Understanding Robert Burns: Verse, Explanation and Glossary

by Robert Burns, George Scott Wilkie

The poems of Robert Burns are known throughout the world, but are rarely understood. For too long lovers of his poetry and songs have struggled with the meaning of many of the bard's words. Following the success of George Wilkie's Select Works of Robert Burns, this expanded volume of Burns's poetry, with 138 poems, captures the same ethos as the original. Opposite every stanza of each poem the meaning of what Burns has written is printed along with a helpful glossary to enable to reader to gain an immediate understanding. No delving into notes at the end of the book is necessary. This is a major development in access to the works of Burns and is the only book on his works that allows the reader such immediate access to the poems's meaning.

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2002

About the author

Robert Burns (also known as Robin) was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language. He also wrote in English and a "light" Scots, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland.

He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement and after his death became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism. A cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish Diaspora around the world, celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature.

As well as making original compositions, Burns collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising or adapting them. His Auld Lang Syne is often sung at Hogmanay (the last day of the year), and Scots Wha Hae has served as an unofficial national anthem. Other poems and songs of Burns that remain well-known across the world today, include A Red, Red Rose, A Man's A Man for A' That, To a Louse, To a Mouse, The Battle of Sherramuir, Tam o' Shanter and Ae Fond Kiss.

Reviews

[MH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over a hundred poems from Robert Burns, dealing with his biggest topics (religious and civic hypocrisy, sentimental ballads and odes, and the charms of the apparently never-ending supply of beautiful Scottish women). The poems can be great - moving, scathing, and memorable - but there are some publishing problems in this collection, some minor (a few typos, not a big deal, but it doesn't make parsing the Auld Scots any easier) and one major (one poem is missing the last line). Wilkie's brief introductions to each poem and helpful definitions makes this a really readable collection, though, and for me it was a great introduction to the work of Burns.