Sir Walter Scott: Scottish Poet and Novelist
Joe Black
Sir Walter Scott, was a renowned Scottish author, novelist, poet, and playwright who is still celebrated for his contributions to Scottish literature.
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Poem Analysis
Sir Walter Scott, a Scottish author, novelist, poet, and playwright, is celebrated for his captivating portrayals of Scottish history. He is regarded as a prominent figure of the Romantic period, and his poetry is highly regarded for its intricate storytelling and vivid imagery.

Poet Overview

Born: College Wynd, Edinburgh, Scotland, August 15, 1771

Sir Walter Scott’s life started on August 15, 1771, in College Wynd. Living in the Edinburgh-based town with his father, Walter Scott, and Mother Anne Rutherford, for a significant chunk of his earlier years, he was well and truly rooted in Scottish culture. His father was a member of a cadet branch of the Clan Scott and a Writer to the Signet. He was the ninth child to be born into the family, but only 3 survived.

However, his early life was not entirely plain sailing, as in 1783, Scott was struck with a case of polio. Fortunately, he would make a recovery but was left lame for the rest of his life. They say that from adversity comes growth, and this was certainly the case for young Walter Scott. He began broadening his literary horizons, absorbing the works of poets such as James Macpherson. In particular, he was drawn to his Ossianic poetry.

Growing up, influence from his grandfather was beneficial, as he allowed to Scott to become versed in issues of history and literature, through his storytelling and reading material. This ignited the literary spark in him. He ended up living with his grandfather at his farm in Sandyknowe, after his bout of polio.

A few years later, in 1786, at the age of 12, Scott advanced his education by attending the University of Edinburgh, where he studied law, literature, and classics. During this time, he began actively contributing to literary magazines, publishing his own original works, and engaged in a number of translations for the works of others. He co-founded the Literary Society in 1789. He completed his law studies and embarked on his legal career in 1792.

In 1797, Scott got married to Charlotte Charpentier at St Mary’s Church, Carlisle. Interestingly they chose to have the wedding on Christmas Eve. He would go on to have five children with Charpentier, with 4 out of 5 surviving Scott. It was around this time that Scott was exposed to the masterpiece Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The poem acted as a significant influence in his future works.

Scott’s career heated up from 1802 onwards, with some of his most famous publications coming during that period. He published the first volume of ‘Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border,’ alongside ‘Lay of the Last Minstrel‘ in 1805, Ballads and Lyrical Pieces, including ‘The Eve of St. John.’ in 1806, ‘Marmion‘ in 1808, and ‘The Lady of the Lake‘ in 1810. Some personal achievements came his way too. He was appointed as the Sheriff Depute of Selkirkshire and was awarded a baronetcy by the Prince Regent.

Later in his career, Scott tried his arm at being a novelist, which ended up bringing him great success. It started with Waverley, his debut novel that was published anonymously. After this first milestone, many novels followed. From 1815 to 1819, he entered a period of prolific writing, publishing Guy Mannering in 1815, The Antiquary in 1816, Rob Roy in 1817, Ivanhoe in 1819, and more.

Despite the success of his works, he hit a financial crisis in 1820, which resulted in him going bankrupt. His printing business ‘Ballantyne’ was also dragged under. Despite this, he still carried on with his life. He played a major role in finding the Scottish Crown Jewels in early 1800s, after they were locked in hiding, away from Thomas Cromwell’s army in 1651. They were again hidden in 1707. Scott remained linked to royalty, when, in 1822, he organised the royal visit of King George IV to Edinburgh.

The final seven years of his life were somewhat darker, starting in 1825 with his complete financial ruin. A year later his wife, Charlotte Scott, passes away. After a few years of consistent literary contributions, he ventured to Malta and Naples in order to improve on his rapidly deteriorating health. However, this was not enough, as on September 21, 1832, Scott died at Abbotsford House. He would later be buried in Dryburgh Abbey, near his wife.

Famous Poems

‘Lochinvar‘ – The poem is a ballad about a young and courageous knight who saves his beloved, the fair lady Ellen, from marrying another man. ‘Lochinvar,’ from Scott’s Marmion is one of his best-loved poems. This quick, uplifting, and rich ballad is historical, like much of Sir Walter Scott’s work, but the listener does not need to know much about history to appreciate it.

‘Love of Country‘ – ‘Love of Country’ presents a world in which patriotism is the most important virtue of all, and the lack of it is unforgivable. Sir Walter Scott’s proud nationalism and sense of loyalty are all present in this poem, which extols and demands these qualities in others.

‘An Hour With Thee‘ – ‘An Hour With Thee’ by Sir Walter Scott is a poem about the speaker’s appreciation for spending time with an unnamed character. Despite his difficult life, an hour with this person can make his situation tolerable.

‘Patriotism‘ – Sir Walter Scott’s ‘Patriotism’ passionately extols love for one’s homeland while warning of the emptiness of self-centeredness. The poem showcases Scott’s use of rhetorical questions, vivid imagery, and emotional depth, which are hallmarks of his poetic style.

Famous Works

Poetry Style

Timeline

Did you know?

In 1814, his anonymous debut novel Waverley took the world by storm, blending fictional characters with real historical events in a way never seen before. This pioneering work set the stage for countless other historical fictions and established Scott as the “Shakespeare of prose.”