Question

What does the use of dialect in the poems by Robert Burns suggest about the speaker’s social status?

A) that he is one of the landowners

B) that he is one of the common folk

C) that he is an outsider

D) that he is one of the nobility

Answer 1

I would say that the use of dialect in the poems by Robert Burns suggest about the speaker's social status that he is one of the common folk. The correct answer is B.

Step-by-step explanation:

By making the speaker use dialect, Burns is trying to give the character a sensation of belonging. He wants to make the audience know that this character is a native from Scotland and has social authenticity, that his interests are the ones of all the natives, and that his concerns are genuine. That this place is his home and that he knows the history of the land.

Answer 2

In the poetry of Robert Burns, Burns uses dialect to convey that his speaker is one of the common folk.  By writing in dialect, Burns is using the language that common people communicate in, in turn giving his poetry a sense of linguistic and social authenticity and a sense that his poetry and vision is related closely to the people of Scotland.