The Scotch Drink

            
             The Poem Scotch Drink by Robert Burns was the second poem in the Kilmarnock Volume, Burns first published book of poems, written in the mid 1780's. If you just look at the title it seems as though the poet is celebrating whiskey or alcohol in general. It is that at the outset but by the time we reach the end the reader discovers that the point of the poem is not that at all. The poet slowly paints the picture of the most common simplistic lifestyle. The whole point behind the poem is a concern with poverty and the possibility of happiness for the poor, which is a favorite topic for Burns.
             The poem begins with an epigraph from the 31st chapter of Proverbs, verses 6,7. He transposes the Bible into an idiom that is partly derived from folklore and partly based on a Scottish literature, with a subtle attack on the idea of Calvinism. Which show that burns is well educated, not illiterate and old-fashioned. Burns also shows that he is a master of the traditional but difficult verse of Habbie. And one of the most enjoyable points for the reader is that he maintains a conversational tone through out the poem.
             In the middle of the poem he portrays warmth, happiness, the harvest, and an all around good time. The poet leaves us with the mental image of liquor cementing in its quarrels. He then continues to make fun of the rich people who think they are too good for there countries. They buy imported drinks such as wine and brandy, instead of the native Irish scotch and whiskey. He denotes that they are wasting all of Scotland's money and giving it to other countries just for lavish foreign prizes. Then Burns leaves this stereotype of persons with a curse. .
             Then in the last section of the poem, the poet illustrates, he says well I shall go there and returns to whiskey and himself. Not being a sell out to not only him and his friends but almost states it like a crime to the country. .
             "When wanting thee, what tuneless cranks.