Walter Scott, The Lay of the Last Minstrel: A Poem

Susan Oliver (University of Essex)

Ed. by J. Derrick McClure, University of Aberdeen
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.06: English Writing and Culture of the Romantic Period, 1789-1837.
Vol. editors: Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Daniel Robinson (Widener University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1805

Places

Scotland (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Gothic & Ghosts
Poetry (any)
Romance

Resources

Walter Scott’s move from editing ballads into writing narrative poetry in his own right began with The Lay of the Last Minstrel: A Poem, begun in 1802 and published in 1805. Consisting of an introduction and six cantos, with a prose foreword and notes, the Lay is a verse romance in the gothic manner. The plot involves an elderly Minstrel, “the last of race” according to Scott’s forward, who with his orphan guide takes shelter in Newark Tower, a fortification in the Scottish Borders. There, the Minstrel sings a tale – the Lay of the title – to the resident Duchess and her company of ladies.

The Lay revolves around a young couple from opposing Borders families whose …

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3969 words

Citation: Oliver, Susan. "The Lay of the Last Minstrel: A Poem". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 August 2005 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=384, accessed 22 November 2024.]

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