Robert Burns: Poems, Songs and Legacy (FutureLearn)

You’ll examine poems, songs, manuscripts, and objects used to commemorate the poet. You’ll also develop your understanding of Robert Burns’s posthumous reputation - from Burns Suppers and Burns Night through to Hogmanay.

What topics will you cover?

• The cultural reputation of Robert Burns as patriot, lover, and man of the people
• Robert Burns as poet and songwriter
• Major works such as ‘Scots Wha Hae’, ‘Ae Fond Kiss’, ‘A Man’s a Man’, ‘The Vision’, and ‘Auld Lang Syne’
• The commemoration of Burns in material culture
• The international celebrity and legacy of Burns

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

• Explore the poems, songs and legacy of Robert Burns
• Discuss the reputation of Burns as a national and international poet
• Collaborate with other learners in researching and mapping examples of Burns's global reach
• Develop an understanding of Burns's place in Scottish literary tradition
• Engage with diverse media related to the study of Burns, including poems, song recordings, videos, images, maps, and manuscripts