One of the qualities which has made Burns's own poetry both so accessible and easily memorable to a wide range of readers over the centuries is the way in which he can enshrine proverbial wisdom in a few pithy lines. This anthology is a collection of 700 quotations from Burns's poetry and from his vigorously written letters in prose. They are arranged alphabetically, by subject matter, under headings such as birds, books, children, clothes, criticism, death, the devil, drinking, fame, farming, God, health, love, manners, money, parenthood, rank, remorse, sex and women.