Poem of the Month

Robert Burns was subject to mood swings. When someone asked him to write a poem, he could be excessively charming and flattered or unbelievably rude and cruel. He loved animals, especially dogs. Many poems reflect the fact that humans, who want freedom for themselves, are tyrants over the inhabitants of nature.

He wrote this famous

According to the Centennary edition of Burns's works, he did it unwillingly, and in the second verse this comes through:

While Burns was staying with Gordon of Kenmure late in July 1793, Mrs Gordon's lap-dog Echo died. She asked Burns to write an epitaph for him, and though he disliked the subject he tried to please the lady.

His problem seemed to be with the woman, not the dog, for in other poems he clearly sees dogs as superior to humans. For example,

He also identified with the sexual antics of dogs. In his poem to his illegitimate daughter, he refers to himself as: The Rantin Dog, The Daddie O'T

--Pete Kucik, September 1999