Introduction


Sir Walter Scott
As one of his country’s earliest prominent writers, Sir Walter Scott helped establish Scotland’s place in the literary canon. Scott was a prolific poet as well as the author of numerous historical romances and adventures. Despite his early success and the influence he exerted over nineteenth-century English literature, time had not always been kind to Scott. Later critics denounced his works on grounds of structure, tone, and content. Yet, in many ways, Scott was at the forefront of the romantic, larger-than-life style that pervaded the late nineteenth century. A renewed interest in Scott has overlooked his faults and helped cast his work in a more positive light. He remains a significant figure in both the Scottish canon and literature as a whole.

Essential Facts

  1. When he was just two years old, Scott became afflicted with polio. Though he survived the illness, his right leg would be unusable for the rest of his life.
  2. Writing was not Scott’s first career choice. He studied law, which he practiced after completing his studies. He later served as sheriff-deputy of his county.
  3. In the second half of the twentieth century, Scott’s novels inspired two highly acclaimed films: Ivanhoe (based on the novel of the same name) and Rob Roy.
  4. A song commonly referred to as “Schubert’s Ave Maria” is in fact a musicalization of Scott’s “The Lady in the Lake.”
  5. Scott's works are often attributed with popularizing the kilt as a staple of Scottish garb.