Robert Burns: The Life and Works of a Scottish Poet
Table of Contents
Early Life and Background Robert Burns , renowned as the Scottish National Poet, was born on January 25, 1759, in Alloway, Scotland. He was the eldest among seven siblings. His father, William Burnes, a self-educated farmer from Dunnottar, and his mother, Agnes Broun, the daughter of a tenant farmer from Ayrshire, raised him. In his formative years, Burns resided in his father's cottage until 1766. Due to financial struggles, his family relocated to Mount Oliphant farm. Unfortunately, due to these constraints, Burns had limited access to formal education. His father took on the role of educator, teaching him writing, reading, arithmetic, history, and geography. Additionally, John Murdoch, a mentor, introduced Burns and his brother to French, mathematics, and Latin between 1765 and 1768. Later, in 1772, Burns briefly attended Dalrymple Parish School. Subsequently, Burns continued his education under Murdoch's guidance, focusing on grammar, Latin, and French until 1773. At the age o…