Robert Burns (1759-1796)
Robert Burns is the
national poet of Scotland. In his poems Burns sang the beauty and the glory of
his native land.
Burns was born in
Alloway, near Ayr, on 25 of January 1759. His father, a small farmer, was a
hard-working man. When Robert was 6, he was sent to a school at Alloway Miln.
Robert and his brother Gilbert were given a good knowledge of English. They
progressed rapidly in reading and writing.
For some years Burns worked
on the family field, ploughing and reaping. The combination of hard
physical labour and poor food in his youth that brought about the first
symptoms of the heart disease which troubled him for much of his life and from
which he died.
Burns wrote his first
poem at the age of 14 for a girl who worked with him in the fields. After
father's death he immigrated to Jamaica. His most creative years were probably
1785 and 1786. During this period Burns wrote his most brilliant poems. Burns
published his poems in August 1786. The success was great.
Soon, in April 1787, a
second edition of his poems appeared in Edinburgh; 3000 copies were printed - a
very large number for those times!
Now Burns had the
opportunity to see more of his native land which he so dearly loved. He visited
some historic places, which made a great impression on him.
During the last 5 years
of his life Burns wrote some of his best poems and songs. After a short illness
he died on 21 July 1796.
1.
When was Robert Burns born?
2.
Whom did he dedicate his first poem to?
3.
What period was the most creative one for R. Burns?
4.
When did he publish his poems for the first time?
5.
When did he write his best poems and songs?
6. When did R. Burns die? How old was he?
7. Robert Burns is one of the most famous Scottish poets, isn’t he? Why?
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