The Poet's Path, a Burns inspired walking route
To a Mouse, On Turning Her Up in Her Nest With The Plough (1785)
To a Mouse focuses on the narrator's thoughts and feelings after he accidentally breaks apart a mouse's nest with his plough. Through this masterful poem, Burns expertly moves the reader from empathising with the little animal to pondering man's relationship with the natural world and even the future of humanity.
The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men
Gang aft agley,
An'lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!
Haggis, neeps and tatties
Address to a Haggis (1786)
Address to a Haggis is Burns' humorous ode to the humble haggis. Presenting haggis as a symbolic part of Scottish culture, Burns' poem led the way for haggis becoming not only a popular meal but Scotland's national dish.
Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the pudding-race!
Robert Burns Ellisland Museum & Farm
© Ellisland Farm
Auld Lang Syne (1788)
Auld Lang Syne is one of the most popular songs in the English language. Sung across the globe at the stroke of midnight on Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) this touching song encourages the listener to put the previous year behind them and look forward to the new year ahead.
For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne.
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, For auld lang syne.
Starry sky at Clatteringshaws Loch
Tam O' Shanter (1790)
Burns' epic poem Tam o' Shanter tells the tale of a man who stayed out too late drinking and witnessed unsettling visions on his way home, like the witches' dance described below. It is a good example of Burns' diversity as a writer as his sense of humour is clear in the poem.
Warlocks and witches in a dance:
Nae cotillon, brent new frae France,
But hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys, and reels,
Put life and mettle in their heels.