Robert Burns Inspiration

While Robert Burns is known as ‘Scotland’s Bard’, a prolific poet with many humorous and social themes, his impact on other writers and thinkers around the world has been profound.

Some people encounter Burns for the first time on a ‘Burns night’ supper with the Address to the Haggis. This incredibly powerful Address is about more than slicing open a meaty pudding!

‘But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll make it whissle;’

Burns used his poetry to encourage more people to think critically about society, questioning the elites and advocating for the working men and women, the salt of the earth who were often ignored in the popular writing of the time.

His ability to combine social critique with humour means that his poetry strikes a chord with modern thinkers to this day. Hugh MacDiarmid, one of Scotland’s most famous 20^th century writers, even defended Robert Burns legacy by writing extensively to clarify that scholars and readers should pay more attention to the depth of his meaning and the lesser known more political works about abolishing slavery and embracing equality, rather than be swept up in the nostalgia of red red roses and auld lang syne.

That does not mean we cannot wonder at the emotion in ‘My love is like a red red rose’, which inspired greats such as Bob Dylan to write with conviction about unrequited love.

An interesting and unexpected Burns expert was the incredible writer Dr Maya Angelou. In the documentary Angelou on Burns the filmmakers follow her journey to a meeting of Burnsians in Ayrshire and see a thrilling rendition of her reading some of his famous works. She came across Burns as a young impoverished mute girl and describes how the power of his poetry helped her overcome her situation. Burns was not allowed to vote himself, not being from an eligible social status, and so disenfranchised, he nevertheless was able to influence people around him with calls for equality, respect and humanity.

One of Angelou’s favourite poems was ‘A Man’s a Man for a’ that’:

‘Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine –
A man’s a man for a’ that.
For a’ that, an a’ that,
Their tinsel show, an a’ that,
The honest man, tho e’er sae poor,
Is king o’ men for a’ that.’

Burns was also able to communicate moral sentiment with humour, such as his poem ‘To a louse’ feeding on a lady’s elaborate hat, creating a parable to warn people about affectation.

‘’O was some pow’re the giftie gie us
To see ourselves as others see us’

Finally Burns reminds us to this day, to focus on being human first. In an age where so much conflict is determined by greed and political gain, his words are a strong reminder:

‘We may be wise, or rich or great,
But never can be blest,
Nae treasures nor pleasures
Could make us happy lang
The heart ay’s the part ay
That makes us right or wrang’