Burns Country
Published:
London J. Arthur Dixon Ltd., 1979
From the Introduction:
Robert Burns is something more than a national poet, he is the national poet of almost every nation. Shakespeare may have been incomparably greater as a writer -- it is hard to compare any other writer with Shakespeare for he towers over the craft of writing in any language -- but Burns's place in the hearts of ordinary people is unique.
Writing in a local Scottish dialect which is difficult even for many Scots people today, Burns struck a nerve that still responds to his touch. He is admired in Russia and America alike and his verses have been translated into scores on languages. His birthday is ritually celebrated all over the world while hardly anybody knows the birthday of Shakespeare, Goethe, Whitman or any other poet.
Copyright 2025 The Estate of Clifford Hanley