Greek lyric: a view from the north

Book section : Chapter

This chapter considers some key moments in the reception of Greek lyric in Scotland, with examples from the major linguistic forms of Scottish literature: Gaelic, Scots, Latin, and English. The reception of Greek lyric in English poetry, and especially the translation or adaptation of Pindar, Sappho, and (the) Anacreon(tea), has attracted a good deal of discussion. Most European countries have used the translation or adaptation of Classical texts to bolster their own sense of nationhood, and Scotland is no exception. Yet once classical schooling was available in Gaelic-speaking areas in the seventeenth century, signs of its influence begin to appear in Gaelic poetry, especially in praise poetry celebrating the achievements of chiefs and their armies. The most sustained engagement with classical culture, and certainly the most creative transformation of Greek lyric poetry, in Scottish literature is to be found in the work of the scholar and poet Robert Crawford.

Authors: Allan, W

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Host title: A Companion to Greek Lyric
• Pages: 467-483
• Chapter number: 32
• Series: Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World
• Place of publication: Hoboken, NJ, USA
• Publication date: 2022-05-06
• Edition: 1st
• DOI: 10.1002/9781119122661.ch32
• EISBN: 9781119122661
• ISBN: 9781119122623
• Language: English
• Keywords: SBTMR
• Subtype: Chapter