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A poem by Robert Burns about a mouse's unfortunate fate due to human interference, highlighting the uncertainties of life and the best-laid plans going awry.
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To A Mouse By: Robert Burns By: Abhishek Soma and Justin Yang
Small, sleek, cowering, timorous beast, O, what a panic is in your breast! You need not start away so hasty With hurrying scamper! I would be loath to run and chase you, With murdering plough-staff. I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken Nature's social union, And justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor, earth born companion And fellow mortal! I doubt not, sometimes, but you may steal; What then? Poor beast, you must live! An odd ear in twenty-four sheaves Is a small request; I will get a blessing with what is 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! 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! • Original: • Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie, O, what a panic's in thy breastie! Thou need na start awasae 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! I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve; What then? poor beastie, thou maun live! A daimenicker in a thrave 'S a sma' request; I'll get a blessinwi' 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, Baithsnell an' keen! 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' cranreuchcauld. ButMousie, 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'djoy! 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!
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 freeverse: 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.
