Robert Fergusson: Selected Poems

by Robert Fergusson, James Robertson (Introduction)

Originally published in 2000 by Polygon to mark the 250th anniversary of Fergusson's birth, this new edition contains all Fergusson's finest poems in both Scots and English, and features a new introductory essay, revised orthography, a substantial section of notes and a glossary. Acknowledged as a crucial influence on Burns, Robert Fergusson was a remarkable poet in his own right. All his work was produced during a few brief years, delighting readers with its vigor and power. Although he wrote much verse in the then fashionable style of Augustan English, it is his Scots verse which, in its great warmth, humanity, satire, and hilarious comedy, is his enduring legacy. His work covers the whole gamut of human emotions and experience and his subject matter ranges from drunken encounters with the notorious City Guard to quieter reflections on pastoral themes. Fergusson died in 1774 at the age of only 24.

Genres: Poetry, Scotland

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Robert Fergusson was a Scottish poet. After formal education at the University of St. Andrews, Fergusson led a bohemian life in Edinburgh, the city of his birth, then at the height of intellectual and cultural ferment as part of the Scottish enlightenment. Many of his poems were printed from 1771 onwards in Walter Ruddiman's Weekly Magazine, and a collected works was first published early in 1773. Despite a short life, his career was highly influential, especially through its impact on Robert Burns. He wrote both in Scottish English and the Scots language, and it is his vivid and masterly writing in the latter leid for which he is principally acclaimed.