Scottish Poetry, 1730-1830

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.

Daniel Cook, Reader in English, University of Dundee

Daniel Cook is Reader in English and Associate Director of the Centre for Scottish Culture at the University of Dundee. He is the author of Thomas Chatterton and Neglected Genius, 1760-1830 (2013), Reading Swift's Poetry (2020), and Walter Scott and Short Fiction (2021).