Wee, sleeket, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
Oh, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty
Wi' bickerin brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee
Wi' murd'ring 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 daimen icker in a thrave
'S a sma' request;
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss 't!
Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!
Its silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's winds ensuin
Baith snell an' keen!
Thou saw the fields laid bare an' wast,
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 turn'd out for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the winter's sleety dribble
An' cranreuch cauld!
But, Mousie, 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'd joy.
Still thou art blest, compar'd 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!
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To Live in the Present
Before Burns, Jesus, and countless wise men, prodding the human soul to live in the present, yet, as Burns points out, we are cursed with rehashing the past and fearing the future. Or, as John Lennon says best, Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans... -
The last stanza
From guest Robert F. Burns (contact)
Reminds me of an analogy found in A.A. Yesterday is history Tomorrow is a mystery All we have is today We call it a Present -
How it connects with John Steinbecks "of mice and men"
From guest Goody Bag (contact)
"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley," This is the quote that Steinbeck uses to show that no matter how much we (as men) plan an scheme the chance of them happening is no more of a mices' plans...The whole theme of his book is showing in the great depression how the ranch life was so futile as no one ever amounted to anything even if they planned or dared to dream so. -
confused
From guest linz (contact)
is there any themes in this poem or was it simply written for fun? -
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I promoted it thinking I was getting a few to read it – clearly simply reading is not enough… just like you I think the whole thrust and particularly the last stanza is as near as we are going to get to perfection!
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Just one question. Why on earth is this poem categorised as humor (or humour)? You've got it all wrong if you think Burns is trying to be funny here. Far from it.
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Please alter sleeket to sleekit. It's a word we still use around these parts. Old English indeed! Burns wrote in pure Ayrshire dialect. The feelings he expresses in this poem are universal - love for Nature, and respect for the creatures who have to live under Man's Dominion. Burns worked as a ploughman, and a pattle (the metal stick used to clean the ploughshare) still exists, though industrialised farming methods have mostly done away with these quaint rural ways. And a coulter is the front of the plough, the piece that cuts into the ground and makes the furrow. The final verse of this poem is so true, that it gives me cold shivers up and down my spine. Burns recognises that the mouse has the better life. Men spend their whole time regretting the past and fearing the future, while the mouse simply makes the most of the present, however much mankind may ruin it. A truly great poem, and thanks for posting it. There's still time to enter my First Degree Burns Competition, by the way, should you feel so inclined.
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You had me in stiches, wonderful write oh how I wish I could do one like this, it was so full of humour, a really great write I loved every minute of it or should I say every line, keep penning we need some more like this
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Hi Matt.
The best laid schemes o'(of) mice an'(and) men
Gang(to go) aft(often) agley, (off the right line)
An'(and) lea'e (leave) us nought but grief an'(and) pain
For promis'd(promised) joy.
Still thou art blest, compar'd (compared) wi'(with) me!
The present only toucheth thee:
I hope this helps clear it up.
Andrew -
what does this mean: The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain
For promis'd joy.
Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
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