The Bard of Scotland, as he’s known, Robert Burns’ poetry, while undeniably associated with his Scottish homeland, has nonetheless become popular the world over.

Robert Burns was born in Alloway, Scotland in 1759, the first of seven children born to William and Agnes Burness. William Burness was a poor tenant farmer who educated his children at home and in an “adventure school” that he founded with John Murdock. When William Burness died penniless in 1784, young Robert and his brother Gilbert took over the family farm.

Robert Burns began writing poetry at the age of fifteen, inspired by his first love. Between 1784 and 1785, Burns began writing the poems that would make up his first book, Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, which was printed by subscription in 1786. Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was an immediate, unqualified success, gaining Burns recognition throughout the British Isles, where he became known as the “peasant-poet.” It was upon the publication of this book that Burns changed the spelling of his name.

While Burns dedicated himself to his poetry, he left plenty of time for other business – including fathering fourteen children by various women, only one of which was his wife. Burns’ biographer DeLancey Ferguson wrote amusingly that “it was not so much that [Burns] was conspicuously sinful as that he sinned conspicuously.” Burns was also a Freemason, and dedicated much time to the Lodge, which resulted in his being named the Poet Laureate of the Freemasons.

In 1788, Burns left the family farm and along with his wife, Jean Armour, settled in Ellisland, Scotland. He continued to write poetry, but also began collecting songs and poems native to Scotland for The Scots Musical Museum, a collection of volumes of Scottish songs. This work in collecting songs spilled over into Burns’ poetry; much of his poetry after this time were in Scots dialect, and documented Scottish traditions and culture.

Burns died in 1796 at the untimely age of 37. His youngest son, Maxwell, was born on the day of Burns’ burial. After his death, a memorial edition of his poems was published to raise money for the support of his wife and children, who were also forced to live off the donations of Burns’ fans after his death.

Robert Burns will be remembered not only for his poetry, but for his efforts to preserve his Scottish heritage. It is through his efforts that we sing “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s Eve and compare love to the red rose.

Some of Burns’ best-known poems are:

To a Mouse

My Heart is in the Highlands

There’ll Never Be Peace Till Jamie Comes Home