Small, sleek, cowering, timorous
beast, O, what a panic is in your
breast! You need not start away
Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie, O, what a
panic's in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae so hasty With hurrying
hasty Wi bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an' scamper! I would be loath to run
chase thee, Wi' murdering pattle. I'm truly sorry man's
dominion Has broken Nature's social union, An'
and chase you, With murdering
justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me,
thy poor, earth born companion An' fellow mortal! Iplough-staff. I'm truly sorry
doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve; What then? poor
man's
dominion Has broken
beastie, thou maun live! A daimen icker in a thrave 'S
a
sma' request; I'll get a blessin wi' the lave, An' neverNature's social union, And
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 newjustifies that ill opinion Which
ane, O' foggage green! An' bleak December's win's
makes thee startle At me, thy
ensuin, Baith snell an' keen! Thou saw the fields laid
bare an' waste, An' weary winter comin fast, An' cozie
poor, earth born companion And
here, beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till
crash! the cruel coulter past Out thro' thy cell. Thatfellow mortal! I doubt not,
wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble, Has cost thee monie a
sometimes, but you may
weary nibble! Now thou's turned out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald, To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
steal; What then? Poor beast, you
An' cranreuch cauld. But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid
must live! An odd ear in twentyschemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us
nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy! Still thoufour sheaves Is a small request; I
are blest, compared wi' me! The present only toucheth
thee: But och! I backward cast my e'e, On prospectswill get a blessing with what is
drear! An' forward, tho' I canna see, I guess an' fear!
left, And never miss it. Your
small house, too, in ruin! It's
feeble walls the winds are
scattering! And nothing now, to
build a new one, Of coarse grass
green! And bleak December's
winds coming, Both bitter and
keen!
Original:
You saw the fields laid bare and
wasted, And weary winter coming
fast, And cozy here, beneath the
blast, You thought to dwell, Till crash!
the cruel plough past Out through your
cell. That small bit heap of leaves and
stubble, Has cost you many a weary
nibble! Now you are turned out, for all
your trouble, Without house or
holding, To endure the winter's sleety
dribble, And hoar-frost cold. But
Mouse, you are not alone, In proving
foresight may be vain: The best laid
schemes of mice and men Go often
askew, And leaves us nothing but grief
and pain, For promised joy! Still you
are blest, compared with me! The
present only touches you: But oh! I
backward cast my eye, On prospects
dreary! And forward, though I cannot
see, I guess and fear!
Robert Burns
Robert Burns, the author of “To A Mouse,” was born
on January 25th 1759 in Ayrshire, Scotland and was a
Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the
national poet of Scotland. Much of his writing is also in
English and a "light" Scots dialect that makes his poems
accessible to countries outside of Scotland. He is best
known as a pioneer of the Romantic Movement for his
lyrical poetry and his re-writing of Scottish folks songs.
Robert Burns had a total of twelve children by four
women, including nine by his wife Jean Armour. One of his
most famous pieces was “To A Mouse.”
1. What is the literal sense of the poem?
Wee smooth coated shy timid creature, do not be
afraid, there is no need to scamper and scuttle away
making such a noise of fear. I am very sorry that
because we as men have to plough the land and so
terrorise you. I can understand why you being so small
an animal is scared. But mouse I want to tell you that I
am your friend and can understand how you feel. I
understand you have to take a few grains of corn to
keep yourself alive. One or two small grains out of
twenty four sheaves will not be missed by me. Your
little nest has been destroyed and blown away by the
wind and shelter to protect you from the stormy
December winds which are cold and biting. Poor little
mouse you have saw the fields bare and there is no
food left.
And winter will be here soon you would be cozie and
comfortable in your nest if I hadn't destroyed it with
my plough. Your little house must have taken you a
long time to make. Now you have been turned out for
all your efforts to brave the winter's sleety dribble
and severe hoar frost. But my little friend you are not
alone with your troubles perhaps it is just as well that
we only know what is happening minute by minute,
hour by hour, day by day.
No matter how well you planned for the future your
plan may have to be altered to suit the new
circumstances, if may be painful to do all this but if
we are to survive we have to make the best out of any
set back. But mouse if it is any comfort to you I too
have many problems but my problems are much
more serious than yours. We as humans can look and
think either backwards or plan for the future. As I
look forward I can only make a guess at what might
happen. At the thought of what might happen I am
afraid and I dread of a bleak future for me too.
2. What is the diction of the
poem?
This poem has a colloquial language.
Ex: Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
The poem does create vivid expressions by
manipulating syntax. It uses many adjectives
to describe the mouse and it’s wee-ness/
helplessness.
Diction continued:
There are a few words which have other connotations
such as:
Timorous beast: refers to the mouse.
And bleak December’s winds coming: refers to winter.
The best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew:
this famous quote means that there are schemes which
go wrong even though they are planned carefully.
The etymology in this poem is early 16th century with
slight Germanic origins.
3. What are the tone and mood
of the poem?
The tone and mood of this poem is calm and
collective.
This poem is serious/ sad since the author is
addressing the mouse saying that he is sorry for
man’s violence against it.
The poem evokes a sense of sadness towards the
mouse. I feel compelled to support the author’s
crazy feeling of sadness towards the mouse as it
possesses a helpless nature.
4. What is the rhetorical
situation implied by the
poem?
• The author of the poem is speaking to the mouse. He
wants the mouse to know that he cares and feels
sympathy for the mouse.
• The speaker is not speaking to me, but I am over
hearing what the author is saying to the mouse.
5. Does the poem use figurative
language?
a. Does it contain any similes: the comparison of
one thing with something else using "like" or "as"?
No it does not contain ANY similes.
Robert Burns does use a few metaphors where he is
comparing the cold wind to winter. He also refers to
few quotes which are important.
c. Does it use personification: attributing human
qualities to an inanimate object or an abstract
concept?
He does mention the winds of winter are coming. This
symbolizes personification. He also mentions that the
fields are bare and wasted.
6. What kind of imagery does
the poem use?
a. What mental pictures (representations that can be visualized) does it
create?
It made me visualize and compare what mouse has to go through to survive.
Burns talks about how tough it is to be a mouse and all of it’s problems.
b. What do you see, hear, taste, smell, touch in your imagination through the
words of the poem?
There is a lot of imagery: “ fields laid bare and wasted “
“ Nature’s social union”
c. Does the poem use symbolism: an image that has a meaning beyond what it
literally represents?
Yes, it does. “The best laid schemes of mice and men Go often askew,” this line
is stating that even the best plans may fail.
7. How does sound contribute to the effect
of the poem?
a. Does it have rhyme, either exact or approximate repetition of a final sound?
It does have rhyme but there is not a exact or approximate repetition of the final sound. There is
random rhyme scheme in this poem. One stanza will contain rhymes and the next will not.
b. Does it use repetition of sounds, words, lines, refrains?
There is no repetition of sounds, words, lines ,refrain.
c. Does it contain alliteration: repetition of consonant sounds, particularly
initial consonants (the first sound in a word), either within or between lines?
The first line contains an alliteration. “Small, sleek, cowering timorous beast”
d. Is there assonance: the repetition of a vowel sound in a line or passage?
it does not have assonance.
e. Are any of the words onomatopoeic: approximately representing the sound
of the thing they represent?
There is no onomatopoeia in the poem.
f. Is the effect of these devices cacophony: harsh or discordant sounds, or
euphony: pleasing, harmonizing sounds?
There was no such thing as cacophony in the poem. There is cacophony in the original version of the
poem since it was written in a different dialect.
8. How is the poem
structured?
a. Does it have a standard form, as, for example, of a sonnet?
It does not have a standard form
b. Does it have stanzas: lines grouped together, or is it free
verse: having no formal structure?
This poem has 8 stanzas, with each stanza containing 6 lines. It has a
formal structure
c. Is there a rhyme pattern: a repeated order of rhyme at the
ends of lines within or between stanzas?
There is not a rhyme pattern, but there are random rhymes all over the
poem. Some stanzas have rhymes and some don’t.