Whisky Kisses
Robert Burns Love Poem: a Red Red Rose
Robert Burns, a poor man, an educated man and a ladies man, is representative of Scotland like whiskey, haggis, bagpipes and kilts. He lived a short life for rheumatic heart disease, 1759-1796, but his life journey through poverty, informal education, disappointed love, nationalism, and literary and financial success can be identified by all Scots and common men of all world. It has become almost a national symbol of all things Scottish. His life is like a love story with a happy ending.
The poet, Robert Burns
the family of Robert Burns has raised seven children in small, rented farmland on the west coast of Scotland. The family home still stands as an attraction Tourist proud. The family park was unsuccessful and the family moved to a farm to another. Life on the farm in western Scotland was harsh and Robert worked long hours with his father.
Burn father recognized the value of education and managed to hire a local tutor for Robert. It was a very bright student, the Shakespeare domain, current poets, French, Latin, philosophy, politics, geography, theology and mathematics. His father read the Bible at night around the fire house and Robert became an expert on the Bible and a devout member of the Church.
Robert Burns wrote his first poem at 15. The poem is called "Handsome Nell" and was about his first love for a girl named Nellie Blair. Throughout his life, Burns was a charming and witty man, that attracts the attention of many women. A dozen or more women can be identified as the inspiration for several poems. Burns wrote many love poems famous including "A Red, Red Rose" and "A Fond Kiss."
Here is an excerpt from "Handsome Nell."
"O once I loved a bonnie girl,
Yes, and I love his calm
And while that virtue warms my breast,
I love my handsome Nell. "
Burns, in a comment later in this poem, stated that "never had the least thought or inclination of turning poet till I got once wholeheartedly in love, and then rhyme and song were, in a sense, the spontaneous language of my heart. "
The Turning Point
In 1786, at age 27, Robert Burns went through a major turning point in his life. He suffered an affair with Jean Armour disappointing that I was pregnant with his twin sons. The local community and Armour's father were outraged by the affair and her father rejected Burns's offer of marriage.
Discouraged and depressed, Burns made plans to leave Scotland and sail to Jamaica in the West Indies. To finance the trip, Burns submitted a volume of poetry for publication.
The publication of 612 copies of a simple, unbound volume called "Poems, chiefly in the Scottish dialect" also known as "The Kilmarnock Edition." The poems were well received in Edinburgh high society, who were delighted with the poems and amazed that a farmer poor can write so well.
So instead of planning his escape to a new world, Burns planned a trip to Edinburgh. His confident attitude, ingratiating style, and obvious wit and intelligence brought Burns popularity and admiration. Soon, a second publication of his work was executed in Edinburgh.
The growing popularity
During his stay in Edinburgh, Robert Burns met printer James Johnson, who planned a project to print all the popular songs in Scotland. This project enthralled Burns and embarked on a journey across Scotland to collect folk songs as possible. Burns collected more than 300 songs and wrote himself a few, including "A Red, Red Rose."
One result of his travels through Scotland was that Robert Burns ingratiated himself to everyone he met and rose to national prominence and popularity.
The complete songs were published by Johnson in six volumes and by George Thomson in a set of five volumes.
Another happy result of this turning point in the life of Robert Burns is that he was able to return home and marry his beloved Jean Armour, now with the blessing of his family.
Robert Burns continued to collect and write songs for the Scots Musical Museum, an anthology of traditional Scottish lyrical poems, until his untimely death from rheumatic heart disease in 1796.
A few years after his death in groups of friends of Robert Burns, and fans gathered to promote his memory and celebrate his life. In 1801, five years after his death, the groups met on the anniversary of his death, but later began to gather on the anniversary birth, in January 1925. Now there are many Burns clubs and societies who celebrate his memory with dinners, including haggis, and readings of their works.
The poem, "Red Red Rose, A"
One of the most famous songs that Robert Burns wrote for this project and first published in 1794, was "A Red, Red Rose. "Burns wrote it as a traditional ballad, four verses of four lines each.
"A Red, Red Rose" begins with a quatrain two similes. Burns compares his love with a pink flower spring and then a sweet melody. These are very popular poetic images and this is the most common stanza quoted from the poem.
The second and third stanzas become increasingly complex, ending with the metaphor of the arena "of life" or hourglass. On the one hand we are given the lasting image of his love until the seas run dry and the rocks melt with the sun, wonderfully poetic images. On the other hand Burns reminds us over time and the resulting changes. That recalls the first stanza and its image of a red rose, just born in June, we know from experience will change and deterioration over time. These are complex and competing images, typical of the more mature Robert Burns.
The final line closes the poem complexity with a farewell and a promise of return.
"A Red, Red Rose" is written as a ballad with four stanzas of four lines each. Each stanza has alternating lines of four times, or iambic, and exceeds three. The first and third lines having four iambic, consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, as in da-dah, dah-da, da-dah, da-dah. The second and fourth lines have three iambic. This form of verse is well adapted for singing or recitation and originated in the time existed on oral poetry and not written.
A Red, Red Rose
by Robert Burns
Oh, my luve like a red, red rose.
That is a newborn in June;
Oh, my luve like a melodie
That's sweetly played in tune.
Because you're beautiful, girl friend Bonnie,
So deep in luve am I;
And I'll still love you, my dear,
A'the seas dry up.
Until a "sea of dry band, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi 'the sun:
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the arena will extend o'life.
And I go WEEL my only Luve!
And fare thee WEEL a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho 'ten thousand miles away!
About the Author
Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about politics, real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is the owner of The Dating Advisor and is the National Director of Good Politics Radio.
Shooglenifty – A Whisky Kiss