ROBERT BURNS

Robert Burns was born in the north of Scotland. His father William was a gardener.

Although he was poor, William Burns's greatest wish was to give his children the best education he could, and while they were still „ young, he began to teach them to read and write.

When Robert was 13, he had to do most of the work on the farm, for his father was growing old.

Those were hard times. Robert was often ill because of the hard work and little food.

But in spite of all this, fifteen-year-old Robert began to write.

Burns wrote many poems in English, but the best of his works are written in the language of his native Scotland.

In his poems he describes with love and understanding the simple life he knew, and his poems touch the heart of every reader.

Robert died at the age of 37. Ail his life he had lived very poorly, he had no money and had "to work very hard.

A few years after his death, Burns became famous, and some of the English authors spoke of him as a great poet. Byron, for example, said that Burns was the very first of the poets.

Both Marx and Engels thought highly of Burns's poems.

Now Robert Burns is Scotland's national poet and January 25 — the day of his birth — is always celebrated in his country and in other countries.

Burns is very dear to us. Soviet people understand his love of freedom and peace and friendship in the world.

Among his well-known poems are The Jolly Beggars, Halloween, To a Mouse, The Two Dogs.

He gave 200 songs to the Scots Musical Museum, among them such well-known ones as John Anderson, My Joe.