Norman MacCaig
Norman MacCaig was a prominent Scottish poet born in 1910 in Edinburgh, recognized as one of the leading literary figures of his generation. He obtained an honors degree in classics from the University of Edinburgh and had a long teaching career, which included roles as a primary school teacher and later as a lecturer and reader in poetry at the University of Stirling. MacCaig's poetic career began with his first collection published in 1943, and he went on to produce over twenty volumes, celebrated for their rich, philosophical descriptions of the landscape and nature. His work evolved over time; while initially focused on the physical world, he later embraced a deeper contemplation of elemental themes. MacCaig was fluent in several languages and had a passion for music and the Scottish Highlands, where he often fished. Throughout his career, he received numerous accolades, including the Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry and induction into the Order of the British Empire. Renowned for his humility and approachability, MacCaig's keen observations and authentic voice in poetry continue to resonate with readers. He passed away in 1996, leaving behind a significant legacy in Scottish literature.
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Norman MacCaig
Poet
- Born: November 14, 1910
- Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Died: January 23, 1996
- Place of death: Edinburgh, Scotland
Biography
Norman MacCaig was generally considered the leading Scottish poet of his generation. He was born in 1910 in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of chemist Robert MacCaig and his wife, Joan MacLoed MacCaig. In 1940, he married Isabel Munro, like himself a schoolteacher, and the couple had two children.
MacCaig studied at the University of Edinburgh, earning an honors degree in classics and an M.A. in 1932. He was a primary school teacher from 1934 until 1970. His teaching career was interrupted from 1967 until 1969, when he was a fellow in creative writing at the University of Edinburgh. After he retired from teaching in the primary schools, MacCaig became a lecturer in English studies at Scotland’s University of Stirling from 1970 until 1972 and a reader in poetry from 1972 until 1976. He received a doctorate in English from the University of Stirling in 1981, an honorary doctor of letters degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1983, and an honorary doctor of laws degree from Dundee University in 1986.
MacCaig published his first collection of poetry in 1943 and produced more than twenty volumes of poetry before he died in 1996. His poetry was distinguished by what Robert Nye, writing in The Times, identified as his “literary-philosophical description of landscape.” Simon Rae, writing in The Times Literary Supplement, noted that in MacCaig’s later work, he abandoned his concentration on the physical world and “moved—easily and naturally—away from the excitements of the incidental to a more fixed contemplation of the elemental and the immemorial.”
Proficient in Gaelic and knowledgeable in French, Italian, Greek, and Latin, MacCaig had a consuming interest in music. He also loved the landscape of the Scottish Highlands, where he went fishing as often as he could. He enjoyed traveling and visited the European continent, most often France and Italy, as well as the United States and Australia.
A fellow in the Royal Society of Literature, the Scottish Arts Club of Edinburgh, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, MacCaig received considerable praise and recognition for his poetry. Between 1964 and 1984, he received seven awards from the Arts Council. He was given Society of Authors awards in both 1964 and 1967, and in the latter year he received the Heinemann Award for Literature. He was inducted into the Order of the British Empire in 1979 and received the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 1986. His Collected Poems, published in 1985, was so well received that it was revised and republished in 1990.
MacCaig was noted for his unpretentiousness and humility. He was always approachable, ever interested in people and sensitive to their feelings. He had an engaging wit and a quick mind that picked up quickly on nuances. His powers of observation, particularly of nature, were impressive and gave his poetry an authenticity that entices readers.