Jack continues with a final look at Burns and Language –

Robert Burns as previously explained was a complex character, and we tend to see him from a modern point of view. He died aged 38 which isn’t terribly unusual for the 1700s, plus his medical treatment was completely inappropriate for what he likely suffered from (rheumatoid arthritis).

During his brief life he gained quite a reputation beyond his songs and poems. He was definitely a romantic and fathered a number of children by different women and his wife Jean Armour took on some of them. This was also not unusual then. However many of his songs show a real empathy for the situation of women in general, and despite contemplating taking a job on a plantation in Jamaica he also wrote a great song from the point of view of a newly arrived slave in Virginia. Yes – complicated!

He wrote songs and poems in support of the French and American revolutions, but ended up working for the British government as a customs officer. This led to his reputation as a drinker –

Back then if you apprehended a boat smuggling alcohol and you were in charge you could keep a share of the cargo, so it’s hardly surprising –

I think despite all his human failings he is loved and respected for a number of reasons:

• He epitomized humanity including its failings.
• He demonstrated empathy for all living things – women, slaves – mice and men.
• His writings influenced important folk in Russia and in America during their significant growing pains.
• He made people around the world curious about the Scots language and helped keep it alive.
• He kept the notion of ‘Scottishness’ alive when it was in great danger of being subsumed into Englishness or even Britishness.
• Almost everyone knows books and movies that borrow his words – ‘Of Mice and Men’, ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ etc.
• Every year at midnight on December 31^st all around the world people of all countries sing the song he collected and added to.

Jack continues to explore his native language –

Last week I explored the history of the Scots language and how it relates to English, and I briefly mentioned Robert Burns.

A few weeks ago people all over the world celebrated at Burns Nights or Burns Suppers remembering his poetry and songs. He is often referred to as ‘the ploughman poet’ and he certainly worked on farms at various times. But that suggests that he was somehow less educated and lowly. However his father paid for him to be educated by a tutor and he attended schools. So he learned French, Latin and Mathematics – so not uneducated at all.

But another part of his learning was from an old woman who lived with his family and was well versed in traditional stories and folk-tales.

He had his first book of poems and songs published in Kilmarnock and headed to Edinburgh, where he became the ‘toast of the town’. This has always struck me as a parallel to Bob Dylan heading to New York and becoming the toast of that town. What’s interesting about that connection is that Bob has often said that among his favorite songs are some by Burns.

Burns was always ambitious and wanted to be recognized both in Scotland and elsewhere, so he wrote in Scots, Scots/English and in standard British English for different audiences.

Sadly he was eventually dumped by Edinburgh society and they moved on. But when he died at the age of 38 thousands of his compatriots turned up for his funeral. That, I’m sure was because they all recognized what others around the world ever since did!

When I was a kid all schools in Scotland had annual competitions for songs and poems by Burns, and I’m sure that played a big part keeping the language alive.

This time I’ve just been looking at Burns’ connections to language. Next week I’ll examine the other well known aspects of his life.