Poem of the Month: November, 1999

Poem of the Month

Halloween

Poem of the Month for November, 1999

Contributed by Linda Daly With Halloween appoaching, Burnsians thoughts drift to the well known poem Tam O`Shanter. But there is another Burns poem that is seasonal -- Halloween.

In A Burns Companion by Alan Bold, page 199-203, a desciption of this poem states that it contains more old Scots words than any other Burns poem, indicating linguistic roots from the memories of an older generation and going back to the pagan Celts. Burns called upon the stories told him by his mother, Betty Davidson, and Jenny Broun for the customs portrayed in this poem. While trying to document these customs, he does not necessarily believe in them. The poem shows the custom of hemp-seed sowing to bind a relationship and the ritual of burning nuts to determine the course of a courtship.

So after re-reading "Tam O'Shanter", why not give this poem a try for the description of local customs and scenery?

--Linda Daly, October 1999

Note: Due to space constraints, I have not reproduced Halloween here. Follow the links to find the poem. Make sure you look at Burns`s footnotes, as they explain the rustic customs. -- Webmaster

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