100 Favourite Scottish Poems to Read Out Loud

GORDON JARVIE began his career as an English teacher, later working as a publisher and writer. His books include The Bloomsbury Grammar Guide (2nd edn 2007) and other language titles; Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales (2nd edn 2007); and The Scottish Reciter, which this collection replaces and updates. He has edited various other anthologies, and with his wife has written several Scottie Books for children. His most recent poetry pamphlet is The Tale of the Crail Whale. He lives in the East Neuk of Fife.

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction1 Open the Doors Edwin Morgan2 The Vision of Enric Miralles James Robertson3 Bright is the Ring of Words Robert Louis Stevenson4 Ballade of the Tweed Andrew Lang5 Scotland Robert Crawford6 The Four Maries Anon7 Speaking of Scotland Maurice Lindsay8 The Bonny House o Airlie Anon9 Lord Ullin’s Daughter Thomas Campbell10 Poem for My Sister Liz Lochhead11 My Father Kirkpatrick Dobie12 Uncle Ellie McDonald13 The Peerie Grandson C. M. Costie14 A Pan Drop Man Raymond Vettese15 Waking with Russell Don Paterson16 Walking in the Botanic Gardens,Glasgow Gordon Jarvie17 A Red, Red Rose Robert Burns18 The Confirmation Edwin Muir19 Strawberries Edwin Morgan20 Mary Morison Robert Burns21 Mary of Argyll Charles Jefferys22 Annie Laurie Lady John Scott23 Love Song Joseph Macleod (‘Adam Drinan’)24 Love in Age George Bruce25 Glen, a Sheepdog Hilton Brown26 A Dug a Dug Bill Keys27 The Blue Doo Jimmy Copeland28 The Wee Cock Sparra Duncan Macraeand Hugh Frater29 Three Craws Anon30 The Parrot: A True Story Thomas Campbell31 The Tale of a Fish Jimmy Copeland32 Heron J. K. Annand33 My Last Word on Frogs Norman MacCaig34 The Wee Kirkcudbright Centipede Matt McGinn35 The Fox’s Skin Marion Angus36 The First Hoolit’s Prayer Ian MacFadyen37 Aiken Drum Anon38 The Train to Glasgow Wilma Horsbrugh39 The Tay Bridge Disaster William McGonagall40 The Boy on the Train M. C. Smith41 The Poacher to Orion Violet Jacob42 Wee Davie Daylicht James Robertson43 Blethertoun Rovers Matthew Fitt44 The Cooper o Fife Anon45 The Biggers David C. Purdie46 The Ballad of Janitor MacKay Margaret Green47 Primary School Concert R. S. Richard48 The Qualification Tom Leonard49 Songs of the Scottish Exam Board English Marker William Hershaw50 Listen tae the Teacher Nancy Nicolson51 Kidspoem/Bairnsang Liz Lochhead52 Parents’ Night William Hershaw53 Old Tongue Jackie Kay54 Street Talk J. K. Annand55 From: Unrelated Incidents Tom Leonard56 To a Mountain Daisy Robert Burns57 Highland Landscape Douglas J. Fraser58 I Shall Leave Tonight from Euston Anon59 Lochnagar Lord Byron60 The Only Bloody Hill in Scotland Sheena Blackhall61 Bennachie Charles Murray62 On Beinn an Eoin Jenni Daiches63 Ballade of Good Whisky Norman MacCaig64 The Angels’ Share:A View from Ben Rinnes Gordon Jarvie65 Sing Me a Song of a Ladthat is Gone Robert Louis Stevenson66 Will Ye No Come Back Again? Lady Nairne67 Elgol: Two Views Meg Bateman68 Mountain Burn Brenda G. Macrow69 Ballad of the Men of Knoydart Hamish Henderson70 The Land is a’ the Markiss’s James MacTavish71 The Legacy Colin Will72 The Road and the Miles to Dundee Anon73 The Hill Road to Roberton William H. Ogilvie74 Choral Symphony Stewart Conn75 A Gude Buke Stephen Mulrine76 Cod-Liver Oil and Orange Juice Carl MacDougall77 Alba Einstein Robert Crawford78 Stranger in Toun Duncan Glen79 Home Town Elegy: For Aberdeen in Spring G. S. Fraser80 In Winter John Purser81 Snaw J. M. Caie82 The Gowk William Soutar83 The Smoky Smirr o Rain George Campbell Hay84 On a Roman Helmet William H. Ogilvie85 Sonnet R. D. Laing86 Kinnaird Head George Bruce87 Landscape with Lapwings James Aitchison88 July Evening Norman MacCaig89 Yesterday in Laggan Gordon Jarvie90 Brooding Rebuked Sydney Goodsir Smith91 Life Summertime Tessa Ransford92 The Links o’ Innerleven William Graham93 Canadian Boat Song Anon94 John Anderson My Jo Robert Burns95 In the Highlands Robert Louis Stevenson96 Wilful Will Lesley Duncan97 Foreword Stuart Kermack98 Ante Mortem Syd Scroggie99 Twenty-third Psalm: Shepherd’s Version Catherine Harvey100 Song Robert BurnsNotesIndex of Poets