Struggling with a passage in Scots, I once overheard a classmate asking, “Why are
we forced to read this?” My first thought was how strange it felt to question the place of Scottish Literature at a Scottish university. Was this unfair? Maybe, but as a
Scottish student, I often feel frustrated with the marginalisation of Scottish voices on campus. For students who appreciate literature, engaging with Scottish poetry and its rich cultural heritage is not just a requirement but a responsibility. In a university where Scottish heritage faces erosion, embracing this literature is vital to preserving our unique cultural landscape.
But where to start? Robbie Burns feels like the obvious choice. Known as the father
of Scottish poetry, Burns is part of Scottish culture; from Auld Lang Syne on
Hogmanay to Address to a Haggis on Burns Night. His lyrical Scots is both
accessible and nuanced, passionately declaring social justice in poems like Scots
Wha Hae, while also reflecting on the fragile human condition in To a Mouse.
Starting with Burns opens the door to the wider canon of Scottish literature. His work continues to echo in the voices of contemporary writers who keep challenging what it means to be Scottish.
Influenced heavily by Burns, Hugh MacDiarmid is one of the most important voices in Scottish Poetry. A key figure in the Scottish Literary Renaissance, MacDiarmid
believed Scotland’s spirit needed its own voice. He combined traditional Scots
language with a modern, flowing style, connecting the past, present and future of
Scottish culture. In his poem, A Drunk Man Looks at a Thistle the narrator muses on the fate of Scotland as a nation while staring at a jagged yet beautiful thistle,
symbolic of the divided Scottish self. Though challenging for some, his work is vital
for understanding a Scottish heritage shaped by both division and unity.
Building on MacDiarmid’s vision of a modern Scottish voice, Edwin Morgan carried
this spirit into a new era, one which combined Scots and English to fully encapsulate
Scotland’s diverse linguistic heritage. Moving beyond nationalistic imagery, Morgan’s poems like Trio and Good Friday shift the focus from an abstract notion of “Scotland” to the lived reality of its people, animating the streets of Glasgow with vivid immediacy and offering intimate, authentic portraits of urban life.
Jackie Kay similarly weaves Scots and English to reflect the complexities of what it
means to be Scottish. In The Adoption Papers, she explores her experience as a
Black child adopted into a white family, exposing the tension between personal
identity and narrow expectations of a “typical” Scot. This redefinition continues in
Maw Broon Goes to Therapy. Kay humorously reimagines the stoic Maw Broon,
challenging the ‘strong and silent’ Scottish woman stereotype with a more
vulnerable, human side. Through themes of race and gender, Kay modernises and
broadens the idea of Scottishness.
Scottish poetry from Burns to Kay acts as a living conversation about identity,
culture, and change; a shared heritage that evolves with each generation. By
engaging with their work, we not only honour Scotland’s rich literary past but also
participate in shaping its cultural future.
“Scotland” by Robert J Heath is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
