Poetry Friday: Hand in Hand We’ll Go
January 25 is Robbie Burns Day which is celebrated in many English-speaking parts of the world. Here in Canada, there are traditional celebrations as well as some wonderfully hybrid ones like Gung Haggis Fat Choy started in Vancouver by Todd Wong. Of course, the celebrations center on the beloved Scots poet, Robert Burns whose work is widely recited that day. Hand in Hand We’ll Go: Ten Poems by Robert Burns (illustrated by Nonny Hogrogian, Thomas E. Crowell Company, 1965) is an introduction for children to the Scottish bard’s most famous poems such as “A Red, Red Rose” from which come the immortal lines “And I will luve thee still, my dear,/Till a’ the seas gang dry.” At the back of the book is a short glossary of Scottish terms. One of my favorite terms was ‘cranreuch’ for hoar-frost — the sight of which makes Canadian winters seem magical if not too ‘cauld’ for one’s liking!
I have yet to go to a Robbie Burns night here in Canada, but I certainly enjoyed getting a taste of his poetry in Hand in Hand We’ll Go, which by the way, is beautifully illustrated with woodcuts by Caldecott medal-winning artist Nonny Hogrogian. It’s a book well worth seeking out for a wintry January read.
Poetry Friday this week is hosted by Jim at Hey, Jim Hill.
January 27th, 2012 at 8:01 am
[...] PaperTigers is in with a post on the Scottish poet Robert Burns. [...]
January 27th, 2012 at 3:27 pm
As a 3/4 Scot, I am, of course, a fan of Burns
Have you read Tam O’ Shanter ?- now there’s a story for Hallowe’en! But you’re right about the need for a glossary – though I do find it’s often easier to understand if you read it aloud.
January 27th, 2012 at 4:02 pm
Gung Haggis Fat Choy! Wow! Burns’ popularity goes on. I shared something about Robbie Burns’ birthday a few years ago, and that post still gets a lot of visits. (I mentioned him more recently re: John Lithgow’s Poets Corner CDs.) “Hand in Hand We’ll Go” looks good. Thanks!
January 27th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
The book looks like a wonderful introduction for younger students, too (upper grades). I’ll certainly bookmark it for a TBR list. Thanks for sharing about the celebrations going on in Canada.
January 27th, 2012 at 11:14 pm
I love woodcut illustrations. First i learned of it was throughh Lynd Ward’s wordless book The Silver Pony – also with wood cut illustrations. This sounds like a glorious book. My ten year old has a gift of mimicking accents, she likes the Irish brogue, British twang, i have a feeling she’d like this one too. Thanks for sharing.
January 28th, 2012 at 10:47 am
My husband and I went to a Robbie Burns Day celebration years ago in an old stone church somewhere in London – much reading and sipping whiskey and so on. I’ll have to do this again! Thanks for sharing.
January 28th, 2012 at 1:29 pm
Sally -
Come hang out with me! In the past week I’ve taken my daughter to dance at 5 Robbie Burns celebrations!! Funny enough after 8 years of being involved with Highland dancing, it wasn’t until this week that I learned Auld Lang Syne was written by Robbie Burns.
January 29th, 2012 at 4:20 am
I need to live in a place that has a holiday for a POET instead of just for presidents…oops, that sounded disrespectful…how about ALONG WITH holidays for presidents!
January 29th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
I agree with Mary Lee! How great it is that you celebrate poets with national holidays! It’s a much more civilized place!