Poems of Robert Burns Selected by Ian Rankin

by Robert Burns, Ian Rankin (Editor)

The farmer's boy from Ayrshire who went on to be the most acclaimed of all Scottish poets, celebrated around the world, Robert Burns is a greater and more varied artist than those that know him only through annual Burns' Suppers and choruses of his 'Auld Lang Syne' at New Year could imagine.

This new selection by Ian Rankin of verses and lyrics from Scotland's national poet, the 'Heaven-taught ploughman', reveals a writer capable of evoking tremendous sympathetic power from his readers and with an easy, astonishing command of the sounds and rhythms of both standard English and the evocative Scots tongue. It also reveals an artist of incredible range. His 'Tam O' Shanter', with its midnight pursuit of witches from a grisly graveyard dance, is gripping, fantastical and funny in equal measure, 'Is there for honest poverty' beautifully expresses the egalitarian spirit by which Burns became a political hero for so many, and sentiments both romantic ('Ae Fond Kiss') and bawdy ('The Fornicator') co-exist in this canny selection of the best of the Scottish Bard.

Genres: Poetry, Scotland

141 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

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

[heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

O, Robbie! How hilarious you are! How snarky! How dedicated to guid auld Scottish drinks and how creative with insults! Top marks to ye.

Love the glossary too. Super helpful with the Scottish words, though now that my curiosity is piqued mere glossaries don't seem enough. I'll be on the hunt for annotated editions of Burns poems and uhhh might be checking out YouTube for recorded recitations / song performances and to learn the language too.

[Katie]

DNF at 16%-ish

[Angus Mcfarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this one as my poetry option for 2022, an opportune pick up at a second hand bookshops a selection endorsed by Ian Rankin. It was an easier read than the previous poets I've read through - Pablo Neruda, banjo paterson and Bruce Dawes - shorter, and despite the old Scots language, easy to follow.

There are plenty of Burns poems that have become well known, auld Lang syne and red red rose, and lines, such as 'the best laid plans of mice and men'. The appeal of burns appears to lie in its depiction of simple joys amidst life's challenges. Even those who rise to high station in life, such as the long serving Australian prime minister Robert Menzies, a Scots/Presbyterian, can find solace in Burns perspective (for Menzies, the Selkirk prayer and the cottars Saturday night had this effect).

The lines that resonated for me were tom tam o shanter and my father was a farmer, respectively discussing the beauty of nature, and the value of the present moment. I was reading these amidst difficulties which included a frantic schedule at work and enjoyed being able to stop and remember things that matter more to me than the daily grind.

There is much more to Burns than reflection and homely sentiment. He also ranges into romance and political protest, as well as putting forward odes (to haggis and scotch drink) before Neruda ventured into similar territory. And while I can see the attraction to those with Scots background, I don't think his words are limited to an ethnic heritage. A nice selection by Rankin, which only leaves the question of what more I might be yet to discover.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not really the sort of person who curls up with a nice book of poetry. But I was interested in reading more Robert Burns after making an unplanned trip to his birthplace a few weeks ago, and then the library just happened to feature this ebook on their website a few days later. And the result? Maybe I'm actually a poetry person after all and just never knew it. I thought this was quite enjoyable.

This collection contained a good mix of Burns' work: some bawdy and some reverent, some about love and some about nature. I knew a few already and was pleased to recognise lines in others. My favourites were, predictably, the ballads like "Tam o'Shanter." But I laughed at the clever "John Barleycorn," was touched by the tender "A Poet's Welcome to His Love-Begotten Daughter," and lingered over "To a Mountain Daisy."

For those who don't read Burns because he's too hard to understand--this edition includes a Scots dictionary which helps with the language barrier.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many collections of Robert Burns poems. I’m a fan of author Ian Rankin and he gave this book an excellent introduction and glossary of the language in the poems. The book is nicely formatted and easily read.

[Leonie]

What's not to like about a book of Robbie Burns poems selected by Ian Rankin?