Rabbie Burns, uncut

From today's Times of London, some commentary on the bowdlerization of Burns' legacy:

Ever since the first Burns celebrations in 1801, the emphasis has been on celebrating his life in a dull, formalised way that seems at odds with the way he chose to live. . .

While the good folk want their Burns, they only want the stuff fit for the shortbread tin; they don’t want the cask-strength Burns that brought rude uproar to many a fireside. We are left with the “nice poems” that allow people to say they like Burns without having to admit that most of what he attacked and loathed lives on in their person. Burns Night as we know it has become little more than a gesture, like vegetarian haggis. . .

Many good Scots remain untroubled by such works as Nine Inch Will Please a Lady. Fewer still will know of the activities of Cooper O’Cuddy and how a meeting with him might affect your ability to sit down. . .

The Gard’ner Wi’ His Paidle is a case in point. While for the gentile it is a delightful evocation of the work involved in tending a garden, it is also a dirty tale of a man who seems to fertilise everything he comes in to contact with. Without both sides to its story this poem is little more than a ditty.

Posted by David on January 25, 2004 5:09 PM