Robert Burns—Scotland's Immortal Poet

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 29, 1 February 1929, Page 3

Robert Burns—Scotland's Immortal

Poet

Interesting Lecture from 2YA.

‘REQUENTLY one hears the question, "Why is it that Scotsmen, no matter in what part of the world they happen to be, continue to retain all the characteristics peculiar to ' their country, despite the fact

that they have been and are in the midst of a totally different environ: ment, and why in particular do they persist in the habits of wearing the native dress and retaining an active interest in the celebrations in connection with anniversaries of the great days in Scottish calendar?" PThat.is a big quesion to answer which, fully, would take too long. Suffice it to say that the true Scot inherits a high degree of love for his own country and for the habits and customs of his own people, and his continued interest in Scotland and Scottish affairs is responsible for the enthusiasm which is in evidence when he participates in any of the celebrations. One might be inclined to say that such evidence of love of one’s own particular country was too selfish, but such an assertion could well be answered by the statement of no less an authority than Mr. Stanley Baldwin, the Premier of Great Britain, who declared recently that "Scottish nationalism is one of the most prized products of the British Empire. The purest nationalism is like the finest love of one’s own home. ‘The greater the love of one’s ._@wn home the greater the love of e’s own country. The love of one’s own country expands into the love of all one’s own _ people throughout the Empire, and is the beginning of that brotherhood which alone can make peace upon earth." . The Burns programme was the celebration of the birth of one who has done much, if not most, towards keeping alive the flame of Scottish nationalism, and at the same time propounded as no other writer has ever done, the teaching of the brotherhood of man-I refer to Scotland’s immortal Bard, Rabbie Burns. N his preface to the "Kilmarnock" edition of his poems, Burns "begs his readers, particularly the Learned and the Polite, who may honour him with a perusal, that they will make every allowance for education and cireons: of life.’ That note appeals pathetic force, but surely there is no need now, for any "allowances" to be claimed, because the "circumstances of life," which encompassed Robert. Burns, humble farmer, result only in ‘increased admiration for Rabbie Burns, Scotland’s national poet, and one of the world’s greatest song and lyric writers. It is not my intention to dwell at any length upon the early life of Burns; the thirty-seven years, which spanned his life, from the "elay bigging" at Alloway to the gauger’s cottage at Dumfries, contains but one illw ating event, in so far as the regognition of his genius was concerned, ‘and that was his memorable and triumphant visit to Edinburgh in 1786. For the rest, there is on the one hand the hard farm labour, the failures, the dashing of hopes, the dreary dullness of poverty and the darkness of dissipa-

tion. On the other, we have the promptings of genius, the close communion with nature, the greatness of heart, the unbounding patriotism and the joy of the poet who can move a nation to song-is it not all reflected in his verses? It is indeed in his poems that the life of Burns should be studied. The "circumstances of life’ can be ignored -the man becomes absorbed in the

poet: but before passing on to a study of Burns as he is portrayed in his poetry, I should like to correct two wrong impressions, which seem to have become established in the minds of the majority of those who have written or spoken of Burns during recent years. One frequently hears him referred to as though he were simply a peasant or at the best, a superior ploughman. It is not correct to dub him by the first designation, for peasant, according to the commonly accepted meaning of the word, he never was. Neither is it right to regard him simply as a ploughman, for although he often spoke of his holding the plough and the independence which it gave him, he was a ploughman only on his own and his father’s farms. He was really what we to-day would regard as a small farmer. Don’t think for one minute that I mention this in any spirit derogatory to either peasants or ploughmen. Far from it. I recognise and appreciate the true nobility of lowly toil too much to glance askance at any work, which is of practical utility, whereby a brother-man earns an honest livelihood, but I cannot see the sense of giving these two classes the credit of producing our heaveninspired poet, when he really belongs to another class-a class, which, in peace or war, supplied the brain and muscle of Scotland for centuries-the small working farmer, from whose cottages have come forth sons who have graced the pulpit, the bar and the academy, who have added to the mechanical wealth and genius of the country and have carried its hanner, the blue cross of St. Andrew-in triumph all over the world. . ANOTHER commonly accepted idea, which to me seems quite a mis-

take, is that Burns was uneducated. From his earliest years his education was very carefully attended to by his father-a thoroughly well educated man-and we have the recorded testimony of his old schoolmaster, to prove that Burns’s education was really of a superior order even for lads in his own station of life. Burns could read French fairly well and gave it a more or less careful study and

he acquired such a knowledge of Latin, as to be able in after years to intersperse and adorn his writings with a quotation or a sentence now and again, when the humour seized him. Surely, then, we cannot call a lad with all these acquirements, uneducated. Moreover, during the whole of his career Burns continued to be a very close student of books as well as of men, therefore to regard him as uneducated is decidedly erroneous. In his own inimitable fashion Burns provides us with the date of his birth:

"Our Monarch’s hindmost year but ane Was five-and-twenty days begun," — "Twas then a blast o’ Janwar’ win’ Blew hansel in on Robin.’ If it is mentioned that George It is the monarch to whom he refers in the first line we have no difficulty in recognising the fact that he was born on January 25, 1759. o When he wrote the song from which the foregoing lines.are quoted it would almost seem as though Burns foresaw his destiny, for he goes on to say?"The Gossip keekit in his loof, Quo’ she, wha lives will see the proof, This waly boy will be nae coofs I think we'll ca’ him Robin. He’ll hae misfortunes great and sma’ But aye a heart aboon them a’; He'll be a credit till us a’We'll a’ be proud o’ Robin." And where is the Scot who is not proud to claim the common Scottish name with Burns? On January 25 Seotsmen in almost every country in the world will meet to worship at the shrine of Burns, to pay homage to the illustrious memory of the immortal bard. Love and conviviality are the chief notes of Burns in his lighter vein. The celebrated club at Tarbolton, of which every member was found to be a "professed admirer of one or more of the fair sex," indicates a very different state of public opinion on this subject from that of our reticent times: in those days, it was considered the most natural thing in the world to win a girl’s love and then make a song of it. Burns gives us an insight into this side of his character in "Oh, my luve’s like a red, red rose," "Mary Morrison," and that most poignant of ? songs of parting: "Ae fond kiss and then we sever; Ae farewell and then forever! Deep in heart wrung tears ’'H pledge thee,

ANUARY 24, 1929, was an interesting night for all listeners at all interested in the work of the great Scotsman, Robert Burns. The unique programme will long be remembered by all those who were privileged to hear it, and can be regarded as one of the finest programmes that has yet been put on the air. Several correspondents to 2YA have asked for a synopsis of the address delivered by Mr. R. H. Nimmo, Chief of the Wellington Caledonian Society, and Dominion Chief of the Scottish Federation. Accompanying is the full address, which should be of very great interest to all who heard and appreciated the programme.

Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee, ‘Who shall say that fortune grieves him: While the Star of Hope she leaves him? Me, nae cheerfw’ twinkle lights me; Dark despair around benights me." URNS’S emotion is sensual, it is facile, but nevertheless, it is undoubtedly real, and in this, even more than in ifs matchless melody, lies the secret of his magic. The same true ring is heard in his convivial songs, whether like, "Oh. Willie brewed a peck o’ maut, And Rob and Allan cam to pree: ‘Three hlither hearts, that lee lang night, Ye wadna find in Christendie. "we are na fou, we’re nae that fou. But just a drappie in our e’e; The cock may craw. the day may draw, And aye we'll taste the barley bree." Which is a song of pure jollity, whether they have that tonch of deener emotion. which has made "Auld Lang Syne." the more than national anthem of good fellowship: "Should auld acquaintance he forgot And never brought to min’? Should auld acouaintance be forgot And days o’ lang syne? For auld Jang syne. mv dear. For auld lang syne: We'll tak’ a eup o’ kindness yet, For auld lang syne." "A T other times. Burns shows the influence of a fashion prevalent amonest his English contemporaries. He displays an easily excited sentimentalism, and this is particularly exemplified, when he caresses the little mouse, whieh his ploughshare has turned up with the sod. "We sleekit. cow’rin. tim’rous beastie. Oh! what a panic’s in thy breastie! Thou need na’ start awa’ sae hasty, Wi’ bickering brattle! I wad he laith to rin an’ chase thee Wr murd'ring pattle."

Or when, with the plough he turned down a daisy, "Wee, modest, crimson-tipped flower, Thov’s met me in an evil hour; For I maun crush amang the stoure Thy slender stem ; To spare thee now is past my power, Thou bonnie gem." and we have another example of this sentimentalism, when in his "Address to the De’il," he says, "But fare you weel, auld Nickie-ben, Oh! wad ye tak a’ thought and men’ Ye aiblins might-I dinna kenStill hae a stakeI’m wae to think upo’ yon den, E’en for your sake." ONE conversant with European history contemporary with Burns’ writings cannot fail to recognise the influence, which that vague spirit of discontent with constituted authority --which eventually culminated in the French Revolution-had upon the Scottish poet. As a matter of fact, much of his finest poetry is the poetry of defiance. He is never tired of exalting what the world despises and despising what it exalts. Remember how, when the "Jolly Beggars" are revelling in the barn, he makes one sing, "A fig for those by law protected! Liberty’s a glorious feast! Courts for cowards were erected, Churches built to please the priest." yT\ Burns, we have a humorist of the first degree. Humour is such a predominant feature that there is little need for me to quote examples, but it is often in his humorous poems that Burns gives us the brightest glimpse of his real philosophy. Recall how the sight of a "louse" crawling up the hat of a lady sitting in front of him in church inspired him to write his "Address to a Louse," which address he concludes with that world-famous and oft-quoted passage, "Oh! wad some power the giftie gie us To see oursels as others see us. It wad frae many a blunder free us And foolish notion

What airs in dress and gait wad lea’e u e s And e’en devotion." ONE of the most fantastic and irresponsible of his works is the story of "Tam o’ Shanter," which, if for nothing else, would have become famous on account of at least one passage of brilliant poetic imagery, "But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flower. its bloom is shed! Or like the snow-fall in the river, A moment white-then melts forever ; Or like the borealis race, That flits ere you can point their place; Or like the rainbow's lovely form Bvanishing amid the storm." Time will not permit of a closer study of Burns as he is portrayed in his poems. One might as easily spend hours instead of minutes tracing the character of the poet-his religious beliefs, for example, will afford a long study in themselves; in fact, the themes of his poems could almost be said to provide a religion for all of us. If we are willing to accept Faith, Hope, and Charity as_ the principal tenets of religion, we have the first, well illustrated by "The Cottar’s Saturday Night"; Hope, by his "Ppistle to Tapraik"; and Charity, if by nothing better, by his "Address to the De'’il," where his churity is not even bounded by the bottomless pit. How fully does his love of his brother man inspire the lincs of "Man was Made to Mourn," and how well the principle of helping the poor and needy caused him to write as he did of the wounded hare, and his love of truth brought forth those terrible denunciations of hypocrisy, clothed in the mask of religion, which almost makes our flesh creep to read it. ‘ But, above all else, Burns was inspired with a strong sense of the brotherhood of man, which is the grand end of all true teaching. This .sense of brotherhoed coloured everything he wrote, and seemed to fill him with brightest anticipations, even as he looked at the misery around him, or reflected on the misery which on 0ccasions was his own portion. Even in his darkest moods, he was filled with hope; hope for an era of kindness, love, purity, and a truer and better manhood than the world had ever seen, and that hope found expression in one of his songs, one which the world will never allow to die, and whose grandest sentiment echoes the dearest aspirations of all true lovers of the human race: "Then let us pray that come it may, As come it will for a’ that, That sense and worth_o’er a’ the earth May bear the gree and a’ that, For a’ that. and a’ that It’s coming yet, for a’ that, That man to man, the world o’er Shall brithers be for a’ that."