s a tax inspector. While collecting taxes, Burns had met up with James Johnston who he had met in Edinburgh. Johnston had asked Burns for help rewriting songs for his ‘Scots Musical Museum’. Burns proved himself to be a gifted and prolific songwriter, both in writing new lyrics and in rewriting new lyrics for old Scottish tunes. Burns considered the work to be in the service of his country and refused payment. Burns revealed many of his interests in his songs. His patriotism rings in such verses as ‘Scots Wha Hae wi’ Wallace Bled’, though it was first written anonymously, it was nothing less than a cry for liberty and independence for Scotland. His romantic self is expressed in his love songs, ‘My Jean’, ‘A Red,Red Rose’ and ‘The Banks o’ Doon’. The last years of Burns’ life were dedicated to his greatest works such as ‘The Lea Rig’, ‘Tam O’Shanter’ and ‘A Red,Red Rose’. He died when he was thirty seven years old on July 21,1796 the same day Jean gave birth to his last son, Maxwell. Robert Burns was a man before his time. His style of writing had distinct characteristics of the Romantic Period, though he was twenty years early. It showed emotions instead of reason, imagination instead of logic and creativity rather than intuition. Burns paved the way for future Romanticists, showing them that individualism rather than conformity can be accepted. It would be okay if their imagination longed to dwell on far-off, exotic lands. Unlike the Neoclassicists who had been interested exclusively in their own times and contemporary society. ...
