“Gie me ae spark o' Nature's fire, That's a' the learning I desire.”

— Robert Burns, First Epistle to J. Lapraik, st. 13 (1786)

About Robert Burns

1759 – 1796

Scottish poet and lyricist, regarded as the national poet of Scotland.

“Hope springs exulting on triumphant wing.”

“The best laid schemes o' mice and men Gang aft a-gley; And leave us naught but grief and pain For promised joy.”

“Man's inhumanity to man Makes countless thousands mourn.”

“For the things we have to learn before we can do, we learn by doing.”

“Isn't it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned?”

“The end then of learning is to repair the ruins of our first parents.”

“One must learn to know oneself before knowing anything else.”

“To be native to a place we must learn to speak its language.”

“Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn at no other.”