Tour Scotland photograph of the Michael Bruce Memorial, Portmoak Churchyard, Perthshire, Scotland. Memorial stone in the graveyard to Michael Bruce, born 27th of March 1746, died 15th July 1767, author of several of the scripture paraphrases used in Church of Scotland worship. Michael was born at Kinnesswood in the parish of Portmoak, Kinross-shire. His father, Alexander Bruce, was a weaver. Michael was taught to read before he was four years old, and one of his favourite books was a copy of Sir David Lyndsay's works. His attendance at school was often interrupted, because he had to herd cattle on the Lomond Hills in summer, and this early companionship with nature greatly influenced his poetry. A delicate child, he grew up as the pet of his family and friends. He studied Latin and Greek, and at fifteen, when his schooling was completed, a small legacy left to his mother, with some additions from kindly neighbours, enabled him to go to the University of Edinburgh, which he attended during the four winter sessions from 1762. In 1765 he taught during the summer months at Gairney Bridge, receiving about five shillings a year in fees and free board in a pupil's home. He became a divinity student at Kinross, with a Scottish sect known as the Burghers, and in the first summer of his course, in 1766, he was put in charge of a new school at Forest Hill, near Clackmannan, where he led a life marred by poverty, disease and loneliness. There he wrote Lochleven, a poem inspired by the memories of his childhood. He had already been threatened with consumption, and now became seriously ill. During the winter he returned on foot to his father's house, where he wrote his last and finest poem, Elegy written in Spring.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.
No comments:
Post a Comment