"After Apple Picking" is a poem on the curtain that divides life and death, as well as the connection between death and sleep. Its central emblem, the apple, has long been associated with life in many cultures—the apple recalls the Norse golden apples of Idun, which the gods must consume in order to remain youthful and everlasting. The image of the apple also represents knowledge and immortality, as well as temptation and destruction. Thus, the apple picks us humans up and carries us away from death, while at the same time threatening to destroy us. Other common symbols for "after apple picking" include: seeds for future growth, a wagon full of fruit trees, and a moonlit night. The poem was written by Robert Burns in 1785 when he was 26 years old. He was born into poverty in the Scottish village of Ayr and died in debt and obscurity in Edinburgh at the age of 57. His parents were farmers and they had seven children. When he was only three years old his father was killed in a farming accident and his mother went to work to support her family. Despite these hardships, Burns grew up to be a renowned poet who wrote about the beauty of Scotland and its people. In addition to "After Apple Picking", he is known for poems such as "Auld Lang Syne", "To a Louse", and "To a Mouse".