Early Critical Reviews on Robert Burns |
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Page 8
... scenes in the higher walks of life ; yet his verses are sometimes struck off with a delicacy and artless simplicity that charms like the bewitching though irregular touches of a Shakespeare . We much regret that these poems are written ...
... scenes in the higher walks of life ; yet his verses are sometimes struck off with a delicacy and artless simplicity that charms like the bewitching though irregular touches of a Shakespeare . We much regret that these poems are written ...
Page 10
... scene , a task uncouth to the poetical mind - these were his motives for courting the muses , and in these he found poetry its own reward . " These poems are chiefly in the comic strain . Some are of the descriptive cast , particularly ...
... scene , a task uncouth to the poetical mind - these were his motives for courting the muses , and in these he found poetry its own reward . " These poems are chiefly in the comic strain . Some are of the descriptive cast , particularly ...
Page 33
... scene of wonders- All before their sight A fairy train appeared in order bright ; Adown the glittering stream the featly danc'd ; Bright to the moon their various dresses glanc'd ; They footed o'er the wat'ry glass so neat , The infant ...
... scene of wonders- All before their sight A fairy train appeared in order bright ; Adown the glittering stream the featly danc'd ; Bright to the moon their various dresses glanc'd ; They footed o'er the wat'ry glass so neat , The infant ...
Page 34
... scene , which excited in a high degree the powers of his imagination . During the whole dialogue the scenery is present to his fancy , and at length it suggests to him a fairy dance of ærial beings under the beams of the moon , by which ...
... scene , which excited in a high degree the powers of his imagination . During the whole dialogue the scenery is present to his fancy , and at length it suggests to him a fairy dance of ærial beings under the beams of the moon , by which ...
Page 40
... scenes that more strongly interest the affections . The younger children running to meet him and clambering round his knee , the elder , returning from their weekly labours with the neighbouring farmers , dutifully depositing their ...
... scenes that more strongly interest the affections . The younger children running to meet him and clambering round his knee , the elder , returning from their weekly labours with the neighbouring farmers , dutifully depositing their ...
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Common terms and phrases
admiration affection Allan Cunningham Allan Ramsay appear auld ballad bard beautiful Blind Harry Burns's character of Burns circumstances composition Currie Currie's death delight Dumfries Edinburgh Edinburgh Review Ellisland English excellence expression fancy father feeling Fergusson frae friends genius habits happy heart honour human humble humour imagination interesting kind labour language less letters literary lived manners mind moral Mountain Daisy muse native nature never noble o'er observed occasion passages passion peasant perhaps persons poems poet poet's poetical poetry poor produced Ramsay rank readers remarks Robert Burns rural rustic satire scene Scotland Scots wha hae Scottish literature Scottish songs seems select society sensibility sentiment Shanter society soul spirit stanza sublime superior talents Tarbolton taste tender thee Theocritus thou thought tion true truth verses virtue whole wild William Burns words writings written youth
Popular passages
Page 55 - But hark ! a rap comes gently to the door ; Jenny, wha kens the meaning o' the same, Tells how a neebor lad cam' o'er the moor, To do some errands, and convoy her hame. The wily mother sees the conscious flame Sparkle in Jenny's e'e, and flush her cheek ; With heart-struck anxious care, inquires his name, While Jenny hafflins is afraid to speak : Weel pleased the mother hears it's nae wild, worthless rake. Wi...
Page 78 - Blythe Jenny sees the visit's no ill ta'en ; The father cracks of horses, pleughs, and kye. The youngster's artless heart o'erflows wi...
Page 73 - Bagdat in order to pass the rest of the day in meditation and prayer. As I was here airing myself on the tops of the mountains, I fell into a profound contemplation on the vanity of human life; and, passing from one thought to another, surely, said I, man is but a shadow and life a dream.
Page 223 - That hangs his head, and a' that ? The coward-slave, we pass him by, We dare be poor for a' that ! For a' that, and a' that, Our toils obscure, and a' that ; The rank is but the guinea stamp ; The man's the gowd for a
Page 5 - Unskilful he to note the card Of prudent lore, Till billows rage, and gales blow hard, And whelm him o'er ! Such fate to suffering worth is...
Page 78 - His wee bit ingle, blinkin bonnily, His clean hearth-stane, his thriftie wifie's smile, The lisping infant prattling on his knee, Does a' his weary carking cares beguile, An' makes him quite forget his labour an' his toil. Belyve the elder bairns come drapping in, At service out, amang the farmers roun
Page 61 - Wha will be a traitor knave ? Wha can fill a coward's grave ? Wha sae base as be a slave? Let him turn and flee ! Wha for Scotland's king and law Freedom's sword will strongly draw, Freeman stand, or freeman fa...
Page 80 - mang the dewy weet ! Wi' spreckl'd breast, "When upward-springing, blythe, to greet, The purpling east. Cauld blew the bitter-biting north Upon thy early, humble birth ; Yet cheerfully thou glinted forth Amid the storm, Scarce rear'd above the parent earth Thy tender form. The flaunting flowers our gardens yield, High shelt'ring woods and wa's maun shield ; But thou, beneath the random bield O' clod or stane, Adorns the histie stibble-field Unseen, alane.
Page 78 - The sire turns o'er, wi' patriarchal grace, The big ha' Bible, ance his father's pride: His bonnet rev'rently is laid aside, His lyart haffets wearing thin an' bare; .Those strains that once did sweet in Zion glide, He wales a portion with judicious care ; And ' Let us worship God !* he says, with solemn air.
Page 114 - Had we never loved sae kindly, Had we never loved sae blindly, Never met, or never parted, We had ne'er been broken-hearted.