Rabbie Burns
Poems, music, dancing, haggis and the lasses are some of the first things that come to one's mind when thinking about Robert Burns. Scotland's favourite poet might only have lived a few years, but he's lived life to the full.
However, Burns had something more than immense popularity and iconic status as his country's national bard: He was a pioneering writer in the vernacular. Although some of his writing is in English, most of his work is written in the Scots language, and a 'light' Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland.
Today, Burns is unique in the affection and fascination that his memory inspires. His poetry is radically fresh in its language, characterized by rhythmic vigor and as alive emotionally as it is intellectually. The fruits of his legacy can be seen not only in Scotland but also 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.
The poet had the dream of a true brotherhood that encompasses all humankind and allows all people a chance to enjoy their inalienable rights of dignity and freedom.
Burns History
The 19th-century scholar J S Blackie summed up Burns' importance to Scotland and the Scots with the words:
'When Scotland forgets Burns, then history will forget Scotland'
Born in Alloway, Ayrshire, Robert Burns took the Scottish literary world by storm, and secured a place for himself in history and in legend.
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Burns' Works
Phrases such as 'the best laid schemes o' mice and men' and 'my love is like a red, red rose' have entered the common language. 'Auld Lang Syne', just one of his 328 songs, is sung all over the world every New Year's Eve. 'A Man’s a Man for a That' - his anthem to a universal humanity - was the song chosen for the symbolic opening of the new Scottish Parliament at Holyrood and his 'Scots Wha Hae' is the unofficial national anthem.
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