A MAN'S WORTH.

                 In today's world where a man's worth is dictated by the fashion he parades, and luxury he exhibit, recalling the great Scottish poet Robert Burns brings a sense of relief and liberation from these bondage of materialism and commercialization of culture and values. Robert Burns, also known as the 'plough man poet' was the most celebrated Scottish poet ever and one of the pioneers of the Romantic Age. His sensational poems like 'For A' that and A' that', 'The Cotter's Saturday Night,' and 'The Mouse' and even 'The Louse'  reflect on his most pressing concern for the downtrodden Common Man, and the inequality and discrimination based on social status and wealth rampant in the society. This can be best seen in the poem 'For A' that and A' that.

                The first stanza itself reveal Burns at his best. The lines 'dare to be poor for a' that', is a direct challenge to the rich and the ostentatious to spend one day in the shoe of a poor man before being dismissive about him. He mocks at how the rich are so proud of their ranks and the titles - what Burns called 'guinea's stamp' like Knight, Lord etc. This same notion of rich versus poor is found throughout the poem - he calls the world of rich a 'tinsel show' which enables them people to 'strut and stare' and mock and jeer at those who cannot match up to their luxury. The poet alleges them to be nothing but fools for no one truly respects a man of no calibre. but the honest man, the poet declares, pitching in a rather graceful  sense of socialism, who toils in labour everyday, and wears poverty stricken clothes is so much better than all that. And for this man the tinsel show would be meaningless for he is a man of self worth. A man whose happiness and luxury, be it minimum, is still built by his own hands. Despite his poverty he has the integrity to not do dishonorable work to climb the ladder of social mobility. And that is why the 'The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor, is king o' men for a' that.' 
                 This reflects well on Burns, who was not only an ardent believer but an advocator of the principles of equality, freedom and unity - all that which became the legendary slogans of the French Revolution later : Fraternity, Liberty and Equality. The honest man, ever so poor, has an independent mind that is incorruptible and indestructible and therefore is slave to none. Thus he deserve the respect of men more than the 'coof' (idiot) who had in most instances, inherited both wealth and power. The lines  from the second stanza are rather rich yet powerful disputes on the notion of how wealth and power measures a man's value. That is why the poet believed that an honest man would be above such false grandeur of tiles, wealth and authority for the value of a man truly lies in his 'pith o' sense, an' pride o' worth,' the values and ethics which makes him so much better. The 'independent man' as he calls is a man who will not fall prey to the glint and glamour of the world.

                The concluding stanza, however, takes a surprising yet beautiful turn. The mood and the tone of the poet changes from the cynical, outrage to a boom of optimism. He calls for a 'Universal Brotherhood'  - 'That man to man, the warld o'er, shall brothers be for a' that'. - a utopia perhaps where mankind will finally rise above hate and discrimination of people on class and wealth. And this was also what was so remarkable about his poetry and about himself. He was amongst the first to denounce the practices of the elite and demand privilege to the underprivileged, abandonment of the standards imposed by the society on freedom and equality. French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau once wrote, 'Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.' Well Burns was amongst the first to advocate the removal of these 'chains' and the cause of the common man. This and the fact that he moved away from the rigidity and decorum of the Neo-Classical writing and showed affection to all that was considered trivial - this can be seen in his poem 'To a Louse', and this marked the beginning of a new era. And this is why Burns remains to this very days the earliest embodiment of the Romantic Age and most importantly as the critic, Catherine Carswell claims 'a People's poet.'

Pic: By Deviantart Appurva.