First Burns Supper speech notes on the 179th Anniversary of Robert Burns' birth in 1938. Three handwritten pages that have been framed. Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known as Rabbie Burns, the Bard of Ayrshire, Ploughman Poet and various other names and epithets was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide.