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WWI Poster, What Burns said
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WWI Poster, What Burns said
WWI Parliamentary Recruiting Committee Poster, What Burns said in 1782 holds good in 1915. Take his tip. (Go and be a soldier.) Date: 1915
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Media ID 14171514
© Mary Evans Picture Library/Onslow Auctions Limited
1780s 1782 Burns Cameo Committee Enlist Good Join Oval Parliamentary Poem Poetry Recruiting Recruitment Scots
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What Burns Said - A Call to Arms from the Past - 1782 Echoes in 1915
EDITORS COMMENTS
In the heart of the First World War, as the need for soldiers grew ever more pressing, the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee turned to the power of poetry and the words of a Scots Bard to inspire enlistment. This evocative poster, dated 1915, features a cameo oval portrait of Robert Burns, the renowned Scottish poet, with the title "What Burns Said" and the date "1782" above. The poet's profile gazes intently towards the viewer, his words from over a century ago resonating with the urgency of the present. The quote that Burns is famously attributed to, "Come away, come away, ye fair fares o'er the water, / And I will be your guiding star o'er the sea," is framed below his image, a call to action that transcended time. This line, originally from Burns' poem "Auld Lang Syne," was repurposed to encourage Scots to "go and be a soldier" in the Great War. The poster's design, with its simple yet powerful message, is a testament to the enduring influence of poetry and the words of the past. The 1780s poet's tip, "Come away," still held relevance and resonance in the midst of the tumultuous events of 1915. The poster's evocative imagery and the timeless appeal of Burns' words served as a powerful reminder of the call to duty and the importance of answering that call when the need arose.
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