Burns Street

There are not many Scottish people who don't know any songs or poems by Robert Burns, Scotland's national bard, who gave his name to Burns Street.

Robert Burns was born in Ayrshire in 1759. Even though the family was not wealthy, Burns' father William made sure his sons were well educated.

In his childhood, Burns heard songs and stories of Scottish folklore, which fed his imagination and immersed him in their culture and traditions.

In 1774 Burns met the first of his many loves and wrote his first song, O Once I Lov'd. The love did not last but it was the beginning of Burns' carefree and flirtatious lifestyle. Burn’s father did not approve of this, so Robert felt a bit restricted by him. Burns’ Golden Age as a poet began after his father's death in 1784 when he wrote his best and most popular poems.

His first collection, Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, was published in July 1786. The collection spoke to many people and they loved the way he brought their culture alive in his verses. To a nation that had just been assimilated into Great Britain, Burns’ poems were healing and brought back the feeling of belonging to Scotland.

From his many lovers, Burns married Jean Armour, who did not seem to mind Burns' affection towards other ladies. Even though Burns had several other lovers, they always had a strong affection for each other. Together the pair had nine children and many of Burns' poems were written for Jean Armour.

Burns died in 1796 at the young age of 37. Despite his early death, he left behind a legacy that still lives on within the people of Scotland. He was a poet who was able to bring out the life and culture of the Scottish Highlands better than any other poet in his time, making him one of the greatest lyricists in the history of literature.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.

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