Makar Mondays: To A Louse!
Channel: Saint Andrew's Society of San Francisco
Date: 2021-02-02

This week on Makar Mondays, Willie Hardie gives us a rendition of “To a Louse” written by Robert Burns in 1786. The poet had gone to church one day, and he was sitting right behind an elegant lady. However, he was surprised to discover a louse creeping out of her head and on to her bonnet. He was also amused at noting the lady's reactions and the people around her in light of this incident and decided to write a poem about it. However, the poem is not as simple as it seems. Behind the simple description, Burns is making a comment on the vanity of human nature. By making such ridiculous statements, the poet tries to expose how artificial the concept of class is. It is a man-made institution. To a louse, such an institution is both is unknown and has no value. Hence, any head is equal to another in its eyes. A man should also perceive each other in this way and prevent any discrimination amongst one another. #Burns #Scotland #MakarMondays #Equality

Film Produced and Edited by Alex J Sinclair