Robert Burns
From Local Hero To Legend
Little
did tutor John Murdoch know that the young pupil who
"made rapid progress in reading and was just
tolerable at writing" would grow up to become
Scotland's national Bard.
Born in Alloway, Ayrshire, in 1759 to William Burness, a
poor tenant farmer, and Agnes Broun, Robert Burns was the
eldest of seven. He spent his youth working his father's
farm, but in spite of his poverty he was extremely well
read - at the insistence of his father, who employed a
tutor for Robert and younger brother Gilbert. At 15
Robert was the principal worker on the farm and this
prompted him to start writing in an attempt to find
"some kind of counterpoise for his
circumstances." It was at this tender age that Burns
penned his first verse, "My Handsome Nell",
which was an ode to the other subjects that dominated his
life, namely scotch and women.
When his father died in 1784, Robert and his brother
became partners in the farm. However, Robert was more
interested in the romantic nature of poetry than the
arduous graft of ploughing and, having had some
misadventures with the ladies (resulting in several
illegitimate children, including twins to the woman who
would become his wife, Jean Armour), he planned to escape
to the safer, sunnier climes of the West Indies.
However, at the point of abandoning farming, his first
collection "Poems- Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect -
Kilmarnock Edition" (a set of poems essentially
based on a broken love affair), was published and
received much critical acclaim. This, together with pride
of parenthood, made him stay in Scotland. He moved around
the country, eventually arriving in Edinburgh, where he
mingled in the illustrious circles of the artists and
writers who were agog at the "Ploughman Poet."
In a matter of weeks he was transformed from local hero
to a national celebrity, fussed over by the Edinburgh
literati of the day, and Jean Armour's father allowed her
to marry him, now that he was no longer a lowly
wordsmith. Alas, the trappings of fame did not bring
fortune and he took up a job as an exciseman to
supplement the meagre income. Whilst collecting taxes he
continued to write, contributing songs to the likes of
James Johnston's "Scot's Musical Museum" and
George Thomson's "Select Collection of Original
Scottish Airs." In all, more than 400 of Burns'
songs are still in existence.
The last years of Burns' life were devoted to penning
great poetic masterpieces such as The Lea Rig, Tam
O'Shanter and a Red, Red Rose. He died aged 37 of heart
disease exacerbated by the hard manual work he undertook
when he was young. His death occurred on the same day as
his wife Jean gave birth to his last son, Maxwell.
On the day of his burial more than 10,000 people came to
watch and pay their respects. However, his popularity
then was nothing compared to the heights it has reached
since.
On the anniversary of his birth, Scots both at home and
abroad celebrate Robert Burns with a supper, where they
address the haggis, the ladies and whisky. A celebration
which would undoubtedly make him proud.