To a Louse By: Robert Burns

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To a LouseBy Robert Burns

• Nick Haggarty and Kenny Knudsen

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Introduction

• To a Louse By Robert Burns
• Robert Burns, or Rabbie as he is sometimes known,
  is a significant iconic figure in Scottish
  Culture and History and is also know as one of
  the worlds most famous poets.
• Born into a poor family on 25th January, 1759, in
  Alloway, Ayr, Burns started his career by working
  on the family farm. Robert's father recognized
  the importance of education and together with
  other friends, a local teacher was hired to
  educate Burns. Even from an early age Burns began
  to show signs of his writing talent.
• Moving into adulthood Burns was known for his
  great passion for Scotland and his dynamic and
  contemporary vision became an important source of
  inspiration to the founders of both socialism and
  liberalism.
• He later rose to fame, in 1786 when his first
  works "Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect"
  were published by John Wilson of Kilmarnock, and
  so began his flourishing career in writing.
• Much of the influence for Burns' songs and poetry
  were gathered from his surroundings, the places
  he travelled to, the culture and politics of the
  day and of course the people he loved.
• Now, more than 200 years after his death, Robert
  Burns is still one of the most celebrated men in
  Scottish culture and social history throughout
  the world.
• http//burns.visitscotland.com/who/

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Poem

• Original TextHa! Whare ye gaun, ye crowlin
  ferlie? Your impudence protects you sairly, I
  canna say but ye strut rarely Owre gauze and
  lace, Tho' faith! I fear ye dine but sparely On
  sic a place.Ye ugly, creepin, blastit wonner,
  Detested, shunn'd by saunt an' sinner, How daur
  ye set your fit upon her -- Sae fine a lady!
  Gae somewhere else and seek your dinnerOn some
  poor body.Swith! in some beggar's hauffet
  squattle There you may creep, and sprawl, and
  sprWi' ither kindred, jumping cattle, In shoals
  and nations Whare horn nor bane ne'er daur
  unsettle Your thick plantations.

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Poem

• Now haud you there! ye're out o' sight, Below
  the fatt'rils, snug an' tight Na, faith ye yet!
  ye'll no be right, Till ye've got on it --- The
  vera tapmost, tow'ring height O' miss's
  bonnet.My sooth! right bauld ye set your nose
  ouAs plump an' grey as onie grozet O for some
  rank, mercurial rozet, Or fell, red smeddum,
  I'd gie ye sic a hearty dose o't, Wad dress
  your droddum!I wad na been surpris'd to spy
  You on an auld wife's flainen toy Or aiblins
  some bit duddie boy, On's wyliecoat But Miss's
  fine Lunardi! fye! How daur ye do't.

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Poem

• O Jenny, dinna toss your head, An' set your
  beauties a' abread! You little ken what cursed
  speed The blastie's makin! Thae winks an'
  finger-ends, I dread, Are notice takin'!O wad
  some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as
  ithers see us! It wad frae monie a blunder free
  us, An' foolish notion What airs in dress an'
  gait wad lea'e us, An' ev'n devotion!
• http//quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/To_A_L
  ouse.htm

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Paraphrased Poem

• Modern TranslationHa! Where are you going,
  you crawling wonder?Your impudence protects you
  sorely,I can not say but you swagger rarelyOver
  gauze and lace,Though faith! I fear you dine but
  sparinglyOn such a placeYou ugly, creeping,
  blasted wonder,Detested, shunned by saint and
  sinner,How dare you set your foot upon her
  -Such fine a lady!Go somewhere else and seek
  your dinnerOn some poor bodyOff! in some
  beggar's temples squatThere you may creep, and
  sprawl, and scramble,With other kindred, jumping
  cattle,In shoals and nationsWhere horn nor
  bone never dare unsettleYour thick plantations

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Paraphrased Cont.

• Now hold you there! you are out of sight,Below
  the falderals, snug and tightNo, faith you yet!
  you will not be right,Until you have got on it
  ---The very topmost, towering heightOf misses
  bonnet.My sooth! right bold you set your nose
  out,As plump and gray as any gooseberryO for
  some rank, mercurial resin,Or deadly, red
  powder,I would give you such a hearty dose of
  it,Would dress your breech!I would not have
  been surprised to spyYou on an old wife's
  flannel capOr maybe some small ragged boy,On
  his undervestBut Miss's fine balloon bonnet!
  fye!How dare you do it.

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Paraphrased Cont.

• O Jenny do not toss your head,And set your
  beauties all abroad!You little know what cursed
  speedThe blastie's making!Those winks and
  finger-ends, I dread,Are notice takiing!O
  would some Power the gift to give usTo see
  ourselves as others see us!It would from many a
  blunder free us,And foolish notionWhat airs in
  dress and gait would leave us,And even
  devotion!
• (http//answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid20100
  512140720AAom2UO)

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Diction

• The poem To a Louse is written in Scottish slang.
  

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Tone and Mood

• In this poem Burns creates sort of a humorous
  atmosphere.
• He uses the poem to distinguish between classes

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Rhetorical Situation

• The speaker is a man sitting behind a woman in
  church
• The speaker is addressing a louse that is lurking
  on a fine woman

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Figurative Language

• As plump an' grey as onie grozet Simile
• There you may creep, and sprawl, and spr-
  Personification
• Swith! in some beggar's hauffet squattle
  Metaphor

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Imagery

• How daur ye set your fit upon her -- Sae fine a
  lady! (How dare you set your foot upon her
  -Such fine a lady!)
• I wad na been surpris'd to spy You on an auld
  wife's flainen toy Or aiblins some bit duddie
  boy (I would not have been surprised to spyYou
  on an old wife's flannel capOr maybe some small
  ragged boy)

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Sound

• 2nd, 3rd, and 5th lines of each stanza rhyme with
  each other
• No alliteration

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Structure of the Poem

• Its a teen themed poem
• expressing various emotions which are expressed
  by the use of variety of techniques including
  metaphors, similes and onomatopoeia

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Conclusion/Evaluation
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Works Citations

• "Comments and Analysis on To A Louse - A Poem by
  Robert Burns - Poetry Connection."
  PoetryConnection.net Your Connection to Great
  Poetry. Web. 08 Feb. 2011. lthttp//www.poetryconne
  ction.net/poets/Robert_Burns/5934/commentsgt.
• "To a Louse." Types of Poetry. Web. 08 Feb. 2011.
  lthttp//www.types-of-poetry.org.uk/teen-poetry/37-
  to-a-louse.htmgt.
• "To A Louse." Untitled Document. Web. 08 Feb.
  2011. lthttp//www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/transla
  tions/552.htmgt.