The poem was written in 1785 on the occasion of the birth of Burns’ daughter, the product of a relationship with Betty Paton, a local servant girl for which he was convicted of fornication and ...

The mother’s longing and the daughter’s casual indifference ... Dove explores the complexities of maternal love, loss, and ...

To a Mouse - for the majority of the poem there is a tone of compassion towards a fellow creature in need Tam O’Shanter - though apparently a moral lesson on the dangers of drink, the poem is ...