Burns Night and Scottish Poetry

January 25, 2021

• Topical

Burns night occupies one of the most important dates in the calendar for the people of Scotland, and one which is usually celebrated with haggis, as well as ample whisky for the grownups. Held on the 25^th of January, Burns Night marks the anniversary of Robert Burns’ birth, one of the most celebrated and notorious Scottish poets and lyricists. Burns lived in the second half of the 18^th century, and has become somewhat of a pillar and inspiration for both modern liberalism and socialism, and has adopted the status of true cultural icon. In a previous blog, we discussed the life of Robert Burns, as well as the fascinating history of Burns night itself, however we thought it would be interesting to explore the multifaceted Scottish poetry which has followed him, and the immortality of his poetic influence.

Often seen as one of the bedrocks of Romantic Poetry, Burns’ influence cannot be understated. One of the most famous English Romantic Poets, William Wordsworth, went on a pilgrimage of sorts with his sister Dorothy, following Burns’ untimely death at age 37. They visited sites in which Burns had lived and worked in and around his hometown of Dumfries. A number of prominent scholars have highlighted the similarities in style between Wordsworth and Burns, discussing everything from choice of language to subject matter and intent. There is no doubt that Burns left an indelible impression on the life and work of both William and Dorothy Wordsworth.

Perhaps some of the most important influences, however, lay with his direct Scottish literary descendants Robert Fergusson and Allan Ramsay. Burns’ style is characterized with honesty, directness, spontaneity and sincerity, and we can see this in the works of both of these men. Ramsay’s pastoral works reflect the sincere directness seen with Burns, whilst his considerable use of Scots in humorous and satirical verse was noted and praised by Burns himself. The honesty and sincerity of Burns’ work can be seen mirrored further in the work of Robert Fergusson, especially in the vivid verse portrait of his hometown.

The rich expanse of Scottish Poetry has continued to flourish ever since. This Burns day, why not read an old Scottish poem by one of the poets mentioned above, as well as exploring some more contemporary Scottish poetry. We would highly recommend exploring Jackie Kay, whose writings have garnered dozens of awards and honours, or alternatively delve into the poetic collections of Kathleen Jamie or renowned former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. Duffy’s poetry in particular is studied by many for GCSE and A Level, so should be of particular interest to the teens!

We wish you all an enjoyable and safe Burns night this year. It may not be the celebration it normally is, but we hope you’ll be able to have a good time nonetheless. Here is a link to some free Burns Night primary resources!