Two hundred and fifty years ago today Scotland's national poets was born and after two and a half centuries his work, though deeply unfashionable by the standards of the modern literary community, remains as popular as ever.
What makes the popularity of Burns endure when modern poets are ridiculed and despised? There is no definitive answer but this article will suggest a few possible reasons that those who complain "nobody reads poetry these days" would do well to take on board as Scots prepare for a week of celebrations in honour of their poet.
In Scotland Burns may be popular because, writing at a time when the English suppression of Scottish culture was at its height he was the voice of Scottish independence.
Scots wha hae, wi Wallace bled,
Scots wham Bruce has aftimes led,
Onward tae your gory bed,
Or tae victorie...more
Not only did he capture Scottish emotions, he wrote them down in the dialect of Scotland. Though that would explain why the poetry of Burns remains popular in Scotland it does not explain why he has become so highly regarded all round the world? This week people will be putting on kilts and Tam O'Shanters and sitting down to a meal of haggis, tatties and neeps and drinking a toast of whisky to the poet's memory in places as diverse as Germany, Argentina, Italy, Russia, India and China. Some are understandable, multitudes of Scottish migrants landed in Australia, Canada and the USA throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century and keep the traditions of the homeland alive even if they have never visited. But a Burns Society in China, what's that all about?
Perhaps the secret Burns work still speaks to people as does the work of Shakespeare who is not so much an English national poet as a treasure we have to share with the world, is that both had an instinct for capturing the spirit of their time and speaking directly to the emotions of ordinary people without the need for verses to be explained by academics. Very often in fact Burns' poems are spookily relevant to the lives of modern people.
Had I to guid advice but harkit,
I might by this ha' led a market,
Or strutted in a Bank and clerkit,
My cash account,
While here, half mad, half fed, half sarkit
is a' th amount.
What more eloquent a warning could we have to resist the efforts of politicians and businessmen to persuade us to restart the economy for them by getting back on the treadmill for another insane cycle of borrowing and spending.
Another reason Burns is such an important poet though is far from one of the best technically is that he touched all our lives. There are few people who speak English who are not familiar with a few lines of Burns ( and when you consider the use of English as a second language in India, China, around Europe, in South America and other heavily populated nations such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and throughout Africa and the middle east that is a lot of people.) Consider this:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind
should auld acquaintance be forgot
for the sake of auld lang syne
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o' thine,
We'll swallae doon a willie waught
For auld lang syne
OK, Auld Lang Syne; you sing it at new year but never thought much about what it meant. The melody is a very ancient folk tune probably dating back, like many Scottish and Irish folk ballads to a pre - Christian era. The words too and the sentiments they express cannot wholly be attributed to Burns things have been added and removed over the centuries. A " willie waught" or good will drink for example has been replaced by " a cup of kindness" probably by Presbyterian teetotallers. Burns had no time for alcohol - free drinks but he is responsibe for most of the lyric. To appreciate the sense of it we should read it in full and with an accompanying text in modern English. Read on...
For a' that and a' o' that
it's coming yet for a' that
that man to man the whole world o'er
should brothers be for a' that.
Sadly that verse has almost completely disappeared. For brevity and style it puts the pompous banalities of Barack Obama in perspective doesn't it?
This is the best version of Auld Lang Syne I can find online
http://www.give-presents-find-gifts.co.uk/Burns-nightauld-lang-syne.html
So apart from patriotism, financial advice and a liberal position on diversity, tolerance and understanding does Burns offer anything else. We could mention his tender and expressive love poems, his humour, rollocking narratives like Tam O' Shanter, surely the only poem in the world ever to give its name to a hat, and his psychological insights:
O wad some power the giftie gie us
to see ourselves as others see us.
The scope of burn's work is tremendous. Whereas more recent poets are often categorised as nature poets, romantic poets, erotic poets etc. burns is all of these and in whatever subject matter he is tackling he remains accessible to even the least articulate of readers.
The point modern poets and literary academics miss about the popularity of Burns though is that he is truly a folk poet, a peoples' poet. His mythical references are not to the myths of alien cultures but to the common memories we share of things we have never experienced. He speaks the language of the ordinary people and understands their concerns and emotions, thus he to us at a deeper level than language can. In this his mastery of rhythm and style are vital components because the eighteenth century Scottish dialect is difficult for many readers.
And Now For Something Completely Different.
One of my favourite jokes features the poetry of Burns so not because I think you have not heard it but because I enjoy retelling it, it is easily adapted to any political or religious leader who is in the news and we have not had enough snippets of burns' verse yet here is The Burns Joke.
On a visit to a military hospital where soldiers wounded in action in Iraq and Afghanistan were recovering from their injuries Barack Obama told the medics that he wanted to meet all the patients. Despite being warned it might not be possible, when the tour party came to a ward with a sign on the door that read: Absolutely No Entry except to specialist staff the President said he wanted to go in.
"That really is not wise Mr. President, these men have a terrible condition, it's best they remain quiet."
"Nonsense, everybody is uplifted by my message of hopeanchange," the President insisted.
"In that case I can't refuse but want it noted I', letting you in only under duress," the Doctor said.
They went in. Everything seemed normal, the patients lay quietly on beds, read or watched TV."
Then Obama approached the man in the first bed and said, "Hi buddy, how're you felling."
The man sat bolt upright, his eyes widened and his nostrils flared as he began to recite:
Fairrr fa your honest sonsie face
great cheiftain o' the pudding race,
aboon them a' ye tak your place,
painch tipe and thairm.
Well worthy are ye o' a grace
as lang's my arm.
"Oh jeez, that's terrible, the poor man," the President said to the Doctor. "I wish I had listened to you now. Still I must greet all the men now I'm here."
With that he headed for the next bed.
"How you doin' soldier and can I ask how do you feel about Osama bin Laden?"
Again the man's demeanour changed as he began to recite:
Wee cow'rin' sleekit tim'rous beastie
oh what a panic's in they breastie,
why wad ye run awa' sae hastie
wi bleth'rin brattle.
I wad be laithe to run and chase thee
wi murd'rn pattle.
Wow this really is terrible, is there any hope for these guys?" Obama asked the Doctor who sadly shook his head as they approached the next bed.
"Well," said Obama, "maybe I'd best change my approach, anything that reminds them of the war seems upsetting."
They came to the next bed where the President asked the occupant, "How re the feeding you in here son?"
The man lapsed into the familiar state and began to recite:
His knife sae rustic labour dight,
an cut you up wi' ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch.
An' then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm reekin' rich.
"I'm sorry Doctor, We'll have to leave now, I can't take any more of this" said Obama, "What is wrong with these men, is it some terrible psychiatric affliction."
The Doctor said, "No Mr President, it's the Burns unit.
********************************************
Ian's Tribute to McGonagall Scotland's worst poet at Authorsden
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Comments: 30
Ian, you have touched on my just posted poem about Obama.
"A man's a man for all that" was in my mind while I wrote it.
I know I've been offered a "willie waught" on many a New Year's but it sure wasn't a drink.
I think his poetry calls to those of us who value freedom and some kind of feeling for our fellow man. The fact that he wrote most of them in Auld Scots (or Lallans) is a joy.
I posted an article last year on the 'running order' of a typical Burns' Supper. This year, I gave the women's reply!
As you know I'm no fan of Obama (even less so since he took to telling lies about my country - the British did NOT torture his grandad nor burn his grandma's village. If those things happened they were a result of inter - tribal rivalry) and Americs' Black people should not look for a man who can walk on water to magic away all their problems. Life's a bitch for most white people as well.
Personal responsibility is what will change things, and values. Religion tends to hijack values but they are a social not a religious attribute. Self respect is the start of all values and none of us can respect ourselves unless we are willing to face up to our responsibilties. Looking to a politician to lift that burden from people is just not realistic. Politicians and their PR people on both sides of politics are to blame for so many people having been tricked into making self esteem do the work of self respect.
I was going to post an article on the dangers inherent in the cult of The Obamessiah, for example we've had silly people in Britain saying if we don't have a black Priome Minister nest time round it shows we are a racist nation, a graceless little oik named Trevor Phillips who runs the government Equal Rights and Opportunities Agency trying to pretend the same kind of racial tensions exist in Britain as in America and seeking to create those problems by demanding quotas of black Members of Parliament, doctors, senior civil servants and judges. He did not ask for quotas on profesional footballers or television newsreaders , professions in which black and asian people are over represented. A right wing journalist did though.
Equality is equality, a man's a man for a' that and when a black politician progresses through the british system to lead one of the main parties if the wind is behind that party he or she will be elected. The systems are completely different.
According to a poster to the Letters page of the daily paper my secretary reads (think it's the express, but might be the Mail) the poster wonders where Mr Obama has learned this disinformation because
Mr Obama Senior could not have been a member of the Mau Mau, because the membership of that organisation was, with very few exceptions, restricted to members of the kikuy, Embu and Meru tribes - all arch-enemies of Mr Obama's Luo.
The kind of willie you are thinking of would be a Wullie in Scotland.
You should try to spend some time with Burns, he's a good antidote to all those navel gazing modernists. I've been arguing with the British arts bureaucracy for years about the need to engage audiences. They say I'm a good poet but need to reveal more of my inner self. I say my inner self is staying inner, I don't write poetry as personal therapy I do it because I enjoy it.
Perversely I like Burns' dialect verse but detest modern Lancashire dialect poets. I think its because the Lancashire lot are mostly middle class so it is not the way they speak naturally and comes over as false and contrived whether read or heard.
Just enjoy the rhythm and sound of it. You'll understand enough to get the essential message. Or ask Ishbel to translate, she's much more fluent than I am.
If you question any of Sidi Obama's porkies (oops I should not use that slang in relation to a Muslim) in an American thread, it usually starts a riot...
So is he a Muslim? I don't care but when he registered for Chicago law school, after he had reached the age of majority, he, Barack Hussein Obama, took a pen between his fingers and entered his legal name Barry Soetoro then in the space for religion he wrote Muslim. Why would anyone do that if they have never been a Muslim as he claims he has not.
Similarly on the question of his elegibility, I don't care if he was born in Kenya or not but it seems stange anyone would spend $250,000 on blocking with legal technicalities the challenges to his elegibility when he could get a copy of his long form Birth Certificate for around $20 I think. Unless he had something to hide of course.
I just wonder why Obama's supporters are afraid to ask themselves these obvious questions.... :-)
What? Me trying to wind people up? As if.
I have to say, I'm a fan - in light of what the alternative would have been. Until he proves himself no good at the job, I'm willing to give him the 'worldview' benefit of the doubt!
But the facts of the MauMau thing need to be addressed. So what if he's not keen on us? I don't care!
I can agree with you on the inner self thing. Every poet and writer should be in control of how much inner self they display. Just tell them you're very shallow and that you have gone as deep into your inner self as you can.
Now leave Obama alone. It doesn't matter if he's Muslim or not. At this point he is THE American citizen.
And I second the motion for you to get off Obama's ass. We like him and chose him to be our President, despite the loony rumors.
I believe that the internal politics of a country is best left to that country's citizens. However, in his foreign policy, if I find I am 'agin' decisions, be sure I'll be making my views known!
Re: Obama--I thought you said he had no chance of winning and the Democrats were throwing the election... :-)
I told them I was shallow, they wouldn't believe be.
I was wrongfooted by the GOP. Having been in government eight years they knew how bad things really were and out-threw the Democrats.
An alalysis of voting patterns showed on election day 15% of registered Republicans with good voting records stayd at home. How mant points did Obama win by?
You assume too much. Mrs Thorpe thinks Obama looks like a freak, talks like a clown and is as trustworthy as a banker. That's pretty much how she feels about all politicians but at least she thinks for herself.
Alternatives? Well people could have voted for Cynthia McKinney. Or the Dems could have picked one of several candidate who at least understand what truth is even if they don't always speak it.
So long as The Obama SS are on patrol there's no point being here. Could one of you actually try to answer a question instead of telling me I have no right to ask it?
Here's a comment that apeared in the comment thread on an article published in a British Newspaper today :
Candidate Obama condemned US attacks that killed innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
President Obama ordered an attack that killed innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
It took Geoge W Bush nearly a year to strt killing civilians. Obama has got started within a week of taking office. Change you can believe in?
True, they didn't give themselves much of a choice. But a lot of my US friends, the ones who when invited to gather took one look at the site and ran away screaming, were very keen Hillary Clinton supporters and they all report being given the feeling by Obamessiah cult followers that if they opposed The Chosen One too vociferously it would not be forgotten. Also they tell me a lot of Hillary supporters still fel she was cheated out of the Candidacy.
Add to that the calls for Nov 4th to be made a national holiday in the week after election and the proposal from Obama fans on the day after the inauguration that the constitutional amendment that limits a US President to two terms so that Obama, if he so chose could be President for life and you start too see just how dangerously insane the personality cult built around him has become.
All I am concerned with is his foreign policy - and how it impacts on me and mine (and you and yours, of course!)
It's his finger that is on the Doomsday Button. That's good enough for me. Apart from which Sidi Obama has already told Gordon Brown Britain will have to take some of the Guantanamo prisoners and that if our government does not act to close the tax havens in Jersey, Guernsey and the IoM and thus clearly is labouring under the misapprehenion that he is President of the World it is very much our business.
The insane economics of his financial stimulus are America's problem. They're welcome.
Enough is enough.
I was wrongfooted by the GOP. Having been in government eight years they knew how bad things really were and out-threw the Democrats.
An alalysis of voting patterns showed on election day 15% of registered Republicans with good voting records stayd at home. How mant points did Obama win by
Humans are humans, Ian, not participants in a conspiracy theory. Republicans stayed at home because they were embarrassed by the candidates they were supposed to vote for. (And of course, a number of Republicans voted Democratic for the first time in their lives.) But still--your claim was that the Democrats were throwing the election, since Obama had no chance. So, are you saying both parties were trying to throw it, and the Democrats lost by winning against their will? Excellent theory. There is no result it can't explain a posteriori. You could start a religion with stuff like this.