Robert Burns

Background

Robert Burns was born to a diligent peasant family on January 25, 1759, in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland. When he was 12 years old, he started helping his father with agricultural tasks. His health was later crippled as a result of labor’s difficulty. Although Burns’ official education was minimal, he greatly enjoyed reading and was tutored by John Murdoch, who extensively educated him in 18th-century English literature, for a while. The family put a lot of effort into the Ayrshire farm and other farms, but life was never simple for them. Ongoing conflicts with landowners and their representatives fueled Burns’ rebellion against authority, which later became a central aspect of his poetry. His father passed away in 1784, and the family relocated to Mossgiel, Scotland. The charming and beautiful Burns developed multiple love connections in Mossgiel and the neighboring town of Mauchline, Scotland, some of which lasted until around 1790. His life had been never easy, with his family working tirelessly on the Ayrshire farm and other farms. Even though he continued to work on the farm in Mossgiel, Burns began composing poems, and his abilities blossomed spectacularly. Many of his writings emphasized his love of the land and its people while also making a mockery of his favorite target, the Calvinists. In 1786, he released Poems, Primarily in the Scottish Language, in neighboring Kilmarnock, Scotland, and the work was a hit. Burns was 27 years old at the time, but he had already produced some of the most brilliant and piercing works of satire (mockery or disdain) in English history. “Holy Willie’s Prayer” and “The Holy Fair” were two of their parody and derision compositions. Among the well-known compositions are “The Cotter’s Saturday Night,” “The Jolly Beggars,” the masterful “Address to the Deil,” “Address to the Unco Guid,” and “To a Mouse.” These and many more poems by Burns are perhaps unparalleled in their combination of true native dialect and depth of sentiment. Such exquisite poetry hasn’t been written in Scots for years.

However, 1786 was another difficult year for Burns. His romance with Jean Armour had culminated in the arrival of twins, and her family forbade the pair from marrying because of Burns’ image as a religious critic. In addition, Burns was completely in love with Mary Campbell, for whom he wrote the ballad “Highland Mary,” but she passed away after having given birth to his child in 1786. Burns pondered fleeing the nation for Jamaica, but he changed his mind and stayed the winter in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he was recognized and celebrated for his book’s popularity. Following his marriage, Burns focused his attention on providing for his family. He leased property at Ellisland, Scotland, in 1788. After a few difficult years of trying to earn a living from his property, he relocated with Jean and his family to Dumfries, Scotland, where he began working as a tax inspector, a job he managed to hold until his demise. In his leisure time, he also composed a lot of songs. Though he produced songs before, he never published them; in the 1780s, he was able to publish and polish his lyrics, and he continued to contribute similar work until his death. His masterwork, “Tam o’Shanter,” was an extraordinary piece of narrative poetry. His neighbors and coworkers looked up to him. His illness, which had always been a concern for him, began to deteriorate, and he died of heart illness on July 21, 1796.