LONDON -- Although their heart is in Scotland, the poems of Robert Burns have made a massive impact throughout the world.
The titles of both John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye were based on poems by Burns ("To a Mouse" and "Comin' Thro' the Rye", respectively). One of his most famous works, "Auld Lang Syne", is sung annually on 31 December by thousands of people in various countries, their hands linked, as they welcome in the New Year.
He's such a hero in his homeland that he even has a night dedicated to him; "Burns Night" takes place on 25 January and involves plenty of singing and Haggis-themed merriment.
From green valleys to red, red roses, here are some of Burns' most evocative and memorable lines.
1.
From "Auld Lang Syne".
2.
From "To a Mouse".
3.
From "A Red, Red Rose".
4.
From "A Red, Red Rose".
5.
From "John Anderson my Jo".
6.
From "Up in the Morning Early".
7.
From "Afton Water".
8.
From "O, Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast".