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Robert Burns The Scottish Bard

Deanna Leiser Eng 332 Bro. Brugger December 11, 2008

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Introduction

It is New Year‟s Eve and everyone begins the countdown to midnight: “three, two,

one...Happy New Year!” Then it comes, that old familiar song that no one actually knows.

The crowd begins singing “Auld Lang Syne” but only sings a line or two before the words

turn into indistinguishable mumbling. The forgotten words are what first piqued my interest

in Robert Burns.

History fascinates me: history of countries, of people, and especially of languages.

Robert Burns took a little piece of each and incorporated them into his poetry. He collected

Scottish folktales and folksongs and saved them from being forgotten. He wrote poetry in

English, Scots, and Scots English, preserving the old language as his country was turning

more and more to English usage. He made old things new again and restored the antique

language and stories.

We live in a fast-paced world full of technological marvels that increase efficiency,

allow us to do more work in less time, and keep us constantly plugged in to electronic

devices. Burns reminds us that we need to occasionally look back at what came before and

always remember it. What came before has made us what we are today. Familiarizing

ourselves with history, literature, and forgotten songs will enrich our lives and make our fast-

paced world more meaningful. Studying Robert Burns‟ works will bring the additional

meaning to our lives as well as add a few love poems when they are needed. If nothing else,

we will at least know all the verses (and hopefully the meaning) of the best-loved, unknown

song that comes along once a year.

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Chronology January 25, 1759 Robert Burns born in Alloway, Ayrshire to William and Agnes Burnes

1780 Organizes the Tarbolton Bachelor‟s Club

1781 Joins the Freemasons

Works as flax-dresser

1783 Begins writing Commonplace Book

1784 Father William Burnes dies

1785 Daughter Elizabeth born to Burns and Elizabeth Paton

Brother John dies

Finishes Commonplace Book

Meets Jean Armour

1786 Jean Armour gives birth to twins: Robert and Jean

Kilmarnock Poems published

1787 Daughter Jean dies

Works with James Johnson on The Scots Musical Museum – work continues

over several years

1788 Burns acknowledges Jean Armour as his wife

Jean gives birth to twin daughters; both infants die soon after birth

1789 Burns begins job as Excise (Tax) officer

1790 Brother William Dies

Tam o‟ Shanter completed

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Chronology

1791 Anne Park gives birth to daughter Elizabeth

William Nicol Burns born

Tam o‟ Shanter published

1792 Elizabeth Riddell Burns born

1795 Elizabeth Riddell Burns dies

Burns contracts rheumatic fever

July 21, 1796 Robert Burns dies

July 25, 1796 Robert Burns‟ funeral

Son Maxwell is born

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Web Sites The Scottish Government website gives biographical and literary background about Robert Burns. Also included is a guide to create a traditional Burns Supper. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/News-Extras/53 The National Burns Collection is a website created by several museums and libraries that offers extensive information about the author and access to artifacts connected to his life. Information for teachers, students, and fans is available, including listings of upcoming Burns events. http://www.burnsscotland.com/ The charity organization The National Trust for Scotland runs this website. It offers information on The Robert Burns National Heritage Park and The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, for which they also take donations. http://www.nts.org.uk/burns/ The National Library of Scotland offers an interactive website with information about the author and his works. Many paintings and illustrations are included as well as several audio files of poems/songs like “Auld Lang Syne” and “Green Grow the Rushes.” http://www.nls.uk/burns/index.htm The British Broadcasting Corporation offers a variety of information on their Robert Burns website including directions for a Burn‟s Supper, video and audio clips of poem recitations, biographical information, and historical information about the time period. http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/history/burnsnight/

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Biographical Impressions Always interested in antiquities and artifacts of the past like songs and literature, Robert

Burns kept company with men who had the same interest in history. He collaborated with

several men including James Johnson and George Thomson on their anthologies of Scottish

folk songs and literature; The Scots Musical Museum with Johnson and Select Collection of Original

Scottish Airs with Thomson. Burns worked tirelessly to collect these pieces of Scottish history

and preserve them for future generations.

In 1789, Burns met a man who would have a profound influence on him and who would

be the catalyst for Burns writing one of his most beloved poems. The author and antiquary

Francis Grose had previously published a work entitled Antiquities of England and Wales and had

traveled to Scotland to gather information and artifacts for another book. While in Scotland,

Grose and Burns were introduced and a friendship was formed.

Robert Burns attempted to persuade Grose to include the ruins of Alloway Kirk in his

published work, but it was not as grandiose or elegant as other ruins Grose had in mind. Grose

agreed to include Alloway Kirk in the publication if Burns agreed to write a story similar to the

witch legends he had related to Grose. Grose indicated that he would publish a picture of

Alloway Kirk and Burns‟ witch story side by side in his book Antiquity of Scotland. At Grose‟s

request, Robert Burns penned “Tam o‟ Shanter” which Burns based on the witch legends he

knew from childhood.

It is a tale of one man‟s encounter with witches that is both frightening and humorous.

The tale gives us a glimpse of history, of old legends, and takes us from Alloway Kirk across the

Brig o‟ Doon at break neck speeds. Because of one man‟s request for a story and Robert Burns‟

own love of history, Burns wrote one of his most critically acclaimed poems.

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Critical Interpretations

In his article, “Narrative Irony in Robert Burns‟s Tam O’Shanter,” Richard Morton

explains that the irony found in the poem stems from the incompetent narrator and is “essential

to the humorous success of the poem” (19).

Morton argues that previous critics focused on problems associated with the narrator‟s

inconsistent telling of the tale and the style of the story itself. Critics focused on either the

narrator or the narration, but did not consider both aspects of the poem. He argues that the

tension between the narration and the narrator who often interjects his own thoughts and asides

is critical to the irony and humor of the poem. Morton explained that the narrator is often

concerned with the moral of the story; however the “story is morally neutral” (13). This

discrepancy between the morally neutral tale and the narrator who attempts to interject a moral

contributes to the irony of the poem. This discrepancy and the addition of the “stylistic

incongruity” complete the irony (15).

The incongruity in style is seen by the dichotomy of formal and informal writing

throughout the narrative. When the narrator speaks about the moral aspects of the story he is

telling, he speaks in generalities and uses imprecise imagery in his narration. In the active

narration when the plot is furthered, the imagery is vivid and the action is clear. Morton states

that the stylistic change from the “sublime to the commonplace--is a notable feature of the style

of the poem” (18).

The irony and humor of the poem as a result of the narrator and change in style

continues to the end of the poem. The narrator attempts to end with a moral view of the story

but the reader is left with a visual image of a tailless horse which produces laughter, not a desire

to improve one‟s moral behavior.

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Critical Interpretations

John C. Weston compared the contradictions and divisions of the narrator in Burn‟s

Tam O’ Shanter to contradictions and divisions found in the author himself. In his article

entitled, “The Narrator of Tam O’ Shanter,” Weston argued that the narrator was an

“exaggerated version” of Robert Burns and was divided in a “very Scottish way” (538). He

explained that the narrator was caught between “social hedonism” and “moral

responsibility” as well as the Scots and English languages (539). Although the narrator‟s

dichotomy of character was exaggerated, similarities can be found in Burns. Weston stated

that Burns had “a mind split by contrary attitudes to life” (540).

John Weston gave several examples of contradictions in thought that Burns

expressed in letters and poems he wrote throughout his life that showed the disparity

between “indulgence and duty” that he experienced (543). Weston continued to compare

Burns to the dichotomies found in Tam O’ Shanter‟s narrator. The most prominent example

showed the narrator was torn between the pleasure values of drinking, song, and dance

associated with Tam and his wife Kate‟s moral values of responsibility and holding to

religious beliefs (545). In examining Burn‟s life, a similar dichotomy was found between his

moral beliefs and love for his wife, and his extramarital affairs and illegitimate children.

During a time when many authors turned to the English language, Burns combined Scots

and Scot English. This mixture of languages found in Tam O’ Shanter is also found in many

other poems he penned.

Weston showed there are many similarities between Robert Burns and the narrator of

Tam O’ Shanter, and these similarities reside in their contradictory natures and complex views.

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Critical Interpretations

“Burns‟ “Tale o‟ Truth”: A Legend in Literature” explored the origins of Tam O’

Shanter in local folklore and legends in Robert Burns‟ Scotland. In her article, Mary Ellen B.

Lewis explained that the poem was written in response to author Francis Grose‟s visit to

Ayrshire. Grose was preparing to publish Antiquities of Scotland, and Burns advised him of

the ruins and buildings in the surrounding area that Grose should consider including in his

book. Burns suggested Alloway Kirk and Brig „o Doon among others and later told Grose

of several local legends and witch stories of the area.

One of the witch stories he related to Grose contained the basic plot line later used in

Tam O’ Shanter, including the setting in Alloway Kirk, the gathering of the witches, and the

horse losing its tail. Lewis stated that Tam O’ Shanter is part legend and part oral folktale, and

stems from the local legends with which Robert Burns was familiar. Although many details

of the plot come from local legend, Burns contributed greatly to the story. The

introduction, pub setting, and moral comments are Burn‟s, as are the minute details of the

witches‟ gathering. Burns took a basic witch legend and with his creativity and poetic gift,

created a new and exciting legend.

Lewis also explained that Burns included elements of oral storytelling. He included

comments on morality, and used a narrator who interrupts his own storytelling with personal

comments, which creates suspense and dramatic pauses in the narrative. By combining

aspects of both oral storytelling and local legends, Robert Burns created a unique and

intriguing story fit to be told around any fireplace.

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Critical Interpretations Robert Crawford, in his chapter entitled “Robert Fergusson‟s Robert Burns,”

examined Robert Burns‟ Tam O’ Shanter as it related to gender, specifically how the poem

focuses on the fraternity spirit and masculine power that permeates the poem. Crawford

stated that Tam is “a poem about gender, gender roles and sexuality” (16). The poem

celebrates male power and domination while subverting the female.

The male characters in the poem are connected like a fraternity or brotherhood in the

pub setting. After a hard day‟s work, all the men gather to drink and tell stories, and escape

their wives. The pub is a jovial setting that includes a blazing fire, plenty of alcohol, and

good stories. The fraternity setting is given positive attributes while the home setting is

given negative attributes. Tam‟s wife is portrayed in a negative light as she nags her

husband, calls him names, and discourages the overtly male behavior in the pub. Crawford

explained that this negativity towards the wife “mocks the feminine” (16).

Crawford stated that the poem deals with a female figure challenging a male, and the

male always wins. Tam risks losing his masculine power to alcohol and the witches, as his

wife predicted, but ironically wins the battle with the help from his female horse. Tam needs

her help to escape the witches, but he is still in control of her through saddle and bridle.

According to Crawford, even though Tam cannot win without female assistance, it is the

female who is punished in the end. Tam escapes without injury but his horse loses her tail

for his misdeeds. In the end, Crawford explained, Tam is victorious over the witches by his

escape and is victorious over his wife because he does not fall victim to her prophesies. The

male keeps his power and the woman remains subverted.

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Principal Critics

J. DeLancey Ferguson is the author of several books on Robert Burns including Pride

and Passion and The Letters of Robert Burns. He has researched the Scottish Bard extensively

and has written many articles on Burns and his poetry in addition to his books. Pride and

Passion deals with Burn‟s life and the influences on his writings such as Scotland‟s history,

Burn‟s family and friends, and the songs and folktales he loved and worked with. The Letters

of Robert Burns is a compilation of letters from and about the author giving details of his life

and works.

Robert Crawford is one of the authors, as well as the editor of Robert Burns & Cultural

Authority, Heaven-Taught Fergusson: Robert Burns’s Favourite Scottish Poet (editor), and is currently

writing a biography of Robert Burns entitled The Bard that will be published in 2009.

Crawford is currently a Professor of Modern Scottish Literature at the University of St

Andrews in Scotland.

Thomas Crawford is the author of Burns: A Study of the Poems and Songs.

Unfortunately, more information on this author could not be found. He is included in this

list because his work is referenced in all the articles used in researching for this project.

All three authors/scholars listed here have published works on Robert Burns that are

continually referenced in professional journals, articles, and books about the poet.

Collectively, they have performed extensive research into Burn‟s background and written

work. They have examined original documents and primary sources, which give them

greater authority on their chosen topic. Their years of experience, exhaustive research, and

multiple publications make them recognizable as experts in their fields.

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Creative Response

Tam O‟ Shanter – The Movie

David Tennant as Tam O‟ Shanter Brian Cox as the Narrator Miranda Richardson as Nannie (Cutty-sark) the witch Emily Mortimer as Kate

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Creative Response EXT. BURNES PUB - NIGHT.

View through the glass paned window shows pub full of patrons,

all gathered around large fireplace, drinks in hand. All faces

turned expectantly toward Narrator. Camera moves in through

glass to the interior of the pub.

INT. BURNES PUB - NIGHT.

NARRATOR

When chapman billies leave the

street, And drouthy neebors

neebors meet, As market-days

are wearing late, An’ fold

begin to tak the gate; While we

sit bousing at the nappy,

Bar patrons lift their drinks and give a raucous cheer.

NARRATOR CON’T

And getting fou and unco happy,

We think na on the lang Scots

miles, The mosses, waters,

slaps, and styles, That lie

between us and our hame, Whare

sits our sulky sullen dame,

Gathering her brows like

gathering storm, Nursing her

wrath to keep it warm.

Narrator moves around patrons attempting to set the eerie mood

of the upcoming tale.

NARRATOR

This truth fand honest Tam o’

Shanter, As he frae Ayr ae

night did canter,

EXT. DIRT ROAD, AYR, SCOTLAND - NIGHT

Tam o’ Shanter rides his horse down the road to the pub. The

night sky is filled with eerie clouds, thunder, and lightning.

He stops at the pub, ties his horse, enters, and joins his

brothers in drink.

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Creative Response

NARRATOR CON’T (V.O.)

Auld Ayr, wham ne’er a town

surpasses, For honest men and

bonny lasses!

INT. BURNES PUB - NIGHT.

Narrator stops the tale, and speaks directly to the patrons as

if each one were Tam.

NARRATOR CON’T

O Tam! hadst thou but been sae

wise, As ta’en thy ain wife

Kate’s advice! She tauld thee

weel thou was a skellum, A

blethering, blustering, drunken

blellum;

INT. O’ SHANTER HOUSE - EVENING

Kate O’Shanter is yelling, ranting, and raving at Tam. Her

tirade is heard in bits and pieces as the narrator continues his

tale.

NARRATOR CON’T (V.O.)

That frae November till

October, Ae market-day thou was

nae sober

KATE

...a blethering, blustering,

drunken blellum

NARRATOR CON’T (V.O.)

That ilka melder, wi’ the

miller, Thou sat as lang as

thou had siller;

KATE

...found drown’d in Doon; Or

catch’d wi’ warlocks by

Alloway’s kirk!

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Creative Response

NARRATOR CON’T (V.O.)

That every naig was ca’d a shoe

on, The smith and thee gat

roaring fou on; That at the

Lord’s house, even on Sunday,

Thou drank wi’ Kirkton Jean

till Monday. She prophesied

that late or soon, Though would

be found deep drown’d in Doon;

Or catch’d wi’ warlocks in the

mirk, By Alloway’s auld haunted

kirk.

The film opens with the pub scene and the narrator beginning his tale of witches and

horror. As he continues the story, the scene changes from showing the narrator in the pub

to Tam‟s experience with the narration in voice over. Once Tam escapes the witches and

Meg‟s tail is lost, the film shifts back to the pub and the narrator ends his tale with the last

stanza, satirically driving home the moral of the story to the already drunk pub patrons.

Note on cinematography: The pub scenes are flooded with warm colors and light

from candles and the large fireplace. During the Tam sequences, the colors are muted,

moody, and resemble the dark colors of the impending storm. The only bright colors appear

during the witch dance, where many passion colors such as red and purple are used.

Tam O‟ Shanter painting by John Faed. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland.

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Annotated Works Cited Crawford, Robert. “Robert Fergusson‟s Robert Burns.” Robert Burns & Cultural Authority.

Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1997. 16-20.

This is a compilation of several articles/chapters regarding Robert Burns and cultural

influences.

---. St Andrews University. 9 Dec. 2008

<http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/english/staff/crawford/>

Robert Crawford‟s employee home page for St Andrews University.

Duyckinick, Evert A. Portrait Gallery of Eminent Men and Women in Europe and America.

New York: Johnson, Wilson & Company, 1873.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Robert_Burns_1.jpg>

This is the Wikipedia page for the graphic on the title page.

Faed, John. Tam o’ Shanter painting. National Library of Scotland. 9 Dec. 2008

<http://www.nls.uk/burns/mainsite/tam/tam.htm>

This is the website source for the Tam o’ Shanter painting.

Ferguson, DeLancey. Pride and Passion. New York: Russell & Russell Inc. 1964.

DeLancey Ferguson discusses Burns‟s life history, relationships, and written work.

Internet Movie Database. Photographs of actors. 9 Dec. 2008 <

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2635109888/nm0855039

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3616774400/nm0004051

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1144822272/nm0001669

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2255723008/nm0607865>

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Lewis, Mary Ellen B. “Burns‟ “Tale O‟ Truth”: A Legend in Literature.” Journal of the

Folklore Institute. 13:3 (1976) 241-262. JSTOR. McKay Library., BYU-Idaho. 28

Nov. 2008 < http://www.jstor.org/stable/3814128>

Mary Ellen Lewis discusses the origins of Tam o’ Shanter.

Morton, Richard. “Narrative Irony in Robert Burns‟s Tam O’ Shanter.” Modern Language

Quarterly. 22:1 (1961). 28 Nov. 2008

<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=10053424&sit

e=ehost-live>

Richard Morton argues that the irony in Tam o’ Shanter results from the narrator not

the narrative.

Weston, John C. “The Narrator of Tam O’ Shanter.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900.

8:3 (Summer, 1968) 537-550. JSTOR. McKay Library., BYU-Idaho. 11 Dec. 2008 <

http://www.jstor.org/stable/449618>

John Weston compares Robert Burns to the narrator of Tam o’ Shanter.