Tom Scott
Tom Scott was a Scottish poet and academic, born on June 6, 1918, in Glasgow. He grew up in St. Andrews, where he developed a passion for poetry, inspired by his extensive reading of history and literature. After leaving university in 1933, Scott was drafted into the Royal Army during World War II and served until 1944. Following the war, he found his voice as a poet after meeting T.S. Eliot, but it was his decision to write in Scots that garnered critical acclaim and established him among the prominent figures of the Scots Renaissance.
Scott pursued higher education, earning both an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh, focusing on medieval literature. His notable works include "Seeven Poems o Maister Francis Villon" and "Dunbar: A Critical Exposition of the Poems," which remains a key text in Scottish literature studies. His poetry often reflected on themes of war and identity, and he contributed significantly to Scottish literature through anthologies that revived overlooked works. Scott passed away on August 7, 1995, leaving a lasting legacy as a vital voice in Scottish poetry.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Tom Scott
Poet
- Born: June 6, 1918
- Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland
- Died: August 7, 1995
- Place of death:
Biography
Tom Scott was born on June 6, 1918, in Glasgow, Scotland, to William Kerr Scott and Catherine Newell Baille Scott. His father was a boilermaker in the River Clyde shipyards. The family moved to St. Andrews in 1931, where Scott attended Madras College of St. Andrews University.
Scott left university in 1933 without a degree, and embarked on a variety of jobs. At the same time, he read volumes of history and literature. In addition, he decided at this time that his proper calling was poetry. In 1939, however, with the outbreak of war, he was drafted into the Royal Army where he served until 1944.
After World War II, Scott lived in London where he met T.S. Eliot who was a great influence on the young poet. During this time, Scott wrote poems in English that were largely forgettable. However, when he began experimenting with writing in Scots, he attracted critical attention. Once Scott began writing in Scots, he took his place with the great writers of the Scots Renaissance and with poets such as Hugh McDiarmid.
In 1953, he enrolled at Newbattle Abbey College, eventually earning both an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh, studying medieval literature, notably the work of Scottish poets Robert Henryson, Gavin Douglas, and William Dunbar. In the same year, Scott wrote a remarkable book, Seeven Poems o Maister Francis Villon. This book included translations from French into Scots of poetry by Francois Villon, in the style of Ezra Pound’s translations of Anglo-Saxon poetry. Indeed, one of Scott’s most remarkable poems is also a translation of an Anglo-Saxon poem, “The Dream of the Rood” (in The Ship, and Ither Poems).
In 1963, Scott published an important book of literary history and criticism, Dunbar: A Critical Exposition of the Poems. This book was based on his graduate research, and remains a standard text in studies of Scottish poet William Dunbar. He also published a collection of original Scots poetry in 1963, The Ship, and Ither Poems.
In 1968, Scott published another book of poetry, At the Shrine o the Unkent Sodger: A Poem for Recitation. The poems in the volume consider the waste and destruction of war, culminating in meditations on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In 1975, he published Brand the Builder, a long autobiographical poem in Scots based on his work as a stonemason in St. Andrews. Scott’s last long poem, The Tree: An Animal Fable, was written in English, although reluctantly. A study of evolution, Scott finally conceded that Scots did not have the number of scientific terms he needed to adequately explore the subject.
In addition to his poetry, Scott contributed to Scottish literature through his work as an editor and anthologist. His books The Oxford Book of Scottish Verse (edited with John MacQueen) and The Penguin Book of Scottish Verse made available to the reading public poetry that had been long overlooked.
After winning a battle with cancer at age sixty-six, Scott died at age seventy-seven on August 7, 1995. He continues to be recognized as one of the shining lights of the Scottish poetic renaissance.