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Summary of the Speech:

Professor Edwin Morgan’s address, titled A New Look at Scott’s Poetry, focused on the often-overlooked poetic works of Sir Walter Scott. He acknowledged that while Scott’s novels have experienced renewed interest, his poetry has not received the same recognition. Morgan explored reasons for this, including criticisms of Scott’s long narrative poems and their perceived lack of depth or refinement.

Key Points:

1. The Reception of Scott’s Poetry:
2. In Scott’s time, his long narrative poems (The Lay of the Last Minstrel, Marmion, The Lady of the Lake) were incredibly popular—surpassed only by Byron.
3. Despite defenders like Thomas Crawford and Donald Davie, Scott’s poetry has been largely dismissed by modern critics.
4. The distinction between poetry and mere verse often troubles critics assessing his long-form works.
5. Scott’s Ballad and Folk Influence:
6. His poetry stemmed from a deep interest in Scottish ballads and folk songs.
7. His Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border (1802-03) aimed to preserve Scottish oral traditions, though he often modified or "creatively edited" ballads.
8. Scott’s alterations make it difficult to determine the authenticity of some works attributed to him.
9. Issues of Context in Scott’s Lyrics:
10. Many of Scott’s best lyrical poems are embedded within his novels, where they gain additional meaning.
11. Examples:
12. Proud Maisie (The Heart of Midlothian)—A tragic ballad given deeper significance by Madge Wildfire’s character.
13. Look not thou on beauty’s charming (The Bride of Lammermoor)—A warning poem that takes on irony given Lucy Ashton’s fate.
14. Young men will love thee more fair and more fast (Waverley)—A deceptively simple folk lyric that carries subtext when placed in its novel’s setting.
15. Scott’s Approach to Long Poems:
16. His long poems employed a blend of ballad traditions and early novelistic techniques.
17. The Lay of the Last Minstrel serves as a nostalgic reflection on Scottish history and identity.
18. Scott’s poetry uses cinematic techniques—quick scene transitions, dramatic shifts in mood, and evocative imagery.
19. The Lady of the Lake showcases this visual storytelling style, with its vivid descriptions of Highland scenery and action sequences.
20. Contemporary and Critical Views:
21. Scott was self-deprecating about his poetry, acknowledging its rushed nature.
22. Wordsworth and Coleridge were skeptical of Scott’s poetic legacy:
23. Wordsworth believed Scott’s poetry lacked spiritual depth.
24. Coleridge dismissed The Lady of the Lake as plodding and uninspired.
25. Morgan countered that Scott’s poetry excelled in its large-scale dramatic effects, its ability to capture history, and its portrayal of a vanishing Scottish world.
26. Scott’s Shift from Poetry to Novels:
27. When Byron’s popularity eclipsed his own, Scott moved into novel writing.
28. His long narrative poems had already been evolving towards prose fiction.
29. Rokeby (1813) and The Lord of the Isles (1815) show his growing struggle with the verse form.
30. The Emotional Power of Scott’s Poetry:
31. Despite its flaws, Scott’s poetry evokes strong feelings of nostalgia, patriotism, and historical reflection.
32. His elegiac and cinematic style, particularly in The Lay of the Last Minstrel, allows for powerful transitions between intimate moments and grand historical sweeps.
33. The Lady of the Lake helped shape the modern romanticized image of the Highlands, even influencing European and American perceptions of Scotland.

Interesting Observations:

• Scott’s ‘Creative Editing’ of Ballads: His tendency to rewrite and merge versions of old ballads raises questions about authenticity but also highlights his artistic ingenuity.
• Scott’s Poetry as Cinematic: Morgan’s comparison of Scott’s scene transitions and visual storytelling techniques to modern film editing is a unique and compelling perspective.
• Scott as the ‘Last Minstrel’ Himself: The recurring theme of the passing of an era—seen in The Lay of the Last Minstrel—reflects Scott’s personal role in preserving Scottish history and culture.
• Tourism and The Lady of the Lake: The poem’s impact on popularizing the Scottish Highlands as a romantic and mysterious destination is notable, even inspiring a Mohawk translation and foreign literary adaptations.

Conclusion:

Professor Edwin Morgan argued that Scott’s poetry deserves a fresh look. While it may lack the introspective depth of Wordsworth or the lyrical brilliance of Coleridge, Scott’s verse captures movement, history, and dramatic power. His poetry, particularly his long narratives, played a significant role in shaping national identity and the literary transition from ballads to novels. 

Read the text of his address here [bulletin] > [transcript]