Show 40 IN the poem A Winter Night are portrayed all the strong elements of Burns' Burns passionate fervor except that of romantic love All his intense s sm- sm path pathy with nature and natures nature's children and all his impetuous protests against the oppressions of power all his scorn of f servility here find a voice The poem throughout is colored with the intense and sometimes almost hopeless hopeless hope hope- less gloom which seems to have been a apart apart apart part of Burns' Burns character r. r For a poem so sad and solemn the most perfect setting has been chosen There is nothing premeditated everything grows out of the situation When there shines but dimly far south the lift in that inhospitable clime dime we may easily imagine that to so sensitive a mind as that of Burns only sad ghosts of thought would come dim- dim darkening through the flaky And at night when the storm is is raging when the snow is drifting in great heaps choking the barns poor labor sweet in sleep is locked but the there re are still the ourie cattle the wee helpless helpless helpless help help- less birds and the silly sheep toiling through the drifts nay even those more savage creatures that toil on on murdering murdering murdering mur mur- dering errands demanding the poets poet's sympathy and coming in for a share of his more than human pi pity ty It h has s been said that Burns is too bitter in his denunciation of the usurpations ions of wealth and power Perhaps so But when we consider how delicately formed was his mind how well calculated to burst forth in the m most st peg perfect music or orthe or orthe orthe the harshest discord according to the way in which its keys were touched the the wonder is not that he was so bitter hitter but that he was not rot more bitter It should he be remembered that only the woes of poverty were thoroughly known to Burns He could easily see who were the oppressors of the poor wealth and rank had the upper hand and no mild protest with reason above as its basis could have the desired effect of bringing about a more equal distribution of ad ad- vantages Wealth and rank never listened to reason in those days they were not rational beings who held these advantages any more than were those who cringed and cried ou out t under the lash of their power Besides there is in many of these outbursts as much rebellion against what i is unworthy in inthe inthe inthe the poet himself as condemnation of faults in others He never never puts on gloves to handle his own short comings he is as bitter hitter against Mad Ambition whose influence upon himself he does not deny as he lie is against oppression pride luxury flattery and malice Burns never hid anything we always see the whole man All the noblest ideals and all the basest passions in their turn find expression i in n his verse The ideal poet is not perfection if he were he could not reach the hearts of imperfect wavering humanity But with all his gloom reaching sometimes almost the point of despair Burns is his not a misanthrope notwithstanding wild he blue fits and his protests has somehow a dim conception of the truth that ultimately all compensations are equal that there is but one goal for all humanity and that power can no nomore nomore nomore more help being oppressive than poverty can help being unfortunate Morning always dawns for him no matter how dark and gloomy the nig night ht Chanticleer Chanticleer Chanticleer Chanti cleer rouses him with the rest of mor- mor If t this ls more or less unfortunate Life begins again light is abroad again light r- r and love and helpful sympathy and like God-like benevolence these benevolence these constitute the poets poet's bliss and are the essence of his song W. W G. G Roylance |