(One of the central elements of a Burns Supper is the Immortal Memory toast to Burns. Leading up to that someone gives a speech on Burns, his life and work. Here’s the intro to what I’ll be saying on Saturday evening.)
Robert Burns was quick to see when a person’s words and actions didn’t mesh. He hated hypocrisy. I think he searched for the reality in people. He wanted authenticity. He was especially keen to point out discrepancies between what leaders, whether of church or government, said and what they did. After all, it was the leaders who often held such sway over those who had little influence or resources.
Burns would have been the first to admit that his behavior wasn’t always what it should have been, but then, he would never have pretended otherwise. This is one of the things that makes him so winsome, so loved, and his poetry so enduring: his essential admiration for and defense of people who simply are who they say they are, no pretensions. Burns embraced real people living a real life as best they could and helping others around them do the same.
What’s fun is to see how he did this with humor and wit. Let’s look at a few of his poems that show this. But first, I’m going to briefly recount Burns’ life.
