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§ 14. Robert Burns (1759-1796)
Robert Burns, a well-known and the most democratic poet of the 18th century, was born on a little farm in Scotland in 1759. The family of Burns was not rich and their life was full of privations. Robert had to help his father on the farm from early childhood.
When Robert was seven, his father decided to give his children a good education and engaged a teacher for them. Robert was a capable boy and learned the French and Latin language and became fond of reading. However, Robert could not afford much time for his studies.
Burns wrote his first verses when he was fifteen. Very soon his poems and witty epigrams became popular among his friends. In 1786 he published his first book under the title of Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect which was a great success. It contained his early lyrical, humorous and satirical verses. Burns was invited to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, where he was welcomed as one of the "wonders of the world". But he ranted to write poetry about the people and for the people. He considered his literary work his patriotic duty and refused to be among those people who tried to use his talent for their own ends. Ha traveled about Scotland collecting popular songs. His poetry was inspired by his deep love for his motherland, for its history and folklore. His beautiful poem My Heart's in the Highlands full of vivid colorful description, is a hymn to the beauty of Scotland's nature and to its glorious past.
Burns' poetry is closely connected with the national struggle of the Scottish people for their liberation from English oppression, the struggle that had been going on in Scotland for many centuries. His favorite heroes were William Wallace, the leader of the uprising against the English oppressors, and Robert Bruce, who defeated the English army in the battle at Bannockburn and later became the King of Scotland. The poem Bruce's Address to his Army at Bannockburn is the poet's call to his people to keep up the freedom-loving spirit of their father.
Burns expressed the most sacred thoughts and hopes of the Scottish people, who even in their poverty, are full of proud love of freedom, hatred for all oppressors, contempt for the rich, human dignity and an optimistic belief in their beautiful future. This is reflected, for instance, in the poem Is There for Honest Poverty, which is rightly called the Scottish "'Marseillaise".
Burns' wit, humor, contempt for falsehood and hypocrisy are best revealed in his epigrams – short four line satirical verses.
Burns' style is characterized by vivid colorful images. His metaphors, similes, personifications are taken from nature and everyday life. Love is linked to "a rose" that's "newly spring in June", to "the melody that's sweetly played in time". A brilliant example of personification is the poem John Barleycorn. Barleycorn personifies the undying spirit of the common people who can never he crushed by any enemies.
Being already a poet ho did not give up farming and worked hard to earn his living. The hard daily work destroyed his health and in 1796, at the age of 37, Burns died. After his death the widow and children of the great poet were literally left without a shilling.
Burns' funeral wan attended by thousands of common Scottish people whom he had loved and for whom he had written his poems and songs. And it was those common people who raised enough money by subscription to provide his widow, the woman who had been the great love of all his life and the inspirer of his numerous verses, with sustenance for the rest of her life and give his children an education.
Burns lyrical poems are known for their beauty, depth of feelings and their lovely melody. Among them the best one is Oh, My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose. Many Burns' lyrical poems have been put to music. His verses inspired many poets, British and foreign. In his lyrical poems and songs Burns glorifies true love end friendship, free from any motive of gain and hypocritical morality. In many of them he reveals the beauty of nature.
One of the best translators of Burns-' poetry into Russian was Samuel Marshak.
The name of Burns is very dear to all English-speaking nations because the source of his poetry was the folklore and the songs of his people whose true son he was. His own poems and songs have become part of the folklore.
Burns' birthday (January 25) in celebrated in Scotland as a national holiday.
1. Topical vocabulary:
privation, n – лишение, нужда hatred, n – ненависть
engage,v – пригласить, нанять falsehood, n – ложь, неправда
afford, v – уделить hypocrisy, n – лицемерие
witty, adj – остроумный simile, n – сравнение
chiefly, adv – главным образом undying, adj. – бессмертный
welcome, v – пригласить subscription, n. – подписка
ends, n – цели inspirer, n – вдохновитель(-ница)
colourful, adj – красочный depth, n – глубина
oppression, n – гнет, угнетение glorify, v – прославлять
freedom loving, adj – свободолюбивый source, n – источник
motherland, n – родина personify, v – воплощать
2. Find in the text the following words and word-combinations and translation the sentences, which include them:
to be full of privations, to give smb a good education, to become fond of smth, to be a great success, to be one of the "wonders of the world", to consider one's work one's patriotic duty, to be inspired by one's love, to be full of vivid colourful descriptions, to go on for many centuries, to be the leader of the uprising, to defeat the English army, to be reflected in the poem, an example of personification, to give up farming, to raise money by subscription, to put to music.
3. Use the necessary prepositions:
to afford much time ____ his studies, to become popular ____ one's friends, to publish one's book ____ the title, to write poetry ___ the people and _____ the people, to use one's talent ____ one's own ends, to travel ____ Scotland, to be closely connected ____ the national struggle ____ the Scottish people ____ their liberation ____ English oppression, to be full ___ proud love ____ freedom, the contempt _____ falsehood, to be taken ____ nature and everyday life, to provide ___ sustenance _____ the rest of her life, to be know ____ one's beauty, to be free ___ any motives ____ gain, to be the great love ___ all one's life, to be celebrated _____ a national holiday.
4. Give the appropriate derivatives (Verb – Noun) :
Model: to educate one's children – to give one's children an education
to engage a teacher, to publish one's first book, to invite smb to Edinburgh, to consider one's work, to use one's talent, to travel about Scotland, to inspire by love, to describe vividly, to connect with the national struggle, to liberate people, to oppress people, to lead the uprising, to express one's thoughts, to hate all oppressors, to love freedom, to believe in one's beautiful future, to reflect one's ideas, to personificate the undying spirit, to inspire one's numerous verses, to glorify true love and friendship, to translate Burns' poetry, to celebrate one's birthday.
5. Use synonyms from the text instead of underlined words:
1. The family of Burns was poor and their life was full of hardships.
2. Robert was a gifted boy and learned the French and Latin languages and liked reading very much.
3. Robert Burns' first book included his early lyrical, humorous and satirical verses.
4. He refused to be among those people who attempted to use his talent for their own aims.
5. His poem "My Heart's in the Highlands" is a hymn to the charm of Scotland's nature and to its heroic past.
6. Burn's poetry is closely tied up with the national struggle that had continued in Scotland for many centuries.
7. His favorite hero was Robert Bruce who gained the victory over the English army in the battle of Bannockburn.
8. The hard daily work damaged severely his health and in 1796, at the age of 37, Burns died.
9. After his death the widow and the children of the great poet were left in destitution.
10. In his lyrical poems Burns sings true love and friendship devoided of any motives of gain and hypocritical morality.
11. The source of his poetry was the folklore and the songs of his people whose devoted son he was.
6. Match Russian and English equivalents:
| 1. | уделить много времени своему образованию | a. | to be full of optimistic belief in one's beautiful future |
| 2. | быть представленным в качестве" одного из чудес света" | b. | to raise money by subscription |
| 3. | быть лидером повстанцев | c. | to be put to music |
| 4. | Сохранить свободолюбивый дух отцов и дедов | d. | to afford much time to one's studies |
| 5. | быть полным оптимистической веры в прекрасное будущее | e. | to reveal the beauty of nature |
| 6. | быть положенным на музыку | f. | the undying spirit of the common people |
| 7. | показать красоту природы | g. | to be the leader of the uprising |
| 8. | бессмертный дух простого народа | h. | the sustenance for the rest of one's life |
| 9. | поддержка до конца жизни | e. | to keep up the freedom-loving spirit of their father |
7. Say whether the following sentences are true or false:
1. The family of Bums was quite well-off and Robert had a possibility to devote much time to his education.
2. In 1786 he published his first book under the title of "Poems Chiefly in French" which was a great success.
3. Robert Burns considered his literary work only his hobby and tried to use his talent for his own purpose.
4. He wasn't interested at all in the national struggle of the Scottish people preferring to describe only the beauty of nature.
5. Burns' wit, humour, contempt for falsehood and hypocrisy are best revealed in his critical essays about Creek literature.
6. Burns' style is characterized by vivid colourful images.
7. As a poet he gave up farming being will paid for his literary works.
8. After his death his widow and children inherited enough money for the rest of their lives.
9. Robert Burns' poems inspired many poets, British and foreign.
10. Bums' name and birthday are completely forgotten now.
8. Answer the following questions:
1. What was Robert Burns' life full of from the early childhood?
2. Why couldn't Robert afford much time for his studies?
3. What was his principal aim in writing poems?
4. What was his poetry inspired by?
5. What was his poetry closely connected with?
6. Say a few words about Burns favourite heroes from the history of Scotland?
7. Burns expressed the most sacred thoughts and hopes of the Scottish people, didn't he? Prove it with examples.
8. Is Burns' style characterized by vivid colourful images or by boring trite thoughts?
9. What are Burns' lyrical poems known for? How are they connected with the folklore?