To a Mouse facts for kids

"To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough" (also known as just "To a Mouse") is a famous poem. It was written in 1785 by Robert Burns. The poem is in Scots, a language spoken in Scotland. It tells the story of a young man who accidentally digs up a mouse’s nest with his plough.

About the Poem

This poem is very well-known. A famous writer named John Steinbeck even named his novella Of Mice and Men after a line from this poem. That line is: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley". This means "The best laid plans of mice and men / Often go wrong".

What the Poem is About

The poem is like an apology from the farmer to the mouse. He feels bad for destroying her home.

• Stanza 1: The farmer sees the mouse running away in a panic. He tells her not to be scared. He says he would never chase or hurt her.
• Stanza 2: He feels sorry that humans have broken nature's harmony. He understands why the mouse is afraid of him. He calls himself her "fellow mortal," meaning they are both living creatures.
• Stanza 3: The farmer admits the mouse might steal some grain sometimes. But he says she needs to live. He thinks taking a small amount of grain is okay. He won't miss it.
• Stanza 4: He sees her tiny house is now ruined. The wind is blowing away its weak walls. She has no green grass left to build a new home. Cold December winds are coming soon.
• Stanza 5: The mouse worked hard to build her home. She knew winter was coming. She thought she would be safe and cozy there. But then the plough blade crashed through her nest.
• Stanza 6: That small pile of leaves and stubble was her home. It took her a lot of effort to gather. Now she is homeless. She has to face the cold, wet winter without shelter.
• Stanza 7: The farmer tells the mouse she is not alone. Even humans find that their plans don't always work out. This is where the famous line comes from: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley." This means plans often go wrong. It leaves us with sadness instead of happiness.
• Stanza 8: The farmer thinks the mouse is still lucky compared to him. The mouse only worries about the present. But humans look back at sad times. They also look forward to the future with fear because they cannot see what will happen.

Main Ideas of the Poem

The poem talks about several important ideas:

• Nature and Humans: It shows how humans can accidentally harm nature.
• Empathy: The farmer feels deep sympathy for the mouse. He understands her struggle.
• Uncertainty of Life: Both mice and humans face unexpected problems. Even the best plans can go wrong.
• Past, Present, Future: The poem compares the mouse's simple focus on the present with the human's worries about the past and future.