Return to Week At A Glance
created by L. Lopez, 3/8/04
Name:
Period:
Date:
Ms. Lopez

"To A Mouse" By Robert Burns

Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie, 
O, what a panic's in thy breastie! 
Thou need […not] start […away so] hasty, 
Wi' bickering1 brattle!
I […would] be [loathe] to […run] an' chase thee, 
Wi' murd'ring pattle! 

I'm truly sorry man's dominion, 
Has broken nature's social union, 
An' justifies that ill opinion, 
Which makes thee […angry]
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion, 
An' fellow-mortal! 

I doubt […not], whiles, but thou may thieve; 
What then? poor beastie, thou […must] live! 
A[n odd ear of corn…] in […twenty-four ears of corn] 
'S a […small] request; 
I'll […breed] a blessin wi' the lave, 
An' never miss't! 

Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin! 
It's silly [ways the winds…] are strewin! 
An' naething, now, to […build] a new […one], 
O[f…] foggage green! 
An' bleak December's winds [ensuing], 
[Both bitter…] an' keen! 
 
 
Thou […sow] the fields laid bare an' waste, 
An' weary winter comin fast, 
An' cozie here, beneath the blast, 
Thou thought to dwell- 
[To…] crash! the cruel [plow…] past 
Out thro' thy cell. 

That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble, 
Has cost thee [many…] a weary nibble! 
Now thou's turn'd out, for […all] thy trouble, 
But house [before…] hald, 
To [suffer…] the winter's sleety dribble, 
An' [hoar frost] […cold]! 

But, Mousie, thou art […not] thy lane, 
In proving foresight may be vain; 
The best-laid schemes o' mice an 'men 
[Often go awry…], 
[…And leave] us nought but grief an' pain, 
For promis'd joy! 

Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me 
The present only toucheth thee: 
But, Och! I backward cast my e'e. 
On prospects drear! 
An' forward, tho' I [cannot…] see, 
I guess an' fear! 
 

1. hurrying
"To A Mouse" Questions

1. Explain what happened to the mouse. (stanzas 5 and 6)
 
 
 

2. What time of year is it? (stanza 4)
 
 
 

3. Why is this a problem? (stanzas 4 and 6)
 
 
 

4. What must the mouse (or any mouse) do to survive? (stanza 3)
 
 
 

5. How does the speaker feel about what the mouse must do to survive? (stanza 3)
 
 
 

6. What opportunities did the mouse miss while building? (stanza 6)
 
 
 

7. What relationship does the speaker recognize between himself and the mouse? (stanza 2)
 
 
 

8. Of what fact of life does this incident remind the speaker? [This is the theme of the poem] (stanza 7)
 
 
 

9. What does the speaker say men have that mice don't? (stanza 8)
 
 
 

10. What emotions does the speaker say that people feel as a result of this ability? (stanza 8)