Burns

by Robert Burns, Gerard Carruthers (Editor)

From the selected works of such celebrated and beloved poets as W. H. Auden, Robert and Elizabeth Browning, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, and William Shakespeare, to anthologies on Jazz and Blues and Beat Poets, to collections on the timeless themes of love and marriage, friendship and motherhood, the Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets set has it all. There’s something for everyone to enjoy in this 75-volume set, from Animal Poems to Zen Poems. Each book comes in an elegant 256-page pocket-sized hardcover edition (4 1/8" x 6 1/4"), with full-cloth covers, lovely illustrated and jewel-tone jackets, silk ribbon markers, and gold stamping. Perfect for your home library, or as a gift for any occasion.

This set includes one each of the following titles:

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry edited by Peter Washington
Animal Poems edited by John Hollander
Anna Akhmatova by Anna Akhmatova
Auden: Poems by W. H. Auden
Baudelaire: Poems by Charles Baudelaire
Beat Poets edited by Carmela Ciuraru
Blake: Poems by William Blake
Blues Poems edited by Kevin Young
Browning: Poems by Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Byron: Poems by Lord Byron, G. Gordon
Chinese Erotic Poems edited by Tony Barnstone and Chou Ping
Christmas Poems edited by Peter Washington
Coleridge: Poems by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Comic Poems edited by Peter Washington
Conversation Pieces by Kurt Brown
The Dance edited by Emily Fragos
Dickinson: Poems by Emily Dickinson
Doggerel edited by Carmela Ciuraru
Donne: Poems by John Donne
Eliot: Poems by T. S. Eliot
Emerson: Poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Emily Bronte: Poems by Emily Bronte
Erotic Poems edited by Peter Washington
Eugene Onegin and Other Poems by Alexander Pushkin
Fatherhood edited by Carmela Ciuraru
Friendship Poems edited by Peter Washington
Frost: Poems by Robert Frost
Garden Poems edited by John Hollander
The Great Cat edited by Emily Fragos
Haiku edited by Peter Washington
Hardy: Poems by Thomas Hardy
Herbert: Poems by George Herbert
Hopkins: Poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Hughes: Poems by Langston Hughes
Indian Love Poems edited by Meena Alexander
Jazz Poems edited by Kevin Young
Keats: Poems by John Keats
Kipling: Poems by Rudyard Kipling
Letters by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Love Letters edited by Peter Washington
Love Poems edited by Peter Washington
Love Songs and Sonnets edited by Peter Washington
Love Speaks Its Name by J. D. McClatchy
Lullabies and Poems for Children edited by Diana Secker Larson
Marriage Poems edited by John Hollander
Marvell: Poems by Andrew Marvell
Milton: Poems by John Milton
Motherhood edited by Carmela Ciuraru
On Wings of Song by J. D. McClatchy
Persian Poets edited by Peter Washington
Plath: Poems by Sylvia Plath
Poe: Poems by Edgar Allen Poe
Poems Bewitched and Haunted edited by John Hollander
Poems by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Poems by Robert Burns
Poems of Mourning edited by Peter Washington
Poems of New York edited by Elizabeth Schmidt
Poems of Sleep and Dreams edited by Peter Washington
Poems of the American West edited by Robert Mezey
Poems of the Sea by J. D. McClatchy
Prayers edited by Peter Washington
Rilke: Poems by Rainer Maria Rilke
Rimbaud: Poems by Arthur Rimbaud
The Roman Poets edited by Peter Washington
Rossetti: Poems by Christina Rossetti
Shakespeare: Poems by William Shakespeart
Shelley: Poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Solitude edited by Carmela Ciuraru
Sonnets edited by John Hollander
Stevens: Poems by Wallace Stevens
Tennyson: Poems by Lord Alfred Tennyson
War Poems edited by Peter Washington
Whitman: Poems by Walt Whitman
Wordsworth: Poems by William Wordsworth
Zen Poems edited by Peter Harris

Everyman’s Library continues to maintain its original commitment to publishing the most significant world literature in editions that reflect a tradition of fine bookmaking. Everyman’s Library pursues the highest standards, utilizing modern prepress, printing, and binding technologies to produce classically designed books printed on acid-free natural-cream-colored text paper and including Smyth-sewn, signatures, full-cloth cases with two-color case stamping, decorative endpapers, silk ribbon markers, and European-style half-round spines.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Classics, Scotland

255 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2006

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

[Dolors · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a trip to Scotland I couldn't help myself and bought a second hand copy of R.Burns' poems.
Written in Scottish dialect, it made the whole experience more complete, giving an expressive freshness to the Scottish Landscape.
His most famous song "Auld Lang Syne" was a joy to read, tradition and lyricism giving insight to the rural life of the time.
A gem for those who have come to love Scotland, as I do.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rabbie Burns is Scotland's poet.
He is as well known as any of the greats.
His Scottish brogue does occasionally make the poems difficult but he remains a favorite poet even after 20 years.
He's a bit like e.e. cummings. You can read the same line 20 times and get something different from it each time.

Everyman's Library Pocket Poets are he best way to read poetry. They are beautiful books that will only become more beautiful after they've been stuffed into pockets and backbacks.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems like he would be a fabulous dinner companion - full of stories told in a musical voice, from discussing politics or how he mistakenly ruined a little mouse’s house. You wouldn’t want him as a husband (although he seems to be sweet as a lover) but as a man he is tender, smart, and can be very witty.

The Scottish guide in the back of the book isn’t very useful, so you won’t understand all his words unless you wear kilts even in the winter.

[Donald Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed some of this book, but Burns wasted much of his life, which is reflected in many of his poems. He had great ability, keen insight at times, but wasted a lot of it in self-indulgence.

It is valuable to read widely, so this is worth reading, but it is not as satisfying as other poets might be.

Many of Burns' poems were written in Scottish dialect, so they can be hard to follow at times.

[Will Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my quest to become more read in poetry Robert Burns may have been a bit of a reach yet he was great fun to read. Understood about half of the Scottish dialect.
Favorites- the Jolly Beggars
The twa dogs
Tam o’ Shanter
A prayer in prospect of death
Holy Willie’s prayer
A red red rose

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burns was Abraham Lincoln's favorite poet. It is easy to see why from this collection—Burns returns repeatedly to the themes of simple rural delights and the honesty and grit of the common man. The Scottish dialect was difficult to parse at first, but I developed an ear for it in time.

[Sol Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note that my review of the book is perfunctory: I’m not qualified to have an opinion on the quality of Burns’ work; I feel like only someone studying him, or more understanding of Scotland history in general can really for an opinion on how his expression is rendered informed enough to matter.

It’s an exciting book, partially because you’ll be reading a few poems in a row that are way too dense and Scottish for you to grok, and then you’ll run across a line so familiar that you just plain thought that it was always a saying. “Best laid schemes o’ mice and men…” “Colin’ thro’ the eye…” and on and on. Some of the most repeated verses in English were invented by a 27 year-old farmer who put pretty words next to each other over and over. It’s a valuable read, even if you’re a more casual reader of poetry.

[Landon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved Robert Burns works. My review would be meaningless compared to the centuries of love shown for this man and his poetry. This book doesn't seem to be a collection of his works, but there is a lot there that certainly has all the work that I am familiar with. The poems are written in the center of the page so that the poems are not look cluttered with the possibility of copious notes if you would like. The front of the book talks about Robert Burns and has a dictionary at the back of the book.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these little pocket poetry editions from Everyman's Library. They are a convenient size for commute travel. This particular edition would have 5 stars rather than 4 if the glossary of Scottish dialect were better.

Burns was very popular in his day, a kind of primitive chic. His verse was bawdy and rollicking in a Scottish dialect. It pays close attention to form.

For those who don't know, he is the author of the song Auld Lang Syne.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent portable edition of Burns poems with Scots glossary in back.

"Still, thou art blest, compar'd wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee
But Och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!"

[Dayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I learned that President Lincoln always carried a pocket size book of Robert Burns around with him, I purchased this pocket-size book.

Only recently have I come to appreciate Robert Burns more with a book entitled, "The Bard." Beautifully written.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doesn't have John Anderson My Jo' and the glossary of Scottish terms is weak.

[Angi M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Robert Burns! I had big plans to host a Burns dinner this January but somehow that fizzled out...

[Faith B · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3 1/2 stars)
His written accent is quite endearing -if occasionally unitelligable- and his verse is whimsical and lovely by turns.

[Donna Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poet Robert Burns is my great great great grandfather.

[James Violand · Rating 5 out of 5]

We lil Robbie...If ye can take to the tongue, tis a gran read ye've in store.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are great fun to read out loud. I love cheesy poetry, but there's some good solid lyrical work in this collection too.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great poet but most of the poems are written in a phonetic Scottish dialect which made it a difficult read for me. Maybe I can go for an audio book next time I want to tackle Burns.

[Elisabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up because I really liked a Burns poems I read somewhere, but none of the poems in this collection really struck a chord with me....