Norman MacCaig OBE HRSA
MacCaig was an influential Scottish poet of the Post-War period. After attending schooling and University in Edinburgh, he went on to work as a teacher. During the Second World War, MacCaig was an outspoken pacifist and objected to having any involvement in the violent conflict.
During the War, MacCaig’s poetry was associated with the New Apocalypse movement, a movement born out of rejection towards the political realism of the 1930s - however, MacCaig later distanced himself from this neo-Romantic fashion of verse. As MacCaig’s poetic style developed during the 1940s, he became known for his humour and continued to develop a more simplistic (yet sometimes strict and formal), lucid verse. Throughout his career, MacCaig often explored the natural world, using this imagery to reflect the beauty he saw in everyday life and the quiet greatness of landscapes like the Highlands.
Throughout his life, MacCaig maintained an interest in art, and was depicted by several artists, who revealed his quiet demeanour, yet commanding presence.
MacCaig was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1981 as a Professor of Literature.
