Robert Burns was born of peasant parentage near Ayr, Scotland, on
January 25, 1759. Up to the time when he was twenty-five years old he
lived and worked on his father's farm, except for two short absences in
near-by towns. While he was very young, he formed bad habits, from which
he could never free himself, and which eventually wrecked his career. He
was frequently in love, and many of the resulting entanglements brought
him little but sorrow. In 1786, as a result of an unfortunate affair
with Jean Armour, he determined to sail for America, and in order to
raise the necessary money, published a volume of poems for which he was
paid twenty pounds. The book was received with enthusiasm and so elated
Burns with his success, that he decided to remain in Scotland. He
accepted an invitation to Edinburgh, where he was entertained royally by
literary circles. However, he was compelled to return to farming, and
after marrying Jean Armour took a tenancy at Ellisland in 1788. A little
later he was appointed exciseman, but his convivial tendencies were
undermining his health, and he found his duties hard to attend to. He
moved to Dumfries, where he died in poverty in 1796.
Burns as a writer of songs, especially of love lyrics, is unsurpassed.
He touched the depths of human passion as few have ever done, and has
made his poetry live in the hearts of the people. He is also the poet of
Scottish peasant life, the enemy of oppression and tyranny, and the
supporter of patriotism. Failure though he was from a worldly point of
view, he was more unfortunate than culpable, and deserves our pity
rather than our censure.
Carlyle's _Essay on Burns_ gives an excellent idea of the character and
work of the poet.