Lewis Spence

J. Derrick McClure (University of Aberdeen)

Ed. by J. Derrick McClure, University of Aberdeen
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.3: Scottish Writing and Culture, 400-present.
Vol. editors: Kate Ash-Irisarri (University of Edinburgh), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Gina Lyle (University of York), J. Derrick McClure (University of Aberdeen), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow)

Dates

Activity 1719-1768
Born 25 Nov 1874
Died 3 Mar 1955

Places

Born in Scotland
Active in Scotland

Genres and Modes

Folk Literature

Activities

Primary

Poet

Resources

Spence's Works

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The contemporary reputation of Lewis Spence as a poet is mainly based on one or two frequently-anthologised sonnets; but his historical importance as a key figure in the Scottish Renaissance, both by his poetry and his energetic participation in the literary and political controversies of the period, is considerable, and an examination of his poetry reveals much that is of interest.

Though his professional training (at Edinburgh University) was in dentistry, Spence's active life was spent in writing and research. He published extensively in the fields of folklore and anthropology, his subjects including the civilisations of ancient Egypt, the early Celtic world and the Americas; and several of his books (e.g. An Introduction to Mythology (1921), The Gods of Mexico (1923), The Magic Arts

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1068 words

Citation: McClure, J. Derrick. "Lewis Spence". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 September 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4167, accessed 22 November 2024.]