Image of Robert Burns

Timeline

Lifetime: 1759 - 1796 Passed: ≈ 228 years ago

Title

Poet, Lyricist, Farmer, Excise-man

Country/Nationality

Scotland
Wikipedia

Robert Burns

Robert Burns, also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, the National Bard, Bard of Ayrshire, the Ploughman Poet and various other names and epithets, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is in a "light Scots dialect" of English, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these writings his political or civil commentary is often at its bluntest. 

 

He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death he became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism, and a cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish diaspora around the world. Celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature. In 2009 he was chosen as the greatest Scot by the Scottish public in a vote run by Scottish television channel STV. 

 

As well as making original compositions, Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising or adapting them. His poem (and song) "Auld Lang Syne" is often sung at Hogmanay (the last day of the year), and "Scots Wha Hae" served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country. Other poems and songs of Burns that remain well known across the world today include "A Red, Red Rose", "A Man's a Man for A' That", "To a Louse", "To a Mouse", "The Battle of Sherramuir", "Tam o' Shanter" and "Ae Fond Kiss".

Books by Robert Burns

Winter: A Dirge Cover image

Winter: A Dirge

Poetry Non-Fiction Speech Tragedy
Beauty Death Nature Storm Fire Life Hope Humanity Winter Poetry Snow Grief Scottish Desolation Melancholy Sadness Frost Robert Burns Wind Cold

LibriVox volunteers bring you 20 different recordings of Winter: A Dirge by Robert Burns. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of January 13th, 2008.

Auld Lang Syne Cover image

Auld Lang Syne

Poetry
Poetry New Year Robert Burns Chinese Culture Anniversary

This LibriVox audiobook contains 11 recordings of Robert Burns' poem 'Auld Lang Syne.'

Will ye go to the Indies, my Mary? Cover image

Will ye go to the Indies, my Mary?

Poetry Non-Fiction Biography
Tradition Culture Folklore Love Poetry Romantic poetry Scottish Poetry Scots Language National Poet Burns Night Haggis Auld Lang Syne Folk Poetry

'Will ye go to the Indies, my Mary?' is a collection of poems by Robert Burns, Scotland's national poet. It showcases his mastery of the Scots language, his evocative imagery, and his themes of love, loss, and social commentary. This anthology offer...

Joyful Widower Cover image

Joyful Widower

Poetry Satire Comedy
Marriage Love Death Fate Satire Humor Domesticity Widowhood Scottish literature Remarriage

The Joyful Widower is a poem by Robert Burns that explores the themes of love, marriage, and domesticity. The poem tells the story of a man who is left a widower after his wife dies. He is initially grief-stricken, but he eventually remarries and fin...