, at the age of 37, Burns died of his rheumatic heart condition, leaving behind a legacy that influenced future Scottish writers and Scottish culture for centuries to come.
To learn more about Robert Burns, read his collected poetry or Understanding Robert Burns:Verse, Explanation and Glossary by Robert Burns and George Scott Wilkie.
