1.  Bell work: 5-10 min.  Ch. 1 & 2 Quiz 15 min.  Of Mice and Men Allusion 3 min. Of Mice and Men Allusion  Student reads poem aloud 3 min.  "To a Mouse" Poetry Reading 3 min. "To a Mouse" Poetry Reading  Burns’s poem in context PP  Group Work  Discussion Questions  Rewrite & illustrate one stanza (assigned) in group  Present Rewritten Poem  Reading Time (Ch. 3)

2.  Explain what it means to “live off the fat of the land.”  How do George and Lennie plan to do this?  What would your life be like if you were to live off the fat of the land?

3. To a Mouse To a Mouse by Robert BurnsRobert Burns

4. Robert Burns 1759-1796 Burns was born in Ayrshire, Scotland. Growing up in a small, isolated Scottish village, he seemed to understand that the few pleasures in a difficult farming life were all the more precious. He died of heart disease at a young age due to poor nutrition and the difficulty of farming life (“Robert Burns”). (“Robert Burns”)

5. Tone: The original is written partially in Scottish dialect which often sounds like a foreign language. He could have used The King’s English but decided not to. The poem is playful by using a mouse as a metaphor but the message is far more significant. Rhyme Scheme: AAABAB The relationship between man and nature Foolproof plans can go awry Themes

6. 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. Wi' murdering pattle Here we find the image of Burns as the Romantic farmer. Although he must plough the land to make a living from it, he sees himself as living in harmony with nature. He will not use his plough to murder or destroy but to cultivate and nurture. This idealized view of man’s relationship with nature is a trademark of the Romantic age.Romantic age

7. 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!man's dominion An' fellow mortal! Burns elevates the status of the animal and identifies with his situation. Burns is aware of class distinction as a poor farmer in Scotland at a time when the royal courts of France were oozing wealth and luxury. A mouse turned out of his home by the powerful and unaware is representative of the plight of the lower classes of humanity. Burns uses this phrase to apologize for humans’ attempt to dominate nature. Burns is clearly sympathizing with the plight of nature, in this case the mouse. These attitudes reveal him to be a Romantic poet, as this sort of preoccupation with nature is one of the most notable subjects of the poetry of the period. Romantic poet

8. 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. 'S a sma' request; An' never miss't. Burns feels that the mouse is justified in taking a small amount of the farmer’s abundant harvest if it is necessary for his survival. Burns refers to his actions as stealing, a human concept, while also calling him a poor beast. The poor, like animals, had to do whatever necessary to survive. Burns says that sacrificing a small amount of his harvest for a hungry animal will bring him blessings. The humanist worldview of the enlightenment in favor during this time expressed that the wealthy should take care of the poor.enlightenment

9. 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.

10. 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!mice an' men

11. 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! On prospects drear! Burns laments that he is not as fortunate as the mouse, who is only troubled by the present, rather than the past. Although life in Scotland is fairly peaceful at the present time, Burns remembers a time of religious persecution and worries over an uncertain future.