The genius and character of Robert Burns. An essay and criticism on his life and writings, with quotations from the best passages

John Wilson

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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES THE GENIUS AND CHARACTER OF ROBEPtT BURNS. AN ASn (J SESUAY CRITICISM .V HI LIFE AND WRITINGS, WITH FROM THEQUOTATIONS BEST PASSAGES. JOHN WILSON. LATE PKOFE880R OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY IN THE UXIVEB3ITY OF EDINBVRGH. " wc are far from that the of Bums's has yet been ade-Nevertheless, thinking probleia Biojp-aphy —eo much lo of facts or of these we ! solved. We do not allude deficiency documents, thoughqiialely are some fiesti accession as to the limited and of iheni \ still every day receiving ; icaperfect application to the end of Our notions this extravagant ; but , great Biography. upon suUject may perhaps appear if an individual is of enough lo have his life and character recorded for puMicreally consequeuce have been of that the to be made wiih allretnetnbrance, we always public ought acquaintetJopinion, (he inward and relations of his character. How did the world and man's from hisspringe life, particu- lar themselves lo his mind? How did circumstances modify him fr t ^ -4 NEW YORK: GOWANSWILLIAM O 1 3 2 !^1861, 0^ b i t^ 1 « •in 4 ^' 1 k. \ %. » « til • 1 lit ,u 4 ON THE GENIUS AND OF BURNS.CHARACTER BY PROFESSOR WILSON. «^ Burns far the that ever from the13 by poet sprunggreatest bosom of the and lived and died in an humble condition.people, haveno in the world but Scotland couldIndeed, country pro- for ever as the'! duced such a and he will beman; regarded of the of his He wascountry.

Sujets

• Burns

Informations

• Publié par: les_archives_du_savoir
• Nombre de lectures: 6
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
AT LOS ANGELESTHE
GENIUS AND CHARACTER
OF
ROBEPtT BURNS.
AN ASn (J SESUAY CRITICISM .V HI
LIFE AND WRITINGS,
WITH FROM THEQUOTATIONS BEST PASSAGES.
JOHN WILSON.
LATE PKOFE880R OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY IN THE UXIVEB3ITY OF EDINBVRGH.
"
wc are far from that the of Bums's has yet been ade-Nevertheless, thinking probleia Biojp-aphy
—eo much lo of facts or of these we
! solved. We do not allude deficiency documents, thoughqiialely
are some fiesti accession as to the limited and of iheni
\ still every day receiving ; icaperfect application
to the end of Our notions this extravagant ; but
, great Biography. upon suUject may perhaps appear
if an individual is of enough lo have his life and character recorded for puMicreally consequeuce
have been of that the to be made wiih allretnetnbrance, we always public ought acquaintetJopinion,
(he inward and relations of his character. How did the world and man's from hisspringe life, particu-
lar themselves lo his mind? How did circumstances modify him fr<unposition, represent co-existing
within ? With what what rule over
! without how did he modify these froni endeavours and etficacy
;
with what resistance and wliai sink under them? In one what and how
\ them ; sulTering word, pro-
duced was the effect on 7 He who should answer these in lo individual,society quealions, regard any
\
. T. CARLYLE,as we believe, furnish a model of perfection inwould, biography.'*
* » . » .
V t> t ^ -4
NEW YORK:
GOWANSWILLIAM
O 1 3 2 !^1861,
0^ b it^ 1 «
•in 4
^'
1 k. \ %. » « til
• 1 lit,u
4
ON THE
GENIUS AND OF BURNS.CHARACTER
BY PROFESSOR WILSON.
«^
Burns far the that ever from the13 by poet sprunggreatest
bosom of the and lived and died in an humble condition.people,
haveno in the world but Scotland couldIndeed, country pro-
for ever as the'! duced such a and he will beman; regarded
of the of his He wascountry.s^' glorious representative genius
born a if ever man and to' his native alone ispoet, was, genius
the of his fame. For he had neverowing perpetuity manifestly
an nor reasoned much aboutstudied as art,very deeply poetry
its nor looked abroad with the wide ken of intellect\ principles,
for and on which to out his^ subjects pour inspiration.objects
i^'iie condition of the of theScotland,peasantry happiest, per-
of wasthat to the children labor,^ haps, providence ever^llowed
him as the field ofnot and on poetry,surveyed speculated by|s?
but as the field of his own existence and he clironicled the
;
events that not as food for histhere,passed merely imagination
whenas a but as food for his heart as a man. Hence,poet,
from theto cameinspired compose poetry, poetry gushing up
well of his human and he had more to do,affections, nothing
tlian to streams a in ameadow,pour it.'like irrigating many
ofcheerful tide over the flowers and verduredrooping fading
andlife. Imbued with vivid warmperceptions, feelings, strongTHE GENIUS AND
he sent his own existence into that of all
passions, things,
animate and around iiiin and not an occurrence ininanimate, ;
or in the oftown,liamlet, village, affecting any way happiness
the human but roused as keen an interest in the soul ofheart,
and as a as if it had con-Burns, genial sympathy, immediately
cerned himself and his own individual w^elfarc. Most other
of on itrural life have lookuu the aerial veil ofpoets through
—often no such conceal-beautified, doubt,imagination by partial
and with a softness more delicate than thement, beaming misty
But Burns would not thus histruth. where heindulge fancy
—had felt felt so all the and all the trans-
poignantly, agonies
of life. He looked around and when he saw thehim,ports
smoke of the and unbroken torising up quietly heaven,cottage
he for he had seen and blessed the and un-knew, it, quiet joy
broken contentment tliat below and •when he saw itslept ;
driven and the he knew also but toowinds, well,dispersed by
for too had he felt those and disturbancesth(3m,sorely agitations
which had shook him till he on his chaff bed. Inwept reading
his we know what unsubslantial dreams aretherefore,poetry,
of bliss beamsall those the But us with agolden age. upon
the dimmore thatsubduing brightness through melancholy
shrouds life and when the Burns rises in his;lowly peasant up
as Burns the and is seen to derive all that
might poet, might
from the life which at this hour the of Scotland arepeasantry
our hearts within because tliat such is ourleap us,leading,
and such the of her children. There is nocountry, nobility
no no no falsehood in thedelusion, affectation, exaggeration,
anof Bunfs's He like untamed enthu-spirit poetry. rejoices
a and inand he like Insiast, weeps prostra^ penitent. joy
man : some of his finest effusions werethe wholegrief appears
before he left the fields of his and whenout childhood,poured
for other auditors than his own and thehe heart,scarcely hoped
dwellers of the hamlet. lie wrote not to or sur-pleasesimple ——others we of those first effusions but in his ownspeakprise
creative and even after he had discovered his todelight ; power
kindle the of nature wherever the effectsluiffl)ercd,sparks they
to haveto be seldom seems been considered by him,produced
not fail to the sameassured that his couldpoetry produce pas-