Robert Burns: Mice In A Field

Robert Burns: Mice in a Field

Robert Burns was a man with little hope that overcame adversity and became Scotland’s most celebrated poet. Burns was born on January 25th, 1759 in Alloway, United Kingdom (Brown 33). He grew up near Southern Scotland, in the hilly countryside (“Robert”). Robert Burns received very limited education growing up. He often educated himself by reading English influenced literature. As the eldest of seven children, Robert Burns felt the responsibility to help his father with the struggling family farm (Cochran 177). When his father passed away he felt as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he could pursue his actual dreams. Robert Burns then moved to Edinburgh in 1784 and began writing poetry.

The setting of the poem takes place in Scotland. Burns brings the reading into this setting by using Standard Habbie, which is Scottish language (Cochran 180). Each stanza in “To a Mouse” is composed of four lines of iambic pentameter and two lines of iambic dimeter (Cochran 180). The rhyme scheme of the poem is aaabab (Cochran 180). The punctuation used throughout the poem is commas and explanation points. Burns uses explanation points to help the farmer drive in the point that its easier to live in the present rather than worrying about the past and the future. The sounds of the poem mirror a Scottish brogue, as he often includes words such as, wee, thy, and o’. In each stanza the first line rhymes with the second, third, and fifth and the four line rhymes with the sixth. For example, in lines 4 and 6 in the poem you see “brattle” and “prattle” (“Burns”). The poet uses terms such as beastie and mousie to liken the mouse to the reader. This draws in the reader and makes them sympathize with the mouse. In the fourth line of the poem Burns using alliteration by saying, “Bickerin brattle” (“Burns”). He uses this to add to the rhythm to the poem. Robert Burns also uses assonance in the poem. In lines 19-20 he says, “Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin! It’s silly wa’s the win’s are strewin!” (“Burns”). This emphasizes the vowel e and helps that part of the poem flow

At first the farmer does not care that he ran over the mouse’s nest, similar to how society ignores those in poverty. As the poem progresses he begins to feel sorry for the mouse and understands the struggles the mouse goes though. This begins to open the reader’s eyes to those less fortunate around them that get overlooked everyday. The main message from the poem is the struggle between man and nature. In a sense man is like a wrecking ball that destroys anything in it’s path. There is this false belief that mankind is better than all else. Man is blinded by what is around it, much like the farmer not seeing the mouse’s home. The mouse trembles in the presence of the human, because in the mouse’s eyes all man is worried about is its final destination, its not worried about what it takes to get their or the impact it makes. In line 39-40 the farmer says, “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley ” (“Burns”). This popular line became the name of a book called “Of Mice and Men.” This famous book had a premise where two men, George and Lennie dreamed about having their own farm, but ultimately, in the end that plan failed. In that line the farmer begins to look at the world from the mouse’s viewpoint he sees a very similar world. He begins to realize that