MacDiarmid, Hugh

(1892-1978)

   Pseudonym of Christopher Murray Grieve. He was born in Langholm, Dumfrieshire, and educated at Langholm Academy. During his time as a pupilteacher in Edinburgh, he joined the Edinburgh branches of the Independent Labor Party and the Fabian Society. He was a founder of the Scottish Nationalist Party in 1928. His nationalism is clearly seen in many of his poems. Before World War I, and after service in the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1915 to 1919, he was a journalist in Scotland and Wales and editor of several papers. He was the core figure in the revival of Scots as a poetic language. His early work was supported by John Buchan (see entry), who wrote the preface to his first volume of poetry, Sangschaw (1925). Some of his other publications: Annals of the Five Senses, 1923. Penny Wheep, 1926. A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle, 1926. At the Sign of the Thistle, 1934. More Collected Poems, 1971. Complete Poems, 1978. Some of his poems: "A Vision of Scotland," "After Two Thousand Years," "England is Our Enemy," "I Heard Christ Sing," "Ode to All Rebels," "The Battle Continues," "The Covenanters," "The Innumerable Christ," "The War with England."

   Sources: Biography of Hugh MacDiaramid. Recommended site (http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/MacDiarmid, Hughcrumey/ hugh_macdiarmid.html). Chapters into Verse. Vol. II: Gospels to Revelation. Robert Atwan and Laurance Wieder, eds. Oxford University Press, 1993. Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. Scottish Authors (http://www.slainte.org.uk/scotauth/macdidsw.htm). Selected Poetry of Hugh MacDiarmid. Alan Riach and Michael Grieve, eds. New Directions, 1992. The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The National Portrait Gallery (www.npg.org.uk).