Burns in a box 2004 – Should auld acquaintance be forgot

We remember Burns for many reasons, but we remember him most of all because he asked us – simply and poignantly in poem and song – to remember and celebrate our common humanity.

That the inaugural Robert Burns Memorial Lecture in New York should be given by the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, at a time of such global disquiet; and that Mr Annan should choose the line ‘A Man’s a Man for a’ that’ as the touchstone for his remarks only serves to highlight the enduring relevance of Burns’ work. The Secretary-General’s eloquent plea for active tolerance in the face of persistent and corrosive prejudice would have wrung applause from the Bard himself. In his letter to Agnes McLehose dated 12 January 1788 Burns expresses an all-embracing tolerance for different faiths:

“. . . mine is the Religion of the bosom. – I hate the very idea of controversial divinity; as I firmly believe, that every honest, upright man, of whatever sect, will be accepted of the Deity.”

And in his letter to Peter Hill dated 2 March 1790 he sums up his belief in Mankind whilst, at the same time, exposing the universal dilemma that accounts for so much injustice:

“I am out of all patience with this vile world . . . Mankind are by nature benevolent creatures; except in a few scoundrelly instances, I do not think that avarice of the good things we chance to have is born with us; but we are placed here amid so much Nakedness, & Hunger, & Poverty, & Want, that we are under a damning necessity of studying Selfishness in order that we may Exist!”

Burns was no idealist. He understood the passions that drove people as well as the ironic forces at play that divert ‘the best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men’. But his belief in equality, liberty and brotherhood was rock solid. And this allowed him to dream and harangue and lobby: which continues to inspire the world to hold the belief, as Kofi Annan so patently does, that something can and must be done to further universal brotherhood and tolerance. Click here to read his speech. After which we hope that you will explore what else we offer in this year’s Burns in a Box: a look at some of Burns’ love poems and a look at some of the women, and the inevitably complicated relationships, that inspired them. Poems that continue to speak to lovers from generation to generation.

Burns not only appealed to the mind and the heart: he also appealed to the stomach and a good thirst. His ode, To A Haggis, and his several poems celebrating whisky pave the way for how the Bard is himself celebrated on his birthday – by a hearty supper, accompanied by verse, song and music plus a dram or two. We provide the itinerary for a traditional Burns Supper with links to suggestions for an alternative supper with a modern twist.

But however you celebrate Burns this year, celebrate this, in spite of a’ that:

“For a’ that, an a’ that,
It’s comin’ yet for a’ that,
That Man to Man the warld o’er
Shall brothers be, for a’ that.”

A selection of Burns’ love poems

Burns wrote to a friend, Alexander Cunningham, on 24 January 1789, the day before his thirtieth birthday:

“I myself can affirm, both from bachelor and wedlock experience, that Love is the Alpha and the Omega of human enjoyment. – All the pleasures, all the happiness of my humble Compeers, flow immediately from this delicious source. – It is the spark of celestial fire which lights up the wintry hut of Poverty, and makes the chearless mansion, warm, comfortable and gay.”

There is no doubt that Burns was attracted to the lassies. It could be argued that, for him, it was a fatal attraction, as his heart and desires were often pulled in more than one direction and it certainly couldn’t be said of him that his affairs were ‘kept in order’! However, the legacy, is a remarkable canon of love poetry that spans the gamut of emotions from the celebration of physical intimacy, through uxorial joy to the pain of loss and separation to the celebration of enduring relationship. From the joys of a romp-in-the-hay to the dizzy heights and strains of Platonic love, from the complications of divided loyalties to the lament at fate’s cruel twists, Burns travelled far and wide in the realm of the heart during his brief 37 years.

Jean Armour, Burns’ wife, bore him 9 children in 10 years, the last being born on the day of the poet’s funeral. So, it’s not surprising, in the chronological selection below, that even though he’d been through the mill of emotions and experiences his first and his last love poems celebrate the joy of physical union.

A selection
Love inspired Burns to write: “For my own part I never had the least thought or inclination of turning Poet till I got heartily in Love, and then Rhyme and Song were, in a manner, the spontaneous language of my heart.’ (First Commonplace Book – 1783)

Burns, of course, was the son of a farmer, and his early experiences of sex took place in an agricultural setting; the depiction of which, in poems like Green Grow the Rashes (1784) and The Rigs o’ Barley (1786), lend both an earthiness and an uncomplicated naturalness to these celebrations of intimacy. He was 25 when he wrote Green Grow the Rashes but the lines: “The sweetest hours that e’er I spend,/Are spent amang the lasses, O.” are ample evidence that he was no novice!

Burns met Jean Armour in 1784 and two years later she had fallen pregnant with his first child, so it can be assumed that she might be counted ‘amang the lasses’ in the rushes, though in The Rigs o’ Barley, the poet has another girl in mind, for:“Beneath the moon’s unclouded light,/I held awa’ to Annie . . .”* But, as hinted at above, Burns’ love life was never a simple matter and indeed became more complicated as he got older. And, interestingly, in the same year that he wrote “I’ll ne’er forget that happy night,/amang the rigs wi’ Annie” he also wrote, in another poem, “Or why has Man, the will and pow’r/To make his fellow mourn?’ (Man was made to Mourn 1786). Love’s hurts must have contributed as much to this statement as his awareness of social injustice and the casualties of the power-hungry.

(*More than likely Annie was Anna Parks, with whom Burns had an illegitimate daughter. Jean took this child under her care with the remark “Our Robbie should have had twa wives” revealing a tremendous generosity of spirit, which maybe explains why they remained together.)

The complications of his affections can be tracked through the succeeding poems but of course it is the truth , beauty and lyricism of the words that makes these poems universal and immortal. A brief background note is provided here, but follow the links to read the poems themselves.

‘Of A’ the Airts the wind can Blaw’ or ‘I Love my Jean’
Written in 1788 this is the most fetching of all 14 poems Burns wrote about his wife, Jean Armour, in which he states that she is the lassie that he loves best.

However, a year later he writes one of his loveliest poems, ‘Afton Water‘, in memory of Mary Campbell, who died three years previously.

In 1790, Burns wrote ‘John Anderson My Jo” one of his most touching lyrics, written from a wife to her husband in old age in celebration of enduring love.

In 1791, Burns wrote the beautiful ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ at the end of his liaison with Agnes McLehose and a final parting. The affair was intensely passionate but never physically consummated and it was only in parting that Burns expressed his anguish in the words: “Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!/Ae fareweel, and then for ever!”

Whether the desolate ‘The Banks o’ Doon’, written in the same year, was inspired by the same source is unsure, though it’s quite probable his own feelings of resentment crept into the poem’s emotion.

The affair with Agnes and the tragedy of Jenny Clow over, still married to long-suffering Jean, Burns wrote ‘Highland Mary’ in 1792.

“The golden hours on angel wings
Flew o’er me and my dearie;
For dear to me as light and life
Was my sweet Highland Mary.”

Maybe she, of all his lassies, was the love of his life. And was she his ‘only luve’ in his most famous love song of all, ‘A Red Red Rose’, written in 1794? It is certainly written to someone from whom he is parted – and whom he hopes to meet again one day, however great the separation.

Burns’ last love song/poem, Comin’ thro’ the Rye, written in 1796, the year of his death, echoes the earlier, earthy lyrics of love amongst the haystacks, and still, after all the trials and tribulations of the heart he had experienced, he asks:

“Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro’ the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body
Need a body cry?”

In saying ‘yes’ to love, despite all the thorns and messy entanglement, Burns’ expression of it has found a place in the hearts of countless millions around the world.

Burns and the lassies

No Burns Supper is complete without a Toast to, and a reply from, the Lassies. This usually involves a bit of light-hearted ribbing from one gender to the other. One of the all-time best ‘replies’ from a lass is the fictional Kate o’ Shanter’s Tale by contemporary Scots poet Matthew Fitt, that gives the wife’s take on husband Tam’s great night out! It’s an hilarious piece of writing with a lot of telling insight, but perhaps too ribald to print on an official site – you’ll have to track it down for yourself if your curiosity is tickled.

The place of the Toast and Reply within the traditional supper itinerary acknowledges the poet’s famed love of the opposite sex and, indeed, an acknowledgement that the attraction was mutual. Burns still inspires members of the fairer sex today, almost 250 years after his death: Maya Angelou and Eddi Reader being but two high profile women artists to sing the poet’s praise. Some, on reading of his dealings with women, might take the opposite view. He certainly was no saint, or indeed, an idealistic lover: he was a man, for a’ that and a’ that!

Burns had many dalliances in his life and indeed many children. In fact it has been quipped that if there were more like Rabbie about today, Scotland would not have a declining population! But his three main relationships were with Jean Armour, Mary Campbell and Agnes McLehose (Clarinda).

Jean Armour
Burns met Jean during Race Week in early 1784, when he was 25 and she was, at 17, a shapely brunette and one of the Mauchline Belles. Their mutual attraction led to Jean falling pregnant but even though she had in her possession a paper signed by Burns, which, under the Scots law of the day, probably constituted a marriage contract, Burns had other women and an illegitimate child on his conscience. Jean’s parents, for their part, were none too sure of Burns’ prospects and sent Jean off to Paisley, which Burns then – conveniently – took as ‘desertion’.

A complicated sequence of legal wrangles followed and Burns was to get involved with both Mary Campbell and Agnes McLehose before he finally married Jean.

Mary Campbell
Mary worked in Mauchline as a nursemaid for Gavin Hamilton, a friend of Burns; later she worked as a dairymaid nearby. She was nearer in age to Burns, being 21 at the time, and was tall and fair-haired with blue eyes. Coming from Dunoon in Argyll, Burns called her his ‘Highland Mary’.

Burns turned to Mary after he had been ‘deserted‘ by Jean and in her he found “a warm-hearted charming young creature as ever blessed a man with generous love”.

It seems his plan was to escape the legal stramash by sailing to Jamaica and taking Mary with him. They exchanged Bibles and possibly matrimonial vows but she died in childbirth at Greenock putting an end to the plan and leaving Burns heart-broken. He continued to write about her many years after her death and in such a vein as one might conclude that she, of all his lassies, was the love of his life.

Jean again
Mary died in October 1786. In the September of that year Jean had given birth to twins. These complications were offset by the fact that in July of that year Burns’ Kilmarnock Edition was published and his status in the world was beginning to change.

On 27th November Burns set out for Edinburgh. With Mary out of the way, however distraught he was, Burns could not resist the temptation of impressing Jean with his new found fame at the close of one of his tours in the summer of 1787. The inevitable result was that Jean became pregnant again. This time, now that Burns was a man of fame, the attitude of the Armours was different. Possibly they ‘threw‘ Jean at Burns, hopefully assuming she would have the wit to make him marry her before giving her body to him once more. When they found out that Jean had failed again, they were furious and refused to allow her to remain under their roof. But Burns was now head-over-heels in love with another woman – Agnes McLehose.

Agnes McLehose
Agnes was the daughter of a Glasgow surgeon, Andrew Craig. Several of her ancestors had been ministers, and she herself demonstrated a piety that was to keep her relationship with Burns platonic. At the same time she was attractive and cultured and had become Mrs McLehose at the age of 17. By the time she met Burns she had borne McLehose four children and then left him on grounds of cruelty.

When Burns became the rage of Edinburgh, Agnes determined to meet him and the two were at once attracted to each other. So started one of the literary world’s most celebrated platonic relationships. Platonic because from Agnes’ point of view Burns’ keen interest and advances were, as she put it in a letter to him “delightful when under the check of reason and religion. . . . Pardon any little freedoms I take with you.”

Another mention of love brought reproof again, and counter reproof from Burns, who had agreed with her idea of using the Arcadian names of ‘Clarinda” and ‘Sylvander”. Her resistance to physical intimacy fuelled Burns” verbal passions with Burns writing in December 1787 that “Almighty Love still ‘reigns and revels” in my bosom; and I am at this moment ready to hang myself for a young Edinburgh widow.” But with continued denial, the affair declined.

His thwarted physical passion found expression with Jenny Clow, a servant girl about whom little is known, beyond the fact that she later bore him a son. In truth, confusion and turmoil reigned. When he returned to see Jean and another set of twins he wrote to Agnes/Clarinda:

“Now for a little news that will please you. I, this morning as I came home, called for a certain woman. I am disgusted with her; I cannot endure her! I, while my heart smote me for the profanity, tried to compare her with my Clarinda; ‘twas setting the expiring glimmer of a farthing taper beside the cloudless glory of the meridian sun. Here was tasteless insipidity, vulgarity of soul, and mercenary fawning; there, polished good sense, heaven-born genius, and the most generous, the most delicate, the most tender Passion. I have done with her, and she with me. . . .”

But he had not ‘done with her”. Within six weeks he had married her.

And finally, Mrs Burns
By 25th May Burns’ feelings for Jean had turned full circle. He wrote to a friend “I am so enamoured with a certain girl‘s prolific twin-bearing merit, that I have given her a legal title to the best blood in my body; and so farewell Rakery!”

On 28th May, he wrote to another friend: “I have been extremely fortunate in all my buyings and bargainings hitherto; Mrs Burns not excepted, which title I now avow to the world. . .”

None of these references suggest the enraptured lover some of Burns‘ more romantic biographers would have us believe him! More the pragmatist.

Jean bore Burns 9 children, the last on the day of her husband‘s funeral. She seems to have been a generous, compliant woman, willing to put up with his wildest extravagancies, even to the extent of taking in his illegitimate daughter by Anna Park with the remark “Our Robbie should have had twa wives.”

In a letter of 16th September 1788, Burns wrote that his marriage “Was not in consequence of the attachment of romance perhaps; but I had a long and much loved fellow creature‘s happiness or misery in my determination, and I durst not trifle with so important a deposit. Nor have I any cause to repent it”.

What happened to Clarinda?
Burns and Clarinda met in Edinburgh on 6th December 1791 for the last time. On 27th December Burns, in Dumfries, sent Clarinda ‘Ae fond kiss‘ – a song so genuine in its resigned passion that it relegates the other nine songs he had written for her, full of ‘sensibility‘ and drawing-room manners, to the realms of the insignificant.

In January, she sailed for Jamaica to try to bring about a reconciliation with her husband only on arrival to find him in tow with a mistress. She returned to Scotland when the ship sailed home three months later. A few friendly letters were thereafter exchanged between her and Burns, but the poet’s passion was dead.

In her journal, under the date, 6th December 1831, Agnes wrote: “This day I can never forget. Parted with Burns, in the year 1791, never more to meet in this world. Oh, may we meet in Heaven!”

The Traditional Supper

Robert Burns was born in Alloway in the parish of Ayr in the south west of Scotland on 25th January 1759.

His birth is traditionally celebrated around the world with a Burns Night Supper on or as near as possible to the 25th January. It’s an event quite unlike any other – in its full form comprising pipes, prayers, poetry, songs, speeches and the ritual slicing of a steaming haggis. And sometimes kilts are worn too.

Here is the usual running order of a Burns Supper with brief explanatory notes. Please follow the links below for further information.

Grace
Once all the guests are gathered the supper usually starts with the host reciting Burns” Selkirk Grace.

The first course is then served: traditionally Cullen Skink or Cock-a-Leekie soup.

The Piping of the Haggis
When the first course is finished and cleared away the main course, the haggis or ‘pudden’ is ceremoniously brought to the table preceded by a piper playing ‘Brose and Butter” or some other light Scots tune. The haggis on its ‘groaning trencher” is laid before the host.

Address to a Haggis
A previously designated guest (ideally one possessing verve) then recites Burns” famous poem at the haggis. This humorous, earthy poem is, of course, the raison d”être for the haggis taking pride of place on the menu.

The poem ends with the reader enthusiastically slicing open the haggis with a knife (or, if in possession of one, a ceremonial dirk).

The main course is then served, traditionally with neeps and tatties (turnips/swede and mashed potatoes) and accompanied by wine, beer or whisky.

The traditional dessert is Tipsy Laird (sherry trifle), followed by coffee.

Interlude – Song
Before the speeches, and whilst the meal is being cleared away, is a good opportunity to have a rendition of a Burns song or two.

Immortal Memory
The Immortal Memory address, given either by the host, an invited speaker or a learned guest is the ‘serious” part of the evening. The address should be a speech addressing some aspect of Burns” life, work or lasting influence. It can be academic or personal but it should aspire to touch the hearts and minds of the gathering.

Toast to the Lassies/Reply from the Lassies
It’s traditional at this point for a male guest (one of the laddies) to deliver a light-hearted, teasing toast to the lassies which usually involves a tongue-in-cheek list of the shortcomings of the fairer sex. The men should be wary, however, as a spokeswoman for the ‘lassies” then gets the opportunity to reply with (an equally tongue-in-cheek) list of the shortcomings of the baser sex!

Tam O’Shanter (or Holy Willie’s Prayer)
To round off the speeches it’s customary for a guest with a gift for storytelling and a good memory to recite one of Burns’ great narrative poems, Tam O’Shanter or Holy Willie’s Prayer. The first is an atmospheric account of a drunken man’s encounter with some witches (imagined or otherwise) and the second is the ‘overheard” highly amusing (decidedly unchristian) prayer of a bad loser and none-too-blameless church elder.

Ceilidh and Auld Lang Syne
The evening traditionally finishes with a ceilidh – Scottish Country Dancing, songs and poems (Burns or otherwise). When it’s time to go, everyone gathers in a circle, holds hands and sings Burns’ immortal hymn to friendship – Auld Lang Syne (first and last verses with two choruses).

For more information on Burns and Burns Suppers visit www.rabbie-burns.com

For modern supper ideas see Nouvelle Burns from Food Trust Scotland

Charlie MacLean's Whisky recommendations

Menu 1

• Haggis: Highland Park is used in the cooking, so go for 10 YO Highland Park as the accompaniment. Alternatively, Talisker 10 YO, which has a spicy finish and is, in my view, the perfect accompaniment to haggis – for drinking alongside, and for anointing the beast.
• Trout: needs something lighter – the slight saltiness and subtle smokiness of Oban 15 YO, comes to mind; Bruichladdich 10 or 15 YO, or Bunnahabhain, both from Islay; Old Pulteney, from the great fishing port of Peterhead; the sublime Clynelish, from Brora on the East Coast – a really excellent malt; or perhaps Balblair, also from the north – the 33 year old is one of the best malts I have ever tasted.
• Cranachan: to cut through the cloying cream, serve the whisky out of the freezer (where it will have rested at least three hours, preferably longer), in an ice-frosted glass. Unbelieveable! Again, you want a light whisky, but this time with a bit of body and perhaps some sweetness – Dalwhinnie is fine, because it has a thick texture; Cardhu, Aberlour and Tamdhu have a classic Speyside sweetness which is great with pud.

Menu 2
This is a man’s menu; a ‘red-wine’ menu. Great opportunity for the big malts.

• Venison carpaccio: Balvenie Double-wood, Macallan 10 YO, Cragganmore – really anything which has some sherry-cask matured whisky in its vatting. Don’t go too old, or the whisky will dominate the meat.
• Collops of beef: cooked in Talisker, and Talisker 10 YO will make a perfect accompaniment, especially if horseradish sauce is served (which it should be); Macallan 18 YO or Mortlach 16 YO are like fine Burgundies; old expressions of Glenfarclas or Springbank, Glengoyne or Aberlour, matured in sherry casks are closer to Bordeaux – all delicious.
• Cheese: now is the time to blow them away with smoky Islays – especially suited to the Lanark Blue: Lagavulin 16 YO, Laphroig 10 YO, Ardbeg 17 YO.