Picture this: in the 1700s, a poet from Scotland united his fellow countrymen by showing them how to respond to the rich and powerful. He recommended laughter. Meet Robert Burns – known as the “ploughman poet” – who grew up doing backbreaking field work during the day and learning French and Latin by candlelight. He reinvigorated Scottish identity by writing in Scottish vernacular. He supported social equity, economic justice, and the American revolution. He wrote fan mail — in an ode — to George Washington. If you have ever sung “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s Eve, you have sung one of his songs.
Burns, Robert. “A Man’s A Man for A’ That.” Robert Burns In Your Pocket: A Biography, And Selected Poems and Songs, of Scotland’s National Poet. Waverly Books, 2009.