Introduction

Sorley MacLean (1911–1996) is now regarded as one of the greatest Scottish poets of the twentieth century. However, until the 1970s, his verse was known by very few people. In that decade, the publication of English translations of his work and the impact of his public readings established him in the eyes of poetry lovers in Scotland, Ireland, and England, as well as further afield, as a major poet.

Learning Outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• Understand the power of MacLean's poetry in its original Gaelic
• Give examples of how such poetry engages with historical and cultural change.