These are the notes to accompany "Selected Poems of Robert Burns". They discuss Burns's most famous poems and investigate how this "ploughman poet" managed to engage both the minds of the critics and the hearts of the people. York Notes are designed for GCSE and A Level students, but they also provide background information for first-year university students. The series covers major works from medieval to modern English literature, and classic and contemporary works from Europe, America, the Commonwealth and the Third World. Each book features a biography of the author; the literary and historical background to the work; a summary and glossary of the text; hints for study, to help students plan work and study effectively; a specimen essay; and suggestions for further reading.