Author Description
The pride o' a' our Scottish plain; Thou gi'es us joy to hear thy strain, (Janet Little, 'An Epistle to Mr Robert Burns') The 18th century saw Scotland become one of the leading international centres of literature, philosophy, and publishing and yet still retain its lively oral tradition of ballads and poetry. Scottish Poetry, 1730-1830 edited by Daniel Cook contains over 200 poems and songs written in Scots, English, and Gaelic which reflect this vibrant period of literary flourishing. The collection places Burns, Scott, and other major writers alongside lesser known or even entirely forgotten figures. Gaelic poets feature in their original language and in translation, along with many important long poems in their entirety. Lairds and ladies jostle with labouring-class writers, satirists with sentimentalists, Gaelic bards with Gothic balladists, rural singers with urbanite odists, and together they reveal the unrivalled range of Scottish poetry. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This collection investigates the breadth and diversity of Scottish poetic output during the transformative century between 1730 and 1830. Editor Daniel Cook, a scholar of 18th-century literature, curates a comprehensive selection of over 200 poems and songs to demonstrate how Scotland balanced its burgeoning status as a global intellectual hub with the preservation of its distinct oral traditions. The volume argues that the period's literary identity was defined by a tension between high-culture English forms and vernacular Scots and Gaelic expressions.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A curated selection of over 200 poems and songs spanning the years 1730 to 1830.
- Works presented in Scots, English, and Gaelic, with translations provided for the latter.
- A cross-section of social classes, ranging from laboring-class poets to the landed gentry.
- Scholarly apparatus including an expert introduction, explanatory notes, and updated bibliographies.
Scope Limits
- The collection is strictly bounded by the 1730–1830 timeframe.
- It does not provide a comprehensive history of Scottish literature outside of the poetic and song-based traditions.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and students of Scottish literature frequently cite this volume as a vital resource for accessing both canonical figures like Burns and Scott alongside marginalized or forgotten voices. The inclusion of original Gaelic texts alongside translations is particularly noted for providing a more accurate representation of the period's linguistic complexity.
Page Count:
783
Publication Date:
2023-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0192525352
ISBN-13:
9780192525352
Poetry
Anthology
English
English literature
19th Century
English & College Success
18th century
Literary Criticism
Scottish literature