To a Mouse by Robert Burns Original Version ~ Modern Translation ~ Theme

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To a Mouseby Robert BurnsOriginal Version
Modern Translation Theme
Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie, O, what
a panic's in thy breastie! Thou need na start
awa sae hasty Wi bickering brattle! I wad be
laith to rin an' chase thee, Wi' murdering
pattle. I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has
broken Nature's social union, An' justifies that
ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy
poor, earth born companion An' fellow mortal!
A Hilly Landscape, 1785 (Thomas Gainsborough)
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I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve What
then? poor beastie, thou maun live! A daimen
icker in a thrave 'S a sma' request I'll get a
blessin wi' the lave, An' never miss't.Thy
wee-bit housie, too, in ruin! It's silly wa's
the win's are strewin! An' naething, now, to big
a new ane, O' foggage green! An' bleak
December's win's ensuin, Baith snell an' keen!
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Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste, An'
weary winter comin fast, An' cozie here, beneath
the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash!
the cruel coulter past Out thro' thy cell.That
wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble, Has cost
thee monie a weary nibble! Now thou's turned
out, for a' thy trouble, But house or hald, To
thole the winter's sleety dribble, An' cranreuch
cauld.
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But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving
foresight may be vain The best laid schemes o'
mice an' men Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us
nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd
joy!Still thou are blest, compared wi' me! The
present only toucheth thee But och! I backward
cast my e'e, On prospects drear! An' forward,
tho' I canna see, I guess an' fear!
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Questions to Consider

• 1. In which line does the tone change and for
  what reason does Burns have the tone shift there?
• 2. Burns acknowledges the mouse has an advantage
  over mankind. What is it?

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Works Cited
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To a Mouse Poetic FormBack to poem
Tone The original is written partially in
Scottish dialect which often sounds like a
foreign language. He could have used The Kings
English but decided not to. The poem is playful
by using a mouse as a metaphor but the message is
far more significant. Rhyme Scheme
AAABAB Meter iambic tetrameter and iambic
dimeter
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Robert Burnsback to poem
Robert Burns 1759-1796 Burns was born in
Ayrshire, Scotland. Growing up in a small,
isolated Scottish village, he seemed to
understand that the few pleasures in a difficult
farming life were all the more precious. He died
of heart disease at a young age due to poor
nutrition and the difficulty of farming life
(Robert Burns).
(Robert Burns)
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Theme back to poem

• The relationship between man and nature is a
  major theme in this poem. Burns devotes the poem
  to contemplating the plight of a field mouse,
  using the mouses circumstances as a metaphor for
  the lower social classes. This sort of romantic
  idealism fits in perfectly with the growing
  social consciousness spreading through Europe
  during this time period. The romantics, already
  infatuated with the beauty of the natural world,
  saw this world as the perfect vehicle for
  exploring the social issues of the day. Burns use
  of a mouse as a stand in for the poor, is a prime
  example of this new thinking.

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Of Mice and Menback to poem
John Steinbeck used this phrase as the title of
his 1937 novel. The novel tells the story of
George Milton and his mentally challenged friend
Lennie Small. The two travel together working
various jobs in an attempt to earn enough money
for a home and life of their own. Set against the
back drop of the Great Depression, the contrast
between those who have and those who have not is
stark. George and Lennie can be viewed as mice
working for a home of their own, only to have the
opportunity taken from them.
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Man's dominionBack to poem
Burns uses this phrase to apologize for human
kind breaking into the natural order of the world
in an attempt to dominate nature. Burns is
clearly sympathizing with the plight of nature,
in this case the mouse. These attitudes reveal
him to be a Romantic poet, as this sort of
introspection and preoccupation with nature is
one of the most notable subjects of the poetry of
the period (Kinsell).
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An' fellow mortal!Back to poem
By referring to the mouse as his fellow mortal,
Burns is not only elevating the status of the
animal, but also revealing that he identifies
with his situation. Himself a farmer, Burns is
always conscience of class distinction. At the
time this poem was written, farmers and ploughmen
led a poor, salt of the earth existence, while
the royal courts, particularly in France, were
dripping with diamonds and decadence. To Burns, a
mouse casually turned out of his home by the
powerful and unaware is representative of the
plight of the lower classes of humanity (Kinsell).
(Hebert)
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Wi' murdering pattleBack to poem
Here we find the image of Burns as the Romantic
farmer. Although he must plough the land to make
a living from it, he sees himself as living in
harmony with nature. He will not use his plough
to murder or destroy but to cultivate and
nurture. This idealized view of mans
relationship with nature is a trademark of the
Romantic age (Perkins).
(Hedges)
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'S a sma' requestBack to poem
Although stealing is normally considered wrong,
Burns feels that the mouse is justified in taking
a small amount of the farmers abundant harvest
if it is necessary for his survival. Burns is at
once humanizing the mouse by referring to his
actions as stealing, while also relegating him to
a primitive status by calling him a poor beast.
The conflict in these images mirrors the conflict
many felt about the human poor during this time
period.
(Pennant)
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An' never miss'tBack to poem
Burns professes that sacrificing a small amount
of his harvest for a hungry animal will bring him
blessings. This idea fits in well with the
humanist worldview of the enlightenment in favor
during this time. Social reforms began to emerge
as major issues as people began to accept the
notion that those with more than enough should
take care of those with too little (Perkins).
(Allan)
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On prospects drear!Back to poem
Here Burns laments that he is not as fortunate as
the mouse, who is only troubled by the present,
rather than the past. The dreary prospects Burns
must remember may include the bloody religious
persecution of the previous century. Although
life in Scotland is fairly peaceful at the
present time, Burns remembers a time when it was
not and worries over an uncertain future
(Cristina Keith).
(Tanner)
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A Hilly LandscapeBack to poem
This painting by Thomas Gainsborough is
representative of the romantic sentiments of the
late 18th century. Soft colours and rounded lines
create a warm landscape. Nature is allowed to run
wild and free, almost obscuring the distant
house. Clearly, the land is more valued than the
man made structure. The key to a happy life, this
painting seems to say, is to live at harmony with
nature, rather than to dominate and obscure the
land. Burns would likely agree with these
sentiments as throughout, To a Mouse the humble
field animal is seen as equal to the ploughman,
and his grass dwelling as important as a human
home.