Robert Burns was born in 1759 in Scotland to a poor family. He was an intelligent boy who taught himself French and Latin and enjoyed the works of Shakespeare. Though he despised wealth, Burns fell in love with Jean Armour but her father did not approve due to his poverty. To earn money to sail to Jamaica for work, Burns published some of his poems in 1786 which brought him success as a remarkable lyric poet known for his ability to touch the human heart and glorify true love, friendship, and freedom in his works.