It’s a pity that the reputation of Robert Burns, a prolific and uniformly brilliant poet, is consistently condensed into the same few poems, quoted and misquoted over and over again. He wrote on diverse topics – money and politics among them – but on ly a few of his works are widely known. A recurrent theme was his love for and lack of shame in babies born in unconventional cirncumstances.
On this day in 1759 Robert Burns, one of Scotland’s flawed but freakishly able sons, was born. We mark the anniversary with a quote – not from his poems but from his letters. It’s a simple but beautifully put manifesto that reveals the warmth of Burns’ poet heart: *** ‘No doubt there is much I’ll have to answer for, yet my philosophy was simple enough. Whatever mitigates the woes or
Next week is Burns Night, when the life and works of Scotland’s greatest poet Robert Burns will be celebrated around the world with formal gatherings, casual get togethers and perhaps the odd solitary armchair reading, glass of whisky in hand. To mark the occasion, we’re delighted to have copies of a brilliant downloadable Burns Night Companion to giveaway to three lucky readers. Worth £6.50 ($9.95), this fun and stylish guide has