Historical Context (Scottish Highers English): Revision Notes
Historical Context
When the poem was written
'The Bonnie Broukit Bairn' was published in 1925. This date matters because it came seven years after the end of the First World War, a conflict that shaped MacDiarmid's outlook and influenced his poetry. The poem emerged during a period when Scotland was searching for ways to express its cultural identity and respond to the aftermath of the war.
The seven-year gap between the war's end (1918) and the poem's publication (1925) gave MacDiarmid time to process his wartime experiences and develop his political and artistic vision. This period of reflection is crucial to understanding the poem's maturity of thought.
Political context and the First World War
During the First World War, MacDiarmid served in the Royal Army Medical Corps in Salonika and France. This military service placed him directly in contact with the devastating and pointless nature of mass warfare. What he witnessed during these years left a lasting mark on both his political beliefs and his approach to writing poetry.
MacDiarmid's experiences in the war strengthened his conviction that radical change was needed in both political and cultural spheres. He became an advocate for Scottish independence and international socialism, whilst opposing British imperialism. These political positions were not separate from his poetry but deeply connected to it.
Understanding the Speaker's Voice
The speaker in 'The Bonnie Broukit Bairn' can be understood as giving voice to those who experienced or witnessed the war's effects. The speaker mourns the loss of innocence whilst criticising world leaders for being disconnected from the harsh realities faced by ordinary people. This perspective reflects MacDiarmid's own views formed during his wartime service.
The Scottish Literary Renaissance
In the early to mid-twentieth century, MacDiarmid led a literary revival in Scotland known as the Scottish Literary Renaissance. This movement aimed to breathe new life into Scottish writing and create innovative, forward-looking literature. Writers involved in the movement used modernist techniques to find fresh ways of expressing Scottish identity.
The Scottish Literary Renaissance sought to revive the Scots language as a medium for serious literary work. Writers in the movement shared similar cultural and political concerns and worked to promote greater cultural autonomy for Scotland. This meant developing a distinctive Scottish literary voice rather than simply imitating English models.
Key Figures in the Movement
The Scottish Literary Renaissance brought together several influential writers:
- Hugh MacDiarmid - Leader and primary voice of the movement
- Edwin Muir - Poet and translator who explored Scottish identity
- Neil Gunn - Novelist focused on Highland culture
- Lewis Grassic Gibbon - Known for his Scots Quair trilogy
- Naomi Mitchison - Historical novelist and political activist
These writers pursued a shared vision of Scottish literature that was both rooted in Scottish traditions and engaged with international literary developments.
Synthetic Scots and linguistic revival
MacDiarmid's contribution to reviving Scots involved creating what he called Lallans or Synthetic Scots. This was an experimental form of the language that he constructed by searching through old dictionaries and other Scots sources for words and by combining elements from various dialects. His aim was to forge a dynamic literary language that could express modern Scottish experiences whilst remaining connected to Scotland's linguistic heritage.
This reconstructed Scots uses archaic, regional, and obscure vocabulary, making it challenging even for native Scots speakers to read. MacDiarmid deliberately chose this approach because he wanted Scottish literature to challenge and provoke readers, demanding their intellectual engagement.
The Political Significance of Language
The linguistic complexity of MacDiarmid's work served as a political act in itself, asserting that Scottish literary tradition deserved the same respect and rigour as any other European high art form. By creating Synthetic Scots, MacDiarmid was making a statement about Scottish cultural identity. The language became a tool for expressing a distinctively Scottish perspective that was neither parochial nor derivative of English literary traditions.
Mythology and cultural references
Throughout his work, MacDiarmid drew on diverse sources, incorporating complex ideas from his wide reading across many disciplines. Mythology provided one such resource, offering symbolic power that he used to address contemporary issues. By merging ancient myths with modern concerns, he created a radical, forward-looking style of poetry.
'The Bonnie Broukit Bairn' refers to Mars, the god of war, and Venus, the goddess of love, from Roman mythology. The Romans typically portrayed their gods as powerful, immortal beings who controlled aspects of the natural world and human destiny but remained distant from mortal struggles. Gods like Mars and Venus ruled from above, intervening in human affairs only when it suited their own purposes. Meanwhile, mortals were subject to fate and the capricious whims of these gods, often suffering as collateral damage in divine conflicts.
Connecting Ancient and Modern Power Structures
This mythological framework relates to the poem's historical context in an important way. Roman civilisation provided the legal, ideological, and linguistic foundations for many modern states. European and colonial empires, in particular, drew on Roman imperial ideals and symbols to justify their rule and structure their societies.
By invoking Mars and Venus in his poem, MacDiarmid connects the ancient world's power structures with those of his own time. The distant, uncaring gods mirror the political leaders whose decisions led to the First World War whilst remaining removed from its horrific consequences. This use of mythology allows MacDiarmid to critique contemporary politics through ancient symbols that carry weight and resonance.
Key Points to Remember:
- 'The Bonnie Broukit Bairn' was published in 1925, seven years after the First World War ended, and reflects MacDiarmid's wartime experiences in the Royal Army Medical Corps.
- The poem emerged from the Scottish Literary Renaissance, a movement that used modernist techniques to revive Scottish literature and promote cultural autonomy.
- MacDiarmid created Synthetic Scots (Lallans) by combining archaic words and various dialects to forge a distinctive literary language for expressing modern Scottish identity.
- His use of Roman mythology (Mars and Venus) connects ancient power structures with modern political systems, particularly critiquing the disconnect between leaders and those affected by their decisions.
- The historical context reveals how MacDiarmid's political beliefs—support for Scottish independence, international socialism, and opposition to British imperialism—shaped his poetic vision.