Robert Burns’ “To a Mouse” Essay Example for Free

Robert burn down To a reverse EssayIn the poems Robert destroy To a Mouse and The Mouses Petition by Anna Letitia Barbauld, legion(predicate) feelings and emotions about mice are brought forth. piece of music both poems were written by different authors, many of the feelings they share towards mice are common. The analysis of the 2 poems testament help to find the comparisons and differences in estimate, political and social issues, diction, and intuitive feeling. Examples from the poems will help to show the patient ofredities and differences in the two. The tone of each poet in the poems, many similarities be go far evident. Both poets portray a sad and guilty tone when talking about mice. When Barbauld begins to write about what she believes the mouse is feeling inside of the test cage, the reader gets an thought process how the poet may similarly feel.For here forlorn and sad I sit, within the wiry grate. (Barbauld, 5-6) Barbauld uses a crinkle in the poem to show how she thinks the mouse is feeling. Robert burn down expresses an equal amount of remorse for the mouse in his poem. He does so by using his sad regretful and remorseful tone, much handle Barbauld. Im truly sorry mans dominion has broken Natures social union. (Burns, l.7-8) Burns makes it obvious how he feels by using his tones throughout the poem to relay a core of guilt and sadness. The two poems share identical endings Burns as well as Barbauld make audience to the fact that mice are much like men. Barbauld sharpens, So when destruction lurks unseen, which men, like mice, may share. (Barbauld, l.45-48) Oddly enough, language to a mouse in the equivalent tone, Burns states, The best-laid schemes o mice an men Gang aft a-gley. (Burns, l.39-40) bandage both poems are written by different poets, in different courses, the two share the same tone to help portray their views of mice and how they are misunderstood.The themes in both of the poems are very similar also both poems are about mice and their life changing find outs with them. The common theme in Anna Barbaulds, A Mouses Petition, is cruelty and unfairness. The mouse Barbauld speaks of is being used for tests in a science lab, and will last be killed in such experiments. Anna writes through poem that this act is unjust and should not happen to such a creature. Through the use of the poem she tries to tell the scientist Beware, lest in the worm you crush, a br another(prenominal)s soul you find. (Barbauld, l.35-36) Barbauld relates that putting to death a mouse is not morally different from taking the life of a fellow man. The poems theme is effective and pushes the reader to feel sorrow for the poor mouse. In To a Mouse by Robert Burns, the current themes are guilt and fear.Burns knows what mice are up to, drop awaying his food from his crops and ruining his walls within his sept to make homes of their own. Burns however, does not care because he himself feels guilty for the little m ice. Burns feels like pull down though they may be a nuisance to some macrocosm, the mice moderate no choice besides to do these things to live to see another day. I doubt na, whiles, but thou may abstract What then? Poor beastie, thou maun live (Burns l.13-14) Burns explains why he is not bothered that the mice steal his food. Burns also has the theme of fear in his poem. The mice fear men, and for good reason, Burns is aware of this and makes marginal effort to scare the mice while they are at work.An justifies that ill opinion which makes thee startle, (Burns, l.9-10) Burns discusses how the fear mice brook for men is due to the brutes who confuse no patience to understand what the mice go through. While the two poems slang different themes, one being cruelty and unfairness and the other being guilt and fear, the themes are similar in the fashion that both poets show remorse for the mice and what they go through. Barbauld never once mentions how mice may in fact have it easier than humans do, but in the final lines from To a Mouse Burns does indicate being a mouse may sometimes be easier.Still thou art goddam compared wi me (Burns, l.43) Burns states that even though a mouse may not want to be a human, Burns believes a mouse has the ability to solely live in the present, and cannot remember the past or have to think of the future. Burns shares the dread he feels when he must remember the past or think about the future. Burns wishes he never had such a burden, and believes mice would not want to have such a burden either. For this reason while the two poems themes are very similar, they still have striking differences in how they view mice and men.Many Political issues were raised when the two poems were written. In 1773, the same yr The Mouses Petition was written, the Boston tea smashy movement had happened. This happened soon after the British parliament granted it a monopoly to the North American tea trade. While this made the British conten ted it was the beginning of a revolt by the Americans. They felt they should not have to be taxed for their own goods. The Americans fought top by raiding the tea ships going to the British and dumping all the tea into the ocean. While this was a revolt for the Americans, for the British not much had happened except for the fact they had seen what happens as a result of hatful being pushed into something they didnt want to do. This connection can be made to the Mouse in A Mouses Petition because the mouse did not want to be a test undetermined but was forced to do so, left without a choice.Wither or not Barbaulds theme was affected by the Boston Tea Party movement or not, the two happening in the same year seems to be enough of a connection to assume this was an effect. In 1785, the same year To a Mouse was written, Scotland was under the beginning of the highland clearances. Before 1785 many families and clans were getting relocated to other parts of Scotland so that the land co uld be used to raise big black sheep instead. The success of relocating humans for the use of their land became so popular that the evil countess of Sutherland used the threat of clearances to blackmail every schoolgirlish man on her vast estates to enlist in her regiment.She then evicted their families later anyway. One is left to honor if Burns was forced to take part in one of these dreadful moves, or simply had to experience seeing these events happen. Either way having to leave your land unexpectedly would take a toll on your mind mentally and physically. Especially if you were sent to war with promise your land would be safe, but to come back realizing your land had been taken away anyways.In, To a mouse, burns refers by stating through a part of his poem that he does not like the fact that he can remember the past, The present only touchect thee But och I backward cast my ee On prospects drear An forward though I canna see, I guess an fear (Burns, l.49-53) Burns talks abou t how looking back on the past brings him disappointment and sorrow. Maybe this is because he was in the middle of relocation or had already bypast through one due to the highland clearance. While material has not proven or disproven that Burns was a part of the highland clearance one can be left wondering if those events had an restore on his poem.The poetic diction in the two poems is very unique. While both use big money of illustrations, there vocabulary is much different. This is partly because Burns uses a Scotish accent in his poems to give sour the Scotch feel. Barbauld uses regular 1700s English, much like other poets of the time from Britain. Burnss Scottish accent is used in the poem to give the reader an idea what it would sound like if he himself was to recite the poem. While the reader may not understand as quickly as if breeding in regular English, it helps to read the poem exactly like it would be read. While at commencement it is a challenging task to unders tand, it later becomes simple to translate. Barbaulds poem is much to a greater extent generic for what the poems looked like in her area in the 1700s, there is no accent used like in Burnss which makes the initial reading of her poem much easier.One thing To a Mouse and A Mouses Petition have in common is there use of metaphors. Burns uses metaphor less often than Barbauld, An bleak Decembers winds ensuin, Baith snell and keen (Burns l.28-29) Burns discusses with the mouse about how the pass winds are sharp like a knife, a metaphor for the winter wind being refrigerated and seeming like it can go right through your body. Barbauld uses metahphors more frequently, May some kind angel clear thy path, And break the hidden snare. (Barbauld, l.47-48) Barbauld is saying metaphorically that she hopes the man has a sudden mixed bag of mind and his thoughts are changed for the good, not to use the mouse as a scientific test dummy.The two poems being compared and contrasted show that the t wo are not so different. While there are many similarities and differences analysing political and social issues, diction, and tone have helped to find these similarities and differences. The two poems about mice are much more complex than the initial read. The reader must dig deep into the meanings of the poems, the diction, the time they were written, the social issues that were happening in those times, and the poets tones to reveal the true meanings of the poems.Works CitedBurns, R. To a Mouse. The Longman Anthology British Literature. David Damrosch and Kevin J.H. Dettmar. Pearson Education, 2010. 359-360. Latitita, A. The Mouses Petition. The Longman Anthology British Literature. David Damrosch and Kevin J.H. Dettmar. Pearson Education, 2010. 62-63.