Life and Works of Robert Burns

Robert Burns quote

"DARE TO BE HONEST

AND FEAR NO LABOR"

                    Robert burns was born on 25^th January, 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland. His father, William Burns was a self educated tenant farmer who married a local girl, Agnes Broun. Robert  Burns was the eldest of seven children to the couple. Burns learned reading, Writing, arithmetic, geography, and history from his father. From 1765 to 1768, he and his brother Gilbert were taught by John Murdoch. John taught them Latin, French, and mathematics. During the summer of 1772, Burns was  sent to Dalrymple Parish School.  At the young age of 15, Robert was the main labourer at Mount Oliphant. In 1774 he writes his first song, ‘O once I lov’d’. In the summer of 1775, he was sent to Kirkoswald to finish his education. In 1777, his father shifted his family from Mount Oliiphant. In 1779, he joined a country dancing school and the following year, formed the Tarbolton Bachelors Club with his brother Gilbert. In 1781, Burns went to Irvine, North Ayrshire to learn to become a flax-dresser. But shortly after the flax shop caught fire in New year celebrations, Robert had to return to Lochlea.

            

His father died in 1784. In 1786 His poems were published under the title, Chiefly in the Scottish dialect, set out for Edinburgh to sell the rights of his book. After this he return to Ayrshire in 1788 and hired the farm of Ellisland near Dumfries, after that he married with Jean Armour.

           

In 1789, he was appointed duties in customs and Excise. After working as an exciseman, Burns found it hard to go back to farming and as such, gave it up in 1791. Meanwhile, Burns continued creating significant literary works. In 1790, he wrote “Tam O’ Shanter”. Robert Burns died on 21 July 1796 in Dumfries at the age of 37.

• Robert Burns Works :-

1-A Red, Red Rose :-

O my Luve's like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in june;
O my Luve's like the melodie
That’s sweetly play'd in tune:

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I:
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry:

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve
And fare thee weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.

   

   "A Red, Red Rose" is a 1794 song in Scots by Robert Burns based on traditional sources. The song is also referred to by the title "Oh, My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose", "My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose" or "Red, Red Rose" and is often published as a poem.

Symbolism:-

     

                 The song is highly evocative, including lines describing rocks melting with the sun, and the seas running dry. Burns may have been inspired by the concept of deep time put forward a few years earlier by geologist James Hutton in his Theory of the Earth in 1789. Hutton and Burns were contemporaries, and would have mixed in similar circles in Edinburgh.

Inspiration:-

                      When asked for the source of his greatest creative inspiration, American singer songwriter Bob Dylan selected Burns' 1794 song A Red, Red Rose, as the lyrics that have had the biggest effect on his life.

2- Auld Lang Syne:-

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

and auld lang syne*?

Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

II
And surely ye'll be your pint-stoup!
and surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Chorus

III
We twa hae run about the braes,
and pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
sin' auld lang syne.

Chorus

IV
We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
sin' auld lang syne.

Chorus

V
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
and gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak' a right gude-willie waught,
for auld lang syne Chorus.

"Auld Lang Syne" (Scots pronunciation: note "s" rather than "z") is a Scots-language poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song (Roud # 6294). It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world, its traditional use being to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. By extension, it is also sung at funerals, graduations, and as a farewell or ending to other occasions. The international Scouting movement in many countries uses it to close jamborees and other functions.

The poem's Scots title may be translated into standard English as "old long since" or, more idiomatically, "long long ago", "days gone by", or "old times". Consequently, "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, might be loosely translated as "for the sake of old times".

There is some doubt as to whether the melody used today is the same one Burns originally intended, but it is widely used in Scotland and in the rest of the world

Most common use of the song involves only the first verse and the chorus. The last lines of both of these are often sung with the extra words "For the sake of" or "And days of", rather than Burns' simpler lines. This allows one note for each word, rather than the slight melisma required to fit Burns' original words to the melody.

At New Year:-

                         "Auld Lang Syne" is traditionally sung at the conclusion of New Year gatherings in Scotland and around the world, especially in English-speaking countries. At Hogmanay in Scotland, it is common practice that everyone joins hands with the person next to them to form a great circle around the dance floor. At the beginning of the last verse, everyone crosses their arms across their breast, so that the right hand reaches out to the neighbour on the left and vice versa. When the tune ends, everyone rushes to the middle, while still holding hands. When the circle is re-established, everyone turns under the arms to end up facing outwards with hands still joined.

Other than New Year:-

                   

                              As well as celebrating the New Year, "Auld Lang Syne" is very widely used to symbolise other "endings/new beginnings" – including farewells, funerals (and other memorials of the dead), graduations, the end of a (non-New Year) party, jamborees of the Scout Movement, the election of a new government, the last lowering of the Union Jack as a British colony achieves independence and even as a signal that a retail store is about to close for the day. The melody is also widely used for other words, especially hymns, the songs of sporting and other clubs, and even national anthems. In Scotland and other parts of Britain, in particular, it is associated with celebrations and memorials of Robert Burns. The following list of specific uses is far from comprehensive.




Work sitetion:-

https://www.notablebiographies.com/Br-Ca/Burns-Robert.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Red,_Red_Rose
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne