Robert Burns was the greatest poet of the 18th century. He is famous all over Scotland. One has only to speak to Scotchman to feel the deep love and admiration for their outstanding countryman.

Burns was born on January 25, 1759 in Scotland. His father, though always extremely poor, attempted to give his children a fair education, and Robert, who was the eldest, went to school for three years in a neighboring village, and later, for shorter periods, to three other schools in the vicinity. But it was to his father and to his own reading that Burns owed the more important part of his education. By the time that he had reached manhood he had a good knowledge of English, a reading knowledge of French, and a fairly wide acquaintance with the masterpieces of English literature from the time of Shakespeare to his own day.

Robert Burns began to write poetry when he was fifteen. He composed verses to the melodies of old folk-songs, which he had admired from his early childhood. He sang of the woods, fields and wonderful valleys of his native land. Burns published some of his poems in 1786 and their success made him popular.

When Burns came to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, a new and enlarged edition of his poems was published. However, Edinburgh society grew tired of him and forgot him very soon. He returned to his native village with money enough to buy a farm and marry Jean Armor, to whom he devoted lots of beautiful poems, such as «I love my Jean», «Bonnie Jean» and others. His most popular poems are also “The Tree of Liberty”, “My Heart’s in the Highlands” and “A Red, Red Rose”.

The poet’s hard work destroyed his health. He died in poverty at the age of 37 in 1796. Burns was a democratic poet and always sympathetic with the poor. That is why thousands of people attended his funeral.  Upon his death Robert Burns was declared the national poet of Scotland, and his birthday is celebrated as a national holiday. Я отличник)