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Robert (Rabbie) Burns was born in Ayreshire, Scotland. He was the son of a poor Scottish farmer who despite their financial difficulties did his best to make sure that Robert had an education and learned enough to read not only in his own Scottish tongue but also English and French as well.

As he grew up into a young man Robert Burns lived a charmed and carefee style life that involved many love affairs with women and illegitmate children, though he did finally marry Jean Armour who give birth to a set of twins. In between his active love life he wrote poems and took an interest in the local Scottish folk songs. His first book published was Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect which was very much admired in literary circles of that time.

Many of Burn's poems dealt with the country life, and were drawn from the experiences around him from politics to religion and to the women he loved and left. He was also very witty and perceptive and many of his poems have the satire to prove it. Despite his love for writing poetry, Burns wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a successful farmer, but he was never able to achieve this despite pouring in the money he made from his books of his published poems. For rewriting and reviving of Scottish folks songs he refused to accept a penny and claimed it was his gift to the Scottish people. The most famous one that can be heard almost everywhere around the world is Auld Lang Syne which is traditionally sung to bring in the new year.

Robert Burns died young at the age of 37 with rheumatic heart disease, but left a legacy of Scottish life as he knew it in his many poems. Even now the Scottish people around the world celebrate on January 25, a Burns night supper, which involves eating Haggis, a tradtional Scottish fare, and drinking whisky, toasting the lassies (Scottish namefor girls) making sure this popular Scottish poet will never be forgotten.

Biography by Leeta
Submitted on 11.23.02