Customer Reviews (1)

Comprehensive collection of his work
This book contains all Robert's poems, including epitaphs, plus all his song lyrics, but not the sheet music, because he did not compose any music. Of course, there is one song of his, Auld lang syne, which is extremely well known, although not many people are aware that he was its writer. This is not a biography, though some brief historical details are provided. If you want an in-depth biography, you must look elsewhere.

Robert Burns wrote about every topic you could imagine- love, nature, politics, people, anything that was topical in the late eighteenth century. Among the most famous poems are A red red rose (including the line Till a' the seas gang dry my dear), To a louse (including the line O wad the Power some giftie gie us) and To a mouse (including the line The best laid schemes o' mice and men).

The poems and songs are presented chronologically in the order of date written. Personally, I would have preferred the book divided into chapter, with each chapter covering a different theme, but it doesn't really matter. There is an index of first lines as well as an index of titles.

A glossary is provided to allow translation from Scottish to English. People sometimes joke that Britain and America are two countries separated by a common language, but this glossary is a reminder that the same can be said about Scotland and England. I cannot say how easy or difficult you will find the dialect. I was born of Scottish parents so I learned a bit as a child even though I was raised in England. Hopefully, you will most of it reasonably straightforward with a bit of practice. The quality of the poetry makes it well worth the effort.

Within the main book, at the bottom of each page, footnotes are provided to set the context of the poem or song where this is deemed useful. For example, Ballad of the American war has footnotes giving brief details of events between 1775 and 1784, so you will immediately realise that the poem doesn't just focus on the war itself, but also its aftermath. ... Read more

Book Description
The most essential of the immortal poems and songs of Scotland's beloved national bard are collected in this volume.

With the publication of his first book of poems in 1786, Robert Burns—the twenty-seven-year-old son of a farmer—became a national celebrity, hailed as the "Ploughman Poet."When he died ten years later, ten thousand people came to pay their respects at his funeral, and in the two centuries since then he has inspired a cultlike following among Scots and poetry lovers around the world.

A pioneer of the Romantic movement, Burns wrote in a light Scots dialect with brio, emotional directness, and wit, drawing on classical and English literary traditions as well as Scottish folklore—and leaving a timeless legacy.All of his most famous lyrics and poems are here, from "A Red, Red Rose," "To a Mouse," and "To a Louse" to Tam o'Shanter, "Holy Willie's Prayer," and "Auld Lang Syne." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The other Bard
Robert Burns may not be well known outside of Scotland, but he certainly deserves to be. Sadly, Burns too often gets shoved aside to make room for the English Romantic heavywieghts like Bryon, Blake, Shelley, Keats and Wordsworth, and if he does get mentioned in an anthology or classroom, it's usually as some curious footnote about the "renewed appreciation for the common man" that many Romantics extolled. This is a great disservice, and not just to Burns, who, as any good Scot would tell you, was enough of an influence on those English Romantics that the movement would have looked very difference without him. It is a disservice also readers and students of poetry who are entitled to more honest history about the evolution of the poetic art form in English.

The irony here is that Burns was Scottish, and, to correct what another reviewer said, he did not write in English - especially "old English." For starters, Burns lived in the second half of the 18th century - that makes him a modern. Furthermore, he wrote very intentionally (and with great passion) in *Scots.* The Scots language is a bit of a linguistic conundrum concerning what makes a dialect a dialect versus a completely different language. Suffice to say, it's not English, or at least not any English most English speakers would recognize. It does possess Germanic qualities that are parallel to English, but it also has many holdovers from Norse and Gealic languages both in vocabulary and syntax which are unique to it. This distinction needs to be understood, for the reader's sake as well as for Burns, whose usage of Scots as opposed to English or a more Anglicized form Scots was a point of national and ethnic pride. Indeed, Burns was quite the Romantic.

The glossary of Scots words in this volume is rather limited, but even a more thorough Scots dictionary may not always help you. Burns, who is called sometimes "the Bard" in his native Scotland, is liken to that other Bard - he was never shy about using poetic license and would gladly bend the rules of his own tongue if it served his creative goals. Of course, that's part of Burns' genius, even if it can be infuriating for a novice reader, just as with Shakespeare. But with some patience and effort, you will find that Burns' poetry is not only readable but quite accessible and enchanting, even if you don't always know what every line's suppose to mean.

Despite the language issue, one thing is readily understood about Burns' poetry - it is some of the most spirited and passionate poetry you are likely to find anywhere. Some of his poetry may strike you, the post-modern reader, as a bit naive - especially some of his political poetry - but you cannot deny that Burns, who sadly died too young, was in life a hearty, virile lad eager to experience all the intellectual and sensual pursuits to their fullest. You know this because that's how he wrote. Poetry for Burns was an exaltation of life itself, from the grand idealism of revolutionaries to the most commonplace things such as field mice, to the loveliness of sex and the company of women (of which Burns was quite fond) and the sensual wonder of whisky and food (again, much fondness) to inspiring richness of all things Scottish.

It would seem that if Burns saw it, thought it or felt it, it was worthy to be immortalized in poetry. Moreover, he earnestly endeavored to do just that. Thankfully, he also had the poetic talents to pull it off in a stunningly graceful manner that will right your dry, academic impressions of all those overly lauded English Romantics that came after him as well as infuse you a fair bit of that Romantic wonder and awe.

Hopefully I have piqued your curiosity, and if so, get this book. As with all the volumes in the Pocket Poets series, it's inexpensive, well-bound, concise without being too narrow, and of a small, unimposing size that makes it ideal for either casual reading or for some quick yet stimulating diversion while traveling or communting. Or if you really want to be a Romantic about it, take with you to your local cafe or pub and read through some poems while you partake in the delights of food, drink and the world around you.

An edition good enough for gift giving
This book is purse or pocket sized.It has the convenience of a paperback with the quality of a hardback.It is a dark green book with a matching built in silk bookmark.The paper is of good quality.

The sections of this book are as follows: FOLK-TALES FOR AN ENLIGHTENED AGE, RELIGIOUS SENTIMENT AND SATIRE, CONTEMPORARY POLITICS, LOVE AND SEX, SCOTTISH CULTURAL HISTORY, and OCCASIONAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL VERSE.The book also contains a select Scots glossary and an index to the first lines of the poems.

The glossary is helpful. I find this book difficult to read due to the old English that was used when this was written.I do enjoy the poems, but I have to work at it though.I can not just carelessly float through the text.I struggle, but it's the challenge and the struggle that makes the reward all the more satisfying when I do get there. ... Read more

Product Description
Robert Burns, the most celebrated of all Scottish poets, is remembered with great devotion - his birthday on 25th January provokes fervour and festivity among Scots and many others the world over. Born in 1759 into miserable rustic poverty, by the age of eighteen Burns had acquired a good knowledge of both classical and English literature. In June 1786 his first collection of verse, Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, which included To a Mouse and The Cotter's Saturday Night, was greeted with huge acclaim by all classes of society. His later poems and ballads include Auld Lang Syne, the beautiful song My Love is like a Red Red Rose, Highland Mary, Scots Wha Hae and his masterpiece, Tam o'Shanter. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

A most beloved Burns
There are few poets more beloved than Burns. His lyrics and his songs were even in his lifetime celebrated and loved. They reflect his own passionate and perhaps often too loving nature. The story of the country Scots' boy whose writing fame led him to dissipation in Edinburgh is also the story of a great lover( His wife Jean Armour and Mary Campbell were the two most famous)
and celebrator of that love.
Many of his lines live in the everyday life and mind of English speakers everywhere. New Years Day is the day of his 'Auld Lang Syne' and most of us have known the wisdom given in his 'To a Mouse'( The best laid schemes o'mice an men, Gang aft agley, An lea'e us nought but grief an pain, For promised joy.)
Poetic anthologies of English verse unfailingly contain samples of his work. Among the most well- known are ( O My Luve is like a red, red rose, that's newly sprung in June: O my luve is like the melodie, That's sweetly played in tune.) and (Flow gently ,sweet Afton.Among thy green braes, Flow gently , I'll ing thee a song in thy praise; ).
The Scots may be difficult at times, but the poems are direct, simple , clear and powerful in feeling. ... Read more

Book Description
One of the greatest poets of all time Robert Burns was a well known singer in his day, very popular with the ladies. Burns wrote Auld Lang Syne. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Beloved Scot
The essential book on Scotlands most famous and favouritre son in large and easy to read print. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. ... Read more

Book Description
An edition of 40, of Burns' songs, concentrating on his work in the Scots (or Lallans) language. Although some were originally published more than 200 years ago, many were actually older, already existing folk songs which he rewrote in his inimitable style. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

the scottish songs of robert burns
A good, simple and easy to follow collection of Robert Burns' favorite tunes.The simple melody line is given; print and scores are easy to read.A nice size if one is using them for a sing-a-long. ... Read more

Book Description
Let other poets raise a fracas
'Bout vines, an' wines, an' drucken Bacchus,
An' crabbit names an' stories wrack us,
An' grate our lug:
I sing the juice Scotch bear can mak us,
In glass or jug.
--from "Scotch Drink"

Customer Reviews (4)

A Collector's Poetry Book
Sure, most Robert Burns poems are on the `Net.Sure, we can look them up, print them out, and then recycle them.But what if you are at home, with no computer on, or in the park, or in a bus or train or plane? This is a smooth, slim, handsome volume, with a purple picture of a thistle on the cover and a ribbon placeholder inside.This is a book of poems for the ages--familiar, resonant, humorous, and ready.

Man I love this Cat!!!!!!!!
This is the best volume you'll find of the poetry of the great Bobby Burns (1759-1796). What's so great about this guy is that his poetry is never really sad or whiny like, well just about everybody else, but his poetry is really happy and merry; just a song you sing while drinking scotch. Another thing is that Burns is just the voice of Scotland. His poems in the Scottish dialect are nothing short of delightful like one of my favorites of his, A Red, Red Rose
Oh my luve is like a red, red rose ,
That's newly sprung in June
Oh my luve is like a melodie
That's sweetly played in tune
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I,
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun!
And I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only luve,
And fare thee weel awile!
And I will come again, my luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile!

Scotland's lyric genius
Burns is a legendary lyric poet whose Scots verses inspired Wordsworth and Coleridge. A number of his poems and songs, "Auld Lang Syne" " To a Mousie" "Tam O'Shanter" " A man's a man for a that" are among the most well- known in the language.
Burns bright star burned briefly, and his life was filled with passionate and romantic loves about which he wrote some of his greatest poems. " My love is like a red red rose" is perhaps the most well-known of these.
In brief lines he expressed a great range of feeling, from satirical to humorous to tender and loving.
Here are the concluding verses of one of his signature poems, "To a Mousie"
But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes o mice an men
Gang aft agley,
An lea'e us nought but grief an pain,
For promis'd joy!

Still thou art blest, compar'd wi me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An forward, tho I canna see,
I guess an fear!

Burns Is Still On Fire
Robert Burns was and still is the greatest Scottish poet to ever live. This book takes you deep inside the mind of the Scots and makes you feellike one yourself.A perfect selection of literature, it is sure to beamong your favorite bedside books. Buy it!!! ... Read more

Book Description
This important book charts the development of philosophical thinking about history over the past 250 years, combining extracts from key texts with new explanatory and critical discussion. The book is designed to make the work of thinkers such as Hume, Herder, Hegel, Dilthey, Nietzsche, Heidegger and Foucault accessible to students with no prior knowledge of Western philosophy.An introductory section is followed by nine further chapters exploring contrasting schools of thought. The volume reveals the origins of contemporary trends in the discipline and relates wider philosophical reflections to the study of history itself. It also points to connections between philosophy of history and literary and cultural theory which have developed in recent decades. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Canongate has one "n"(see review below)
One of the reviewers below suggests the general level of critics of this book in apparently not knowing how to spell the name of the press.

The Canongate Burns has many typographical errors and should not be used as the only source one has of Burns's texts.It has, however, admirable notes outlining Burns's political writings of his last years.Several probable new works by Burns have been uncovered by the authors (and they are clearly labeled as works that appeared anonymously or under pseudonyms in newspapers).

In bringing Burns out of the shadows of "Holy Willie" self-righteousness and bardolatry,this edition is much to be commended.James Kinsley (The Oxford Standard authors) is to be preferred as your popular text of the poems, but if you want to know more and are truly interested in Burns and the political contexts in which he wrote, the Canongate Burns is an inimitable gloss on Burns as a person and on the ideas behind the poetry.

Poppycock
The Cannongate Burns has been thoroughly debunked as rubbish of the highest order by legitimate Burns scholars both in the US and Scotland.Three of the most predominate scholars of Burns who have disavowed not only the total lack of scholarship in the book but the obvious absolute disregard of research and validation of their facts by both Noble and Hogg are Ross Roy, Professor emeritus atThe University of South Carolina and recognized as one of the world's most knowledgeable Burns scholars,Gerard Carruthers,member of the Association for Scottish Literary Studies (member of council); Scottish Catholic Historical Association; Newman Association (Chair of Glasgow Circle); and the Eighteenth Century Scottish Studies Society as well as a lecturing professor of English Studies at the University of Glasgow and Dr. James A. Mackay author of the 1992 Saltire Literary Award winning 'Burns' A biography of Robert Burns which is today recognized as the diffinative Burns biography of the 20th century and who is considered among world's foremost Burns Scholars.I am sorry that readers have been taken in by the trash called the Cannongate Burns but there it is. Shirley Kacmarik

An affordable, provocative edition
This is an exciting edition which I, as a beginning reader of Burns, find myself picking up again and again. In offering the reader a radical Burns, rather than the folksy popular bard, editors Noble and Hogg bring clarity to the image of the poet, though I sometimes worry that it's a false clarity. Their desire to replace the porchiness of the old image with one of radical potency comes through in a sentence like this, describing Burns's challenge to the conservative pro-Hanoverian establishment: "They were faced with someone hyper-literate, fecundly allusive to a degree far beyond their powers in canonical literary and biblical tradition, who could not only talk their pants off but, it was feared, those of their wives and daughters as well" (lii). Burns thereby gets turned into a Jacobinic superhero who had the aristocracy secretly shaking in their boots. This seems like a bit of critical wish-fulfillment. Though hardly unknown, Burns did not have the celebrity that Scott would later have.

Perhaps just as problematic, their repeated aligning of Burns with Romantic poets like Wordsworth implies that Burns was a self-originating genius. While Noble and Hogg offer a magisterial indictment of Burns's posthumous de-politicization which anyone interested in the period should read, they spend far less time commenting on his much more obscure 18th-century sources. While they discuss the contemporary historical situation of Scotland well, they offer no information at all about dialect verse, a tradition which after all Burns did not invent in that country. Beneath it all seems to be an almost impossible desire to define Burns as a "national" poet while avoiding anything that might wall him into an "ethnic" tradition.

Despite these Romantic overtones, Noble and Hogg want to position Burns as part of the radical Enlightenment. And the editors' resuscitation of this legacy restores a sense of excitement not only to Burns, but also to the entire period. It's hard not to relish the combative tone with which they hold up Byron's Jacobinism for comparison, even though it seems facile and perhaps wrong: "Was the mine-owning self-dramatizing aristocrat ever under the cosh in the way Burns was? Is individual nihilism of the Byron, Baudelaire variety the necessary prelude to utopian change?" (xci) Their editorial strategies are also innovative; I appreciate the bold decision to append their interpretations after each poem, rather than in the traditional hard-to-reach, tiny-font footnote, or in the old headnote that meekly pretends to "frame" the ensuing poem. These discussions helped to clarify some of the difficult poems, as well as offering something to contend with. All in all, this is among my favorite editions of a major poet, even though I might question some of its methods.

Excellent work
This is an excellent compilation of Burns' work, including many poems that were previously unpublished, unpublished in English language compilations or published under Burns' pseudonyms. The annotations, translations, and commentary are both helpful in understanding and interpreting this evocative and beautiful cornerstone of modern Scottish culture

Excellent work
This is an excellent compilation of Burns' work, including many poems that were previously unpublished, unpublished in English language compilations or published under Burns' pseudonyms. The annotations, translations, and commentary are both helpful in understanding and interpreting this evocative and beautiful cornerstone of modern Scottish culture ... Read more

Book Description
Every instruction you need to enjoy or arrange a Burns Supper just add food, drink and friends. Robert Burns is Scotlands second greatest gift to civilisation (after whiskey) and his poetry is rightly celebrated across the globe. The odds are youll be invited to a Burns Supper Night at some point in your life (probably in late January) and you may even want to host a Supper of your own. Whatever the case, this book will provide you with all the information you need to make sure your Burns Supper is a great event enjoyed by all. Clark McGinn, one of the foremost Burns Supper speakers in the world, presents the Ultimate Guide to the Burns Supper. Containing all the information you need to enjoy a Supper, whether as host, speaker or guest, this book is full of advice, anecdotes, poetry and wit. Contains: A complete run through of what to expect on the night, with a list of courses and speeches; Advice on what to wear; A section on how to prepare and present speeches; A list of common Burns Supper questions (and their answers!); A selection of Burns greatest poems, including a full English verse translation of the Address to a Haggis; Answers to your worries about eating haggis and drinking whiskey ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Amazing!
This is a reprint of the 1855 Allan Cunningham's The complete works of Robert Burns: containing his poems, songs, and correspondence.Not just any reprint, I really likewhat the University of Michigan has done, they have imaged the pages from the original manuscript and reproduced them here.Absolutely amazing work! ... Read more

Book Description
EVERYMAN'S POETRY LIBRARY: This new series of the world'sgreatest poetry features the hallmarks of Everyman Classics: top-qualityproduction and reader-friendly design along with helpful notes andcritiques. Each edition is also a great value, especially for thosereaders beginning to explore the work of this remarkable poet. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Burns book of poetry to set off your favorite reading chair!
Robert Burns: The Tinder Heart

This hard cover book encompasses every thought of the "ploughman poet." His eloquent words roll from your tongue so it is better to read aloud his verse in order to catch much of his meaning. If you choose to read silently, allow the words to envelop your imagination within your mind. Many a night I love to sit and read then think about his words. Thankfully, the editors put it into alphabetical order so that Robert Burns poetry turns into a mixture of his thoughts rather than his tender words of love in one section, his political philosophy in another and then just a romp of fun in another. His fierce Scottish loyalty resounds from each of his words in such poems as "Scots Wha Hae." Many people consider "Ae Fond Farewell" or "A Red, Red Rose" to be the most wonderful of Burns love prose but to me "Afton Water" speaks of his true love in life. Be sure to read "Tam O'Shanter: A Tale" aloud in order to feel the rhythm within this great piece of fun and poetic verse.

Have fun, enjoy but by all means, purchase this book and show it off proudly on a table by your favorite reading chair. It's too beautifully bound to be put on the shelf and catch dust!

Beautiful Burns Book
This book is what I reach for before I go to sleep, have always loved poetry & tend to read when I seek solace. Love this Robert Burns book, very nicely done, reasonable price, if you have never given Burns a try & wish to expand your reading list, this would be an excellent addition. Also as a nice gift it is a kind & thoughtful book to share with others.

no definitions
The other evaluators of this book must have read a different book!This is a beautiful, hardcover book with a vast assortment of Burns' poetry; however, there are no definitions in the margin.There is a glossary in the back, but I bought this book believing that the definitions were listed with each poem (thereby making them easier to read), and they are not.

Toom your pocks an' put this beuk in't
I need Burns beside me as I live life, and this is a great one-volume collection of his greatest works in a convenient format. Glossed well; you won't have to use an index at the back of the book. Here's tae ye, Rabbie!

Great! Brief definitions in margin facilitate understanding.
Robert Burns uses a lot of Scots words, but any word you don't understand is defined in this edition in the margin right alongside the poem. So reading is smooth and very enjoyable. A great introduction to Robert Burns,and a good companionto other volumes. "Cutty Sark" means skimpypetticoat!! ... Read more