Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • COVID-19
    • Re-Opening FAQ
  • Poetry
    • Poems
    • Poets
    • Our National Poet
    • Podcasts
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Poetry and Mindfulness
    • Champions 2020
    • Posters
    • Publishers
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • National Poetry Day 2019
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • Calendar
    • Exhibitions
    • Venue hire
    • List an event
  • Shop
    • National Poetry Day 2020
    • New Titles
    • Poetry Pamphlet Cards
    • Pocket Poets
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Our projects
    • Jobs
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
    • Easy Fundraising
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Poetry
  • >
  • battles
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

battles

from Three Battles - by E. Alan Mackintosh

{ Poem }

In the cold of the morning, / In the burning of the day, / The thin lines stumbled forward, /…

Hooge - by Roderick Watson Kerr

{ Poem }

The moon – frozen eye –
/ Stares down stupidly,
/ And the wind licks
/ A few bare sticks,
/ Once trees:
/
/ And near the craters…

Clan Donald’s Call to Battle At Harlaw - by Robert Crawford

{ Poem }

after the Gaelic of Lachlann Mor MacMhuirich (fl. 1411)
/
/ You Clann of Conn, remember this:
/ Strength from the eye of the storm.
/ Be…

The Flyting o’ Life and Daith - by Hamish Henderson

{ Poem }

Quo life, the warld is mine.
/ The floo’ers and trees, they’re a’ my ain.
/ I am the day, and the sunshine
/ Quo life,…

from At Maldon - by J.O. Morgan

{ Poem }

Waves beating up against cliffs.
/ Cliffs holding hard against waves.
/
/ …

Here lies our land - by Kathleen Jamie

{ Poem }

Small folk playing our part.
/ ‘Come all ye’, the country says
/ You win me, who take me most to heart. …

Cruaidh? - by Derick Thomson

{ Poem }

Cuil-lodair, is Briseadh na h-Eaglaise,
/ is briseadh nan tacannan –
/ lamhachas-làidir dà thrian de ar comas;
/ ‘se seòltachd tha dhìth oirinn.
/ Nuair a…

Action Stations - by J. K. Annand

{ Poem }

‘A-a-ll the starboard watch!’
/ ‘Shairly no again!
/ What’s the wather like?’
/ ‘Cauld, wi sleet and rain.’
/
/ ‘Lofty. Depth-charge sentry.
/ Knocker. You’re stand-by.
/ Haggis. On the gun.
/ Shorty.

The Burial-March of Dundee - by William Edmondstoune Aytoun

{ Poem }

an extract
/
/
/ II
/
/ On the heights of Killiecrankie
/ Yester-morn our army lay:
/ Slowly rose the mist in columns
/ …

  • Newsletter signup
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Scottish Poetry Library
5 Crichton's Close, Canongate
Edinburgh EH8 8DT
Tel: +44 (0)131 557 2876
© Scottish Poetry Library 2021.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
By leaves we live

The Scottish Poetry Library is staffed weekdays from 10am – 2pm and is providing a limited service including postal loans and Click & Collect. For details, click COVID-19 in the menu bar above. Dismiss