Robert Williams Buchanan
Encyclopedia
Robert Williams Buchanan (18 August 1841 – 10 June 1901) was a Scottish
poet
, novelist and dramatist.
lecturer and journalist, and was born at Caverswall
, Staffordshire, England
. Buchanan senior, a native of Ayr, Scotland, lived for some years in Manchester
, then moved to Glasgow
, where Buchanan junior was educated, at the high school and the university, one of his fellow-students being the poet David Gray
. His essay on Gray, originally published in the Cornhill Magazine
, tells the story of their close friendship, and of their journey to London in 1860 in search of fame.
After a period of struggle and disappointment Buchanan published Undertones in 1863. This tentative volume had some success, and was followed by Idyls and Legends of Inverburn (1865), London Poems (1866), and North Coast and other Poems (1868), wherein he displayed a faculty for poetic narrative, and a sympathetic insight into the humbler conditions of life.
Buchanan showed more ambition in The Book of Orm: A Prelude to the Epic, a study in mysticism
, which appeared in 1870. His works gave him a growing reputation, and raised high hopes of his future. Thereafter he would take up prose fiction and the drama, not always with success. He was a frequent contributor to periodicals, and obtained notoriety as a result of an article which, under the nom de plume of Thomas Maitland, he contributed to The Contemporary Review for October 1871. Entitled The Fleshly School of Poetry, this article was expanded into a pamphlet (1872), but he subsequently withdrew from the criticisms it contained, and it is chiefly remembered by the replies it evoked from Dante Gabriel Rossetti
in a letter to the Athenaeum (December 16, 1871), entitled The Stealthy School of Criticism, and from Algernon Charles Swinburne
in Under the Microscope (1872).
Buchanan afterwards regretted the violence of his attack, and the old enemy to whom God and the Man is dedicated was Rossetti. In 1876 The Shadow of the Sword, the first and one of the best of a long series of novels, was published. Buchanan was also the author of many successful plays, including Lady Clare, produced in 1883, Sophia (1886), an adaptation of Tom Jones; A Man's Shadow (1890), and The Charlatan (1894). He also wrote, in collaboration with Harriett Jay
, the melodrama Alone in London. His latest poems, The Outcast: a Rhyme for the Time (1891) and The Wandering Jew (1893) were directed against certain aspects of Christianity. In 1896 he became, so far as some of his work was concerned, his own publisher. He was unfortunate in his latter years; a speculation turned out ruinously, and he had to sell his copyrights. In the autumn of 1900 he had a paralytic seizure, from which he never recovered. He died at Streatham
.
Buchanan's poems were collected into three volumes in 1874, into one volume in 1884; and as Complete Poetical Works (2 vols., 1901). Among his poems should also be mentioned:
His earlier novels, The Shadow of the Sword, and God and the Man (1881), a striking tale of a family feud, are distinguished by a certain breadth and simplicity of treatment which is not so noticeable in their successors, among which may be mentioned:
See also Harriett Jay, Robert Buchanan; some Account of his Life (1903).
German by Peter M. Richter as "Christian", translated in 2007, published by Engelsdorfer Verlag Leipzig.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, novelist and dramatist.
Early life and education
He was the son of Robert Buchanan (1813-1866), OweniteRobert Owen
Robert Owen was a Welsh social reformer and one of the founders of utopian socialism and the cooperative movement.Owen's philosophy was based on three intellectual pillars:...
lecturer and journalist, and was born at Caverswall
Caverswall
Caverswall is a village and parish in Staffordshire, to the south west of Staffordshire Moorlands.- Etymology :The name Caverswall is thought to have its origins in the Saxon words Cafhere, a personal noun, and Waelle, which meant spring or well.By the time of the Domesday Book the village was...
, Staffordshire, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Buchanan senior, a native of Ayr, Scotland, lived for some years in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, then moved to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, where Buchanan junior was educated, at the high school and the university, one of his fellow-students being the poet David Gray
David Gray (poet)
David Gray was a Scottish poet.The son of a handloom weaver, Gray was born at Merkland, by Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire. His parents resolved to educate him for the kirk, and through their self-denial and his own exertions as a pupil teacher and private tutor he was able to complete a course of...
. His essay on Gray, originally published in the Cornhill Magazine
Cornhill Magazine
The Cornhill Magazine was a Victorian magazine and literary journal named after Cornhill Street in London.Cornhill was founded by George Murray Smith in 1860 and was published until 1975. It was a literary journal with a selection of articles on diverse subjects and serialisations of new novels...
, tells the story of their close friendship, and of their journey to London in 1860 in search of fame.
Writings
Buchanan's first published works were books of poetry written while he was still living in Glasgow. He appears to have disowned them later in life as they fail to appear in any bibliographic references. His first book was Poems and Love Lyrics which although undated was almost certainly published in 1858. This date has been settled upon for the following reasons: (1) The author's second book Mary and other Poems is by the 'Author of Lyrics'. This book is dated 1859 and signed Robt W Buchanan in the preface; (2) The preface to 'Mary' states that this is the author's second published book; (3) The preface indicates that the writer is still a young man; (4) The dedication to Hugh Macdonald suggests he was alive when it was written. Macdonald, a well-known Glaswegian, died in 1860. Buchanan's second book Mary and other Poems was published in 1859 and has never been mentioned in any bibliographies. The book is extremely rare and the only copies appear to be in the Mitchell library in Glasgow. Buchanan also published a collection of short stories and poems, written in collaboration with Charles Gibbon, entitled Storm-beaten, or Christmas Eve at the "Old Anchor" Inn in 1862, before Undertones, which is often cited as Buchanan's first book.After a period of struggle and disappointment Buchanan published Undertones in 1863. This tentative volume had some success, and was followed by Idyls and Legends of Inverburn (1865), London Poems (1866), and North Coast and other Poems (1868), wherein he displayed a faculty for poetic narrative, and a sympathetic insight into the humbler conditions of life.
Buchanan showed more ambition in The Book of Orm: A Prelude to the Epic, a study in mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, which appeared in 1870. His works gave him a growing reputation, and raised high hopes of his future. Thereafter he would take up prose fiction and the drama, not always with success. He was a frequent contributor to periodicals, and obtained notoriety as a result of an article which, under the nom de plume of Thomas Maitland, he contributed to The Contemporary Review for October 1871. Entitled The Fleshly School of Poetry, this article was expanded into a pamphlet (1872), but he subsequently withdrew from the criticisms it contained, and it is chiefly remembered by the replies it evoked from Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Dante Gabriel Rossetti was an English poet, illustrator, painter and translator. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848 with William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais, and was later to be the main inspiration for a second generation of artists and writers influenced by the movement,...
in a letter to the Athenaeum (December 16, 1871), entitled The Stealthy School of Criticism, and from Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne
Algernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He invented the roundel form, wrote several novels, and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica...
in Under the Microscope (1872).
Buchanan afterwards regretted the violence of his attack, and the old enemy to whom God and the Man is dedicated was Rossetti. In 1876 The Shadow of the Sword, the first and one of the best of a long series of novels, was published. Buchanan was also the author of many successful plays, including Lady Clare, produced in 1883, Sophia (1886), an adaptation of Tom Jones; A Man's Shadow (1890), and The Charlatan (1894). He also wrote, in collaboration with Harriett Jay
Harriett Jay
Harriett Jay was a British writer and playwright who often wrote under the psuedonym of Charles Marlowe. Several of her plays were turned into films. She is best known for her 1906 comedy play When Knights Were Bold.-Selected plays:...
, the melodrama Alone in London. His latest poems, The Outcast: a Rhyme for the Time (1891) and The Wandering Jew (1893) were directed against certain aspects of Christianity. In 1896 he became, so far as some of his work was concerned, his own publisher. He was unfortunate in his latter years; a speculation turned out ruinously, and he had to sell his copyrights. In the autumn of 1900 he had a paralytic seizure, from which he never recovered. He died at Streatham
Streatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
.
Buchanan's poems were collected into three volumes in 1874, into one volume in 1884; and as Complete Poetical Works (2 vols., 1901). Among his poems should also be mentioned:
- The Drama of Kings (1871)
- St Abe and his Seven Wives, a lively tale of Salt Lake City, Utah, published anonymously in 1872
- Balder the Beautiful (1877)
- The City of Dream (1888)
His earlier novels, The Shadow of the Sword, and God and the Man (1881), a striking tale of a family feud, are distinguished by a certain breadth and simplicity of treatment which is not so noticeable in their successors, among which may be mentioned:
- The Martyrdom of Madeline (1882)
- Foxglove Manor (1885)
- Effie Hetherington (1896)
- Father Anthony (1898)
- David Gray and other Essays, chiefly on Poetry (1868)
- Master Spirits (1873)
- A Poet's Sketch Book (1883), in which the interesting essay on Gray is reprinted
- A Look round Literature (1887), and the previous volume contain Buchanan's chief contributions to periodical literature
- The Land of Lorne (2 vols., 1871), a vivid record of yachting experiences on the west coast of Scotland.
- The Master of the Mine (1885), originally serialised by the London Illustrated News in 1867.
See also Harriett Jay, Robert Buchanan; some Account of his Life (1903).
Publication in other languages
"god and the man"German by Peter M. Richter as "Christian", translated in 2007, published by Engelsdorfer Verlag Leipzig.