Доклад: Robert Burns

Доклад: Robert Burns

"ROBERT BURNS, the BARD of SCOTLAND"

(1739 - 1796)

His father W. Burns was a hardworking farmer. He knew the value of a good

education and he was determined to give his children the best schooling

possible.

There were 7 children in the family and Robert was the eldest. When he was 6

his father sent him to school to Alloway. His mother's friend Betty told him

many fantastic tales about devils, ghosts, fairies and witches.

At 13 he was out in the fields all day helping his father, and he studied

nature closely and following the plough, he whistled and sang. In his songs

he spoke of what he saw, of the woods, the fields, the valleys, of the deer,

of the hare and the small field mouse, of the farmer's poor cottage home.

Burns began to write poetry in his l6th. His first love song "Handsome Nell"

was dedicated to the girl who helped him in the harvest fields.

Life was hard for the family. His father died 1784. In 1788 Burns married

Jean Armour she is immortalized in many beautiful poems written by the poet,

such as " I LOVE MY JEAN ", " THY BONNIE FACE".

Robert and Jean continued meeting secretly and Robert gave Jean a paper

declaring them man and wife. When Jean's father learned about it, he tore the

paper up and forbade his daughter to see Robert. Jean obeyed and Robert being

offended by it, swore never to see her again.

One of the finest poems widely popular in Scotland "TAH O'SHANTER' was

written in 1790. 1793 saw the appearance of the "TREE OF LIBERTY" in which

R. Burns greeted the French Revolution but the poem was published only 40

years after Burn's death.

All of R. Burn's poetry shows him to be one of great masters of lyrical

verse, warm patriot of his native country. He had always stood for liberty,

equality, justice and honesty. His poetry is deeply democratic and full of

criticism directed against the landlords, the government officials.

Our reader finds pleasure in reading Burn's poems and songs in the wonderful

translation of Samuel Marshak.

Whenever we speak of Scotland, the name of Scotland's Bard R.Burns is always

there, as the ever-living, never-dying symbol of that country.