An Essay on the Life and Genius of Robert BurnsJ. M'kie, 1887 - 64 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
addressed Airts auld Ayrshire baith became blaw bonnie lassies brother Gilbert Burns's Carlyle cauld chiel Christ's Clarinda club Cotter's Saturday Night Creech de'il dear death districts Doonholm drink drunk Dugald Dugald Stewart Dumfries Dunlop Earl of Glencairn Edinburgh edition Ellisland Ettrick Shepherd exciseman fair farewell father favoured feel fell Gavin Hamilton GENIUS OF ROBERT gi'e Glencairn Gordon Castle hame heart honest human January 25th Jean Jean's KILMARNOCK Kincardineshire Kirkoswald lass letter Lochlea Lockhart Lord Mary Mauchline maun mind months Mossgiel Mount Oliphant Murdoch muse natural ne'er never passion pleasure poems poet poet's poetical poor returned rhyme ROBERT BURNS sang says Scotia's Scots wha hae Scottish Shairp Sir Walter Scott song soon soul sympathy Tarbolton tells thee THOMAS HUTCHINSON Thomson thou thought tour verse weel wha hae wife writing wrote young
Popular passages
Page 10 - Is there a man, whose judgment clear Can others teach the course to steer, Yet runs, himself, life's mad career, Wild as the wave ; Here pause— and, through the starting tear, Survey this grave. The poor inhabitant below Was quick to learn, and wise to know, And keenly felt the friendly glow, And softer flame ; But thoughtless follies laid him low, And stain'd his name...
Page 47 - Wha will be a traitor knave? Wha can fill a coward's grave? Wha sae base as be a slave? Let him turn and flee! Wha for Scotland's king and law Freedom's sword will strongly draw, Freeman stand or freeman fa', Let him follow me!
Page 10 - tis He alone Decidedly can try us, He knows each chord — its various tone, Each spring — its various bias : Then at the balance let's be mute, We never can adjust it; What's done we partly may compute, But know not what's resisted.
Page 23 - And wi' the lave ilk merry morn Could rank my rig and lass, Still shearing, and clearing The tither stocked raw, Wi' claivers, an' haivers, Wearing the day awa : Ev'n then a wish, (I mind its power,) A wish that to my latest hour Shall strongly heave my breast ; That I for poor auld Scotland's sake, Some usefu' plan, or beuk could make, Or sing a sang at least.
Page 32 - To leave the bonnie banks of Ayr. Farewell, old Coila's hills and dales, Her heathy moors and winding vales ; The scenes where wretched fancy roves, Pursuing past, unhappy loves ! Farewell, my friends ! Farewell, my foes ! My peace with these, my love with those — The bursting tears my heart declare ; Farewell, the bonnie banks of Ayr 1 THE FAREWELL.
Page 52 - I'd shelter thee, I'd shelter thee. Or did misfortune's bitter storms Around thee blaw, around thee blaw. Thy bield l should be my bosom, To share it a', to share it a'.
Page 36 - Caledonia ! stern and wild, meet nurse for a poetic child, • land of brown heath and shaggy wood, land of the mountain and the flood, land of my sires!
Page 40 - There was a strong expression of sense and shrewdness in all his lineaments ; the eye alone, I think, indicated the poetical character and temperament. It was large, and of a dark cast, and glowed (I say literally glowed) when he spoke with feeling or interest.
Page 49 - Our toils obscure an' a' that, The rank is but the guinea's stamp, The Man's the gowd for a' that. What though on hamely fare we dine, Wear hoddin grey, an' a that; Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine; A Man's a Man for a
Page 49 - Is there, for honest poverty, That hangs his head, and a' that ? The coward slave — we pass him by, We dare be poor for a