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Some Poems
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
83 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 1893
39 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
Walter Scott
8,349 books2,083 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer, widely recognized as the founder and master of the historical novel. His most celebrated works, including Waverley, Rob Roy, and Ivanhoe, helped shape not only the genre of historical fiction but also modern perceptions of Scottish culture and identity.
Born in Edinburgh in 1771, Scott was the son of a solicitor and a mother with a strong interest in literature and history. At the age of two, he contracted polio, which left him with a permanent limp. He spent much of his childhood in the Scottish Borders, where he developed a deep fascination with the region's folklore, ballads, and history. He studied at Edinburgh High School and later at the University of Edinburgh, qualifying as a lawyer in 1792. Though he worked in law for some time, his literary ambitions soon took precedence.
Scott began his literary career with translations and collections of traditional ballads, notably in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. He gained early fame with narrative poems such as The Lay of the Last Minstrel and The Lady of the Lake. As the popularity of poetic storytelling declined, especially with the rise of Lord Byron, Scott turned to prose. His first novel, Waverley, published anonymously in 1814, was set during the Jacobite rising of 1745 and is considered the first true historical novel. The success of Waverley led to a long series of novels, known collectively as the Waverley Novels, which blended historical events with compelling fictional narratives.
Over the following years, Scott produced a remarkable number of novels, including Old Mortality, The Heart of Midlothian, and The Bride of Lammermoor, each contributing to the romantic image of Scotland that became popular throughout Europe. With Ivanhoe, published in 1819, he turned his attention to medieval England, broadening his appeal and confirming his status as a major literary figure. His works were not only popular in his own time but also laid the groundwork for historical fiction as a respected literary form.
Scott married Charlotte Genevieve Charpentier in 1797, and they had five children. In 1820, he was granted a baronetcy and became Sir Walter Scott. He built a grand home, Abbotsford House, near Melrose, which reflected his passion for history and the Scottish past. However, in 1825, financial disaster struck when his publishers went bankrupt. Rather than declare bankruptcy himself, Scott chose to work tirelessly to pay off the debts through his writing. He continued to produce novels and non-fiction works at a staggering pace despite declining health.
Walter Scott died in 1832, leaving behind a literary legacy that influenced generations of writers and readers. His works remain widely read and studied, and he is credited with helping to revive interest in Scottish history and culture. Abbotsford House, now a museum, stands as a monument to his life and achievements.
Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish novelist, poet, historian, and biographer, widely recognized as the founder and master of the historical novel. His most celebrated works, including Waverley, Rob Roy, and Ivanhoe, helped shape not only the genre of historical fiction but also modern perceptions of Scottish culture and identity.
Born in Edinburgh in 1771, Scott was the son of a solicitor and a mother with a strong interest in literature and history. At the age of two, he contracted polio, which left him with a permanent limp. He spent much of his childhood in the Scottish Borders, where he developed a deep fascination with the region's folklore, ballads, and history. He studied at Edinburgh High School and later at the University of Edinburgh, qualifying as a lawyer in 1792. Though he worked in law for some time, his literary ambitions soon took precedence.
Scott began his literary career with translations and collections of traditional ballads, notably in his Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border. He gained early fame with narrative poems such as The Lay of the Last Minstrel and The Lady of the Lake. As the popularity of poetic storytelling declined, especially with the rise of Lord Byron, Scott turned to prose. His first novel, Waverley, published anonymously in 1814, was set during the Jacobite rising of 1745 and is considered the first true historical novel. The success of Waverley led to a long series of novels, known collectively as the Waverley Novels, which blended historical events with compelling fictional narratives.
Over the following years, Scott produced a remarkable number of novels, including Old Mortality, The Heart of Midlothian, and The Bride of Lammermoor, each contributing to the romantic image of Scotland that became popular throughout Europe. With Ivanhoe, published in 1819, he turned his attention to medieval England, broadening his appeal and confirming his status as a major literary figure. His works were not only popular in his own time but also laid the groundwork for historical fiction as a respected literary form.
Scott married Charlotte Genevieve Charpentier in 1797, and they had five children. In 1820, he was granted a baronetcy and became Sir Walter Scott. He built a grand home, Abbotsford House, near Melrose, which reflected his passion for history and the Scottish past. However, in 1825, financial disaster struck when his publishers went bankrupt. Rather than declare bankruptcy himself, Scott chose to work tirelessly to pay off the debts through his writing. He continued to produce novels and non-fiction works at a staggering pace despite declining health.
Walter Scott died in 1832, leaving behind a literary legacy that influenced generations of writers and readers. His works remain widely read and studied, and he is credited with helping to revive interest in Scottish history and culture. Abbotsford House, now a museum, stands as a monument to his life and achievements.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 13, 2021
The verses included in this small volume are more panegyrics than real poetry. For Wellington’s campaigns in Spain against the Napoleonic incursions and then later for the Battle of Waterloo, Scott conjures up heroic line and heroic line of celebration for not only Wellington, but also Graeme, Campbell, Beresford and other leaders of the campaigns. The ‘Roderick’ poem is cast as quite a mystical allegory (Fate, Fortune, Grief, Destiny, Bigotry, Ambition, Valour and other capitalized impulses hold sway) going back to the Moorish subjugation of Iberia in the 8th century, involving the later imperial forays of Spain and Portugal, then the Inquisition and leading up to the Peninsular Campaigns of the early nineteenth century. The poem on Waterloo starts quite solemnly, as the battlefield is now quite quiet, giving no sign of the blood and clamour which once occurred there. Throughout, Scott’s concentration is often quite visual and aural. There is nothing about the sights and sounds of a uniformed army marching into battle that failed to fascinate him and which he would not endeavour to capture both the sight and sound of in his verse. Still, he can be quite touching in describing the thoughtless carnage of war:
What wanton horror marked their wreckful path,
The peasant butchered in his ruined cot,
The hoary priest even at his altar shot,
Childhood and age given over to sword and flame
Women to infamy – no crime forgot
Nonetheless, it is on the glorious sights and sounds of battle that Scott’s heart beat most fervently. In ‘The Dance of Death’ he describes how lightning and thunder ‘call the brave/to bloody grave/to sleep without a shroud’, and the French poems he chooses to translate which were uncovered on the Waterloo battlefield celebrate the mindless dedication with which far too many young men have their lives cut so pitifully short by war:
My life it is my country’s right
My heart it is my lady’s bower,
For love to die, for fame to fight
Becomes the valiant troubadour.
I’m glad Scott shifted by the late 1810s from poetry to prose. At least this way, his abundant humour could hold more sway and somewhat overcome his erstwhile martial romanticism.
Only quite hesitantly recommended.
What wanton horror marked their wreckful path,
The peasant butchered in his ruined cot,
The hoary priest even at his altar shot,
Childhood and age given over to sword and flame
Women to infamy – no crime forgot
Nonetheless, it is on the glorious sights and sounds of battle that Scott’s heart beat most fervently. In ‘The Dance of Death’ he describes how lightning and thunder ‘call the brave/to bloody grave/to sleep without a shroud’, and the French poems he chooses to translate which were uncovered on the Waterloo battlefield celebrate the mindless dedication with which far too many young men have their lives cut so pitifully short by war:
My life it is my country’s right
My heart it is my lady’s bower,
For love to die, for fame to fight
Becomes the valiant troubadour.
I’m glad Scott shifted by the late 1810s from poetry to prose. At least this way, his abundant humour could hold more sway and somewhat overcome his erstwhile martial romanticism.
Only quite hesitantly recommended.
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June 19, 2019Sine
July 10, 2021
Not a huge fan of poetry and tend to find Sir Walter Scott books a bit slow and dull but I found myself enjoying this one. The rhythm and flow of the poems were soothing and engaging. I had a bit of trouble following what the poems were about but I expected that as poetry is not my favorite genre. It is a quick read and I did enjoy it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews