Robert Burns, A Poet For All Men

Robert Burns is one of the most fascinating of characters, his magnetic presence his genius and his passion. A man from rural Scottish background, from the "auld toon of Ayr". His is a story of genius, poverty, drink, women, freemasonry, a life littered with hardship and disappointments.

Many books were wrote about Burns, one outstanding one by Hilton Bown, 1949 concludes with these words:

Small wonder that Burns's story has intrigued not only his countrymen, but a great part of mankind; so that an American could say — with whatever hyperbole — that his name had been "dearer to a greater number of hearts than any other save that of Christ"; and a Chinese could find him revealing "our common humanity"; and a Canadian could write, "He made the world his lover". Whatever value may be attached to Burns's writings, verse or prose, whatever blame he may have earned by his faults and his failings, it is surely a poor heart that will not take fire at the warm blaze of his own and subscribe to the conclusion — "Here was a great man".

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