A lyric poet of outstanding merit, William Soutar is one of the seminal figures in the revival of Scots poetry in the first half of the twentieth century; and the fact that he achieved this in defiance of chronic illness has earned him a unique place in the affection of Scottish readers.

Soutar’s education was in his home town of Perth, his principal interests during his years at Perth Academy being poetry and football. A period of service in the Navy (1916-19) was followed by his taking a degree at Edinburgh University, where his first intention of studying medicine was rapidly abandoned for English literature. His enthusiastic participation in the social and intellectual life of the university, however, was marred by recurring pain in his legs and feet. This had first occurred during

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Citation: McClure, J. Derrick. "William Soutar". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 September 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4155, accessed 19 March 2024.]

4155 William Soutar 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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