Tom Scott is one of the most individual and most distinguished poets of the twentieth-century Scottish Renaissance, noted for the ambitious scope of his works, his powerful and imaginative use of the Scots language, and the uncompromising radicalism of his social and political ideas.

Scott's father was a boilermaker, and the poet's origins in Red Clydeside remained a seminal influence throughout his life: not only is the language of his most characteristic work firmly rooted in the Scots speech of the working class, but his poetry is imbued with, on the one hand, a passionate hatred for all forms of oppression and for the false values of capitalism and mercantilism, and on the other, an enduring faith in the traditional Scottish virtues of honesty, hard work, family affection and

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Citation: McClure, J. Derrick. "Tom Scott". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 November 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5202, accessed 19 March 2024.]

5202 Tom Scott 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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