Themes: republican, radical, patriot, anticlerical, class inequalities, gender roles, cultural identity, poverty, sexuality, folk, whisky. Pioneer of Romanticism. Spontaneity, directness, and sincerity. Ranges from tender intensity through humour and satire.

Robert Burns   is regarded as Scotland`s premier poet (and lyricist). His poetry (often bowdlerised) is probably the most anthologised after Shakespeare and he is the only poet with his own world wide celebration day {Jan 25th, his birthday}.Robert Burns was born in Alloway in 1759. He worked on his father`s farm, but spent much of his time reading and educating himself. His father insisted on employing a tutor for him and he started to write verse aged 15. When his father died in 1784, Robert and his brother Gilbert took on the farm as partners.

Robert developed a more romantic interest in poetry, and after fathering several illegitimate children, he planned to emigrate to the Indies, for a quieter life running a slave plantation. However his first collection of poetry, "Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect - the Kilmarnock Edition" was published and received great crictical acclaim. He did not emigrate, but travelled around Scotland, eventually arriving in Edinburgh, where the "Ploughman Poet" became a major celebrity. 

But he did not make a fortune out of his poetry (what`s new there?) and worked as an exciseman ( a sort of tax collector) to supplement his income. He was now a family man, having married Jean Armour, who had been one of his earlier sweethearts, bearing illegitimate twins to him.

He began to contribute to Scottish Song collections. Over 400 of these songs  (A Red, Red Rose, Ae Fond Kiss, Auld lang Syne etc, etc) are still in existence.

He died aged 37 of heart disease, on the same day as his wife Jean gave birth to his last son Maxwell.

Over 10,000 people came to pay their respects at his funeral, but it is since his death that he has become world- famous. You can find out much more simply by contacting your nearest Burns Club. There are thousands of them all over the world.

There are many interesting facts about Burns - for instance, there are only around six portraits of him which are believed to be authentic. Most pictures you will see of him are based on a portrait by Naysmith, which hangs in the Scottish Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh and has been widely copied by  other painters.