by p.smith

Created on: June 18, 2008   Last Updated: February 07, 2009

Here we are in the twenty first century, still singing the Burns song,"Auld Lang Syne," at New Year. Although the language may be out of date, the writer's passionate plea still strikes our hearts, whether or not we've been sampling Burns' favorite beverage in the hours preceding midnight. Love, empathy for struggling mankind, and the desire to see better times ahead are all Burns trademarks, making his poetry still popular the "world o'er," today. This is despite the necessity for glossaries to help us understand the Scottish dialect. In his poem, "To A Mouse," Burns shows his compassion for man and beast with his gently mocking yet sincere treatment of a common farming experience. He uses the poem to rail against the destructive nature of man, in his handling of his underlings, both human and animal.

When Burns destroyed a mouse's nest whilst ploughing, the incident prompted him to pen the poem containing the words,

"The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley."

Many people today can quote this line, or a reasonable paraphrase, without knowing its source. These words are as much part of the English language as many Biblical and Shakespearian quotations are. When people use them, it's shorthand for the acknowledged fact that things rarely go as planned. Also suggested is the idea that micro-managing will never put an end to this unfortunate truth. We all know that these words are still as relevant an observation as they were when Burns wrote them in 1785.

Burns highlights the mouse's struggle to allow him to meditate upon the arbitrary nature of catastrophes in the lives of all mankind. And he emphasizes that powerless people have to take whatever fate is assigned to them. He examines the mouse's struggle with great empathy, attributing human emotions and motivations to the frightened little creature. He takes delight in poking fun at man's insensitivity toward the welfare of rodents. This unique treatment of the struggles endured by mice is one of the hooks causing this poem to catch the eye.

His assurance that he wouldn't harm the mouse is such an odd statement that the reader feels the light-heartedness of the poem, right from verse one. He continues in this vein , saying that even if the mouse steals food from people it is only fair because the mouse has to live. The broader reference here is to the social injustices and extreme poverty present in Scotland at the time. Poachers were being hanged, and petty thieves imprisoned. The ruling classes had

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