Address to a Haggis
ROBERT BURNS' ADDRESS TO A HAGGIS
So why did Burns write about the Haggis? An interesting question! And we will probably never know exactly what inspired him to write the Address To A Haggis. What is clear however, is that Burns was presenting the Haggis as being a unique and symbolic part of Scottish identity and culture. Through the power of the spoken word and the imagery of vivid language, he successfully portrayed a picture in the mind, which has long since become the focal point of the celebration of Burns and Scotland.
When written, only a short time had passed since the Jacobite Rebellion. The French Revolution was alive, and America was in the aftermath of the War of Independence. In Britain, the political struggle between Scotland and England was very much to the fore and Burns wrote passionately on the subject.
So war, political struggle, and the Scottish identity were most likely the catalyst for the poem. The humble Haggis was merely the vehicle used to demonstrate his proud Scottish nationalism, which Burns does in a light-hearted way. Burns clearly thought that Haggis was a great meal but he also recognised its nutritional value, its popularity and its unusual preparation and presentation. It is uniquely Scottish.
It is therefore easy to see why Burns made the link between Scotland's identity at that time, and the serving of Haggis to ordinary Scots, as an ordinary Scottish meal.
It was a strange subject to write about but this is the mastery of one Rabbie Burns!