Robert Burns

Robert Burns is Scotland's national poet and one of the most beloved literary figures in the world, whose songs and poems have been sung, quoted, and celebrated for more than two centuries. The Great Poets — Robert Burns collects highlights from his extraordinary body of work, including some of the most famous verses in the English language: Auld Lang Syne, sung at New Year celebrations around the world, A Red, Red Rose, one of the greatest love poems ever written, and To a Mouse, with its timeless observation that the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Burns was born in 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire, to a farming family, and his poetry drew on his experiences of rural Scottish life, his passionate love affairs, his radical political sympathies, and his deep love of Scottish language, music, and tradition. He wrote with equal brilliance in Scots dialect and standard English, and his work ranges from tender love lyrics and sharp satire to rollicking comic narratives and profound meditations on human equality and dignity. Burns Night, celebrated on his birthday of 25 January, is observed around the world with suppers featuring haggis, whisky, and readings of his poetry. Despite dying at just thirty-seven, Burns left a legacy that has shaped Scottish identity and world literature. The Great Poets — Robert Burns is available as an audiobook, offering listeners a wonderful way to hear his immortal verses brought to life.