Of Mice And Men - Poem

Burns Original			Standard English Translation
Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie, O, what a panic's in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty Wi bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee, Wi' murdering pattle. I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken Nature's social union, An' justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor, earth born companion An' fellow mortal! I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve; What then? poor beastie, thou maun live! A daimen icker in a thrave 'S a sma' request; I'll get a blessin wi' the lave, An' never miss't. Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin! It's silly wa's the win's are strewin! An' naething, now, to big a new ane, O' foggage green! An' bleak December's win's ensuin, Baith snell an' keen! Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste, An' weary winter comin fast, An' cozie here, beneath the blast, Thou thought to dwell, Till crash! the cruel coulter past Out thro' thy cell. That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble, Has cost thee monie a weary nibble! Now thou's turned out, for a' thy trouble, But house or hald, To thole the winter's sleety dribble, An' cranreuch cauld. But Mousie, thou art no thy lane, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft agley, An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain, For promis'd joy! Still thou are blest, compared wi' me! The present only toucheth thee: But och! I backward cast my e'e, On prospects drear! An' forward, tho' I canna see, I guess an' fear!			Small, sleek, cowering, timorous beast, O, what a panic is in your breast! You need not start away so hasty With hurrying scamper! I would be loath to run and chase you, With murdering plough-staff. I'm truly sorry man's dominion Has broken Nature's social union, And justifies that ill opinion Which makes thee startle At me, thy poor, earth born companion And fellow mortal! I doubt not, sometimes, but you may steal; What then? Poor beast, you must live! An odd ear in twenty-four sheaves Is a small request; I will get a blessing with what is left, And never miss it. Your small house, too, in ruin! It's feeble walls the winds are scattering! And nothing now, to build a new one, Of coarse grass green! And bleak December's winds coming, Both bitter and keen! You saw the fields laid bare and wasted, And weary winter coming fast, And cozy here, beneath the blast, You thought to dwell, Till crash! the cruel plough past Out through your cell. That small bit heap of leaves and stubble, Has cost you many a weary nibble! Now you are turned out, for all your trouble, Without house or holding, To endure the winter's sleety dribble, And hoar-frost cold. But Mouse, you are not alone, In proving foresight may be vain: The best laid schemes of mice and men Go often askew, And leaves us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy! Still you are blest, compared with me! The present only touches you: But oh! I backward cast my eye, On prospects dreary! And forward, though I cannot see, I guess and fear!

http://www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/translations/554.htm

1. The author's attitude toward the mouse is best described as:
     a. sympathetic                          c. apathetic
     b. sceptical                              d. unattached

2. Which statement best describes the theme of this poem?
     a. Men are superior to mice and other small creatures.
     b. Life is made up of the simpler moments.
     c. Nature may not always be around, so we should appreciate it while we can.
     d. Even the most well-constructed plans can fail.

3. Why do you think Burns wrote this poem? What do you think is the purpose of the poem?
   
    I think that Burns wrote this poem because he was feeling sympathetic to killing the mouse. The purpose  of the poem is, it was the mouses plan to build its house for the winter, and cold months. When his house was stepped on and wrecked it was plan of the mouses that failed. It was something that couldn't have been prevented. Even though the mouse thought that it was a well-constructed plan, to a human, it was something in the way of their walking.

4. Many of us look back on our lives and, although we may not have had the best intentions or plans, things did not work out the way we wanted them to, for one reason or another. Think about a time that you had planned for something to turn out one way, and it ended up another. what was your reaction? How did you adapt to the situation? How are you dealing with the situation now? Would you have done anything differently, knowing what you know now?
    
   I have always wanted what happens in all the movies, to have that one bestfriend who knows everything about you and you do everything together, and you pretty much are sisters. And for awhile I had that. I thought that we would be the kind of friends that nothing could get in the way of our friendship, and would be friends until the end. It only took too long to realise that going to a small school, you make friends, not because you have so much in common, but because you have been in the same classes for 5 years and you don't really know the truth about everyone, and your just trying to make it the last two years of high school with someone beside you. When I realised that someone who called me their bestfriend, really wasn't mine anymore, it was clear to me that none of the people in my grade can really be considered my BESTFRIEND until the end. There are so many people who don't even go to the same school as me who I can say fill this part in my life as my true friends, who I don't even get to see everyday or go to class with. It's hard having to go to school everyday with people who you have hardly anything in common with, and who you will probably honestly never talk to after school! My reaction from realising all of this hurt me so bad, and thats when I new who my friends were. They were the only people who asked me if I was okay, and told me that they had my back if i ever needed anything. Sadly to say none of those people who even cared even go to my school. If going in to grade 10, even 11 I would have know what was going to happen, I probably would have made lots of different choices. I probably would have done correspondents over the summer, and move schools so I would have been able to graduate this year with all my friends, and I would have never haven even put myself in the situation to be burned by the girls here.