The Life of Robert Burns: With a Criticism on His Writings ...William and Robert Chambers, 1838 - 76 pages |
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Page 8
... nights by the parish schoolmaster , who is generally the disciples of Calvin , and brought with them the temper precentor , or by itinerant teachers , more celebrated for as well as the tenets of that celebrated heresiarch . The their ...
... nights by the parish schoolmaster , who is generally the disciples of Calvin , and brought with them the temper precentor , or by itinerant teachers , more celebrated for as well as the tenets of that celebrated heresiarch . The their ...
Page 9
... night . In- of the young of both sexes , where dancing is practised terviews of this kind are the subjects of many of the to their spirit - stirring music , where care is dispelled , Scottish songs , some of the most beautiful of which ...
... night . In- of the young of both sexes , where dancing is practised terviews of this kind are the subjects of many of the to their spirit - stirring music , where care is dispelled , Scottish songs , some of the most beautiful of which ...
Page 13
... Burns's last night's poem ' generally reach- ing the parlour in the course of the next day . At the kitchen of my friend's father ( an extensive land proprietor ) Burns's visits PUBLISHES HIS POEMS . 15 a late harvest , we.
... Burns's last night's poem ' generally reach- ing the parlour in the course of the next day . At the kitchen of my friend's father ( an extensive land proprietor ) Burns's visits PUBLISHES HIS POEMS . 15 a late harvest , we.
Page 14
... nights of my stay in the country , had sleep been a mortal sin , the image of this modest and innocent girl had kept ... night , " " Now westlin winds and slaughterin ' guns , " and " * Be- * [ Those respectively beginning- " It was upon ...
... nights of my stay in the country , had sleep been a mortal sin , the image of this modest and innocent girl had kept ... night , " " Now westlin winds and slaughterin ' guns , " and " * Be- * [ Those respectively beginning- " It was upon ...
Page 15
... Night , the Lament , and the Vision , being written in the poor garret over a small farmer's stable ! He used to employ Blane to read the poems to him , immediately after their compo- ition , that he might be able the more effectually ...
... Night , the Lament , and the Vision , being written in the poor garret over a small farmer's stable ! He used to employ Blane to read the poems to him , immediately after their compo- ition , that he might be able the more effectually ...
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Common terms and phrases
acquaintance affections afterwards Allan Ramsay appears attention Ayrshire bard beautiful Blane Blind Harry brother Burns's character charms circumstances club composition conversation delicacy dialect Dr Currie Dumfries Dumfriesshire Edinburgh Ellisland English excelled farm father favour favourite feelings formed friendship genius Gilbert Burns give habits happiness heart Highland honour house of Stuart humble humour imagination interest Jean Jedburgh Jenny Geddes Kilmarnock kind Kirkoswald labour lady language letter lived manners marriage Mauchline Maybole melancholy ment mentioned mind Mossgiel Murdoch muse native nature never Nicol night observation occasion parish passion peasantry perhaps person pleasure poems poet poet's poetical poetry powers present racter Ramsay received recollect remarks respect Robert Burns rural rustic scenery scenes Scotland Scottish songs seemed sensibility sentiments Shanter sion situation society spirit superior talents Tarbolton taste tenderness thought tion verses virtue William Burnes writing young
Popular passages
Page 31 - O Mary ! dear departed shade ! Where is thy place of blissful rest? Seest thou thy lover lowly laid ? Hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast...
Page 58 - When youthful Love, warm-blu.shing strong, Keen-shivering shot thy nerves along, Those accents, grateful to thy tongue, Th' adored Name, I taught thee how to pour in song, To soothe thy flame "I saw thy pulse's maddening play, Wild send thee Pleasure's devious way. Misled by Fancy's meteor ray, By Passion driven; But yet the light that led astray, Was light from Heaven.
Page 35 - I never saw such another eye in a human head, though I have seen the most distinguished men of my time. His conversation expressed perfect self-confidence, without the slightest presumption. Among the men who were the most learned of their time and country, he expressed himself with perfect firmness, but without the least intrusive forwardness; and when he differed in opinion, he did not hesitate to express it firmly, yet at the same time with modesty.
Page 31 - Thou ling'ring star, with less'ning ray, That lov'st to greet the early morn, Again thou usher'st in the day My Mary from my soul was torn. O Mary! dear departed shade! Where is thy place of blissful rest? Seest thou thy lover lowly laid? Hear'st thou the groans that rend his breast?
Page 20 - Then kneeling down to Heaven's Eternal King, The saint, the father, and the husband prays; Hope 'springs exulting on triumphant wing,' That thus they all shall meet in future days, There ever bask in uncreated rays, No more to sigh or shed the bitter tear, Together hymning their Creator's praise, In such society, yet still more dear, While circling Time moves round...
Page 35 - Edinburgh, but had sense and feeling enough to be much interested in his poetry, and would have given the world to know him : but I had very little acquaintance with any literary people, and still less with the gentry of the west country, the two sets that he most frequented. Mr. Thomas Grierson was at that time a clerk of my father's. He knew Burns, and promised to ask him to his lodgings to dinner, but had no opportunity to keep his word ; otherwise I might have seen more of this distinguished...
Page 20 - The priest-like father reads the sacred page, How Abram was the friend of God on high ; Or, Moses bade eternal warfare wage With Amalek's ungracious progeny ; Or how the royal bard did groaning lie Beneath the stroke of Heaven's avenging ire ; Or Job's pathetic plaint and wailing cry ; Or rapt Isaiah's wild, seraphic fire ; Or other holy seers that tune the sacred lyre.
Page 13 - I loved her. Indeed, I did not know myself why I liked so much to loiter behind with her, when returning in the evening from our labours ; why the tones of her voice made my heart-strings thrill like an /Eolian harp ; and particularly why my pulse beat such a furious rattan when I looked and fingered over her little hand, to pick out the cruel nettlestings and thistles. Among her other love-inspiring qualities, she sung sweetly ; and it was her favourite reel to which I attempted giving an embodied...
Page 15 - This sum came very seasonably, as I was thinking of indenting myself, for want of money to procure my passage. As soon as I was master of nine guineas, the price of wafting me to the torrid zone, I took a steerage passage in the first ship that was to sail from the Clyde, for " Hungry ruin had me in the wind.
Page 13 - Meditations, had formed the whole of my reading. The collection of songs was my vade mecum. I pored over them driving my cart, or walking to labour, song by song, verse by verse ; carefully noting the true tender, or sublime, from affectation and fustian. I am convinced I owe to this practice much of my critic craft, such as it is.