Robert Burns was born in a small thatched cottage in Alloway, a village near the Scottish market town of Ayr, on January 25 January 1760 and died in Dumfries on July 21, 1796.
His father was a gardener and a tenant farmer. Burns is occasionally referred to as ‘The Ploughman Poet’ but that is just romantic nonsense. Following the publication of his first volume of poetry he was able to afford the lease on the farm of Ellisland near Dumfries and became a tenant farmer. The farm turned out to be poor and Burns was obliged to take paid employment as an Excise man to make ends meet. Poor health brought on by harsh living and working conditions resulted in his death at the age of 36.
In his short life Burns produced a considerable output including classic poems like ‘Tam O’ Shanter’ and ‘Holy Willie’s Prayer’, the poignant love song ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ and that humorous dig at his colleagues ‘ The Deil’s Awa Wi’ the Exciseman’.
