He was born at 1 Marshall Street in Lochee[1] near Dundee the son of John Young Gray, an art teacher at the High School of Dundee, and his wife, Mary Young.[2]
Gray spent his childhood in Dundee, and was educated at the High School of Dundee, going on to study mathematics and economics at the University of Edinburgh, graduating MA in 1902. This was followed by periods of study at Göttingen University and at the Sorbonne in Paris. During the First World War he worked in the civil service, employing his linguistic skills to produce anti-German propaganda.
In 1921 he was appointed professor of Political Economy at Aberdeen University, and whilst there he published one of his most important economic works, The Development of Economic Doctrine, in 1931. In 1934 he took up the equivalent post at Edinburgh University's School of Economics, which he held until his retirement in 1956. During the Second World War he returned to work for the civil service, returning to his professorship at Edinburgh after the war. In 1948 he published a study of the life and doctrines of Adam Smith.
In addition to his economic writings, Gray was an active composer and translator of poetry. His work consisted of original poems written in English, and translations of the folk and ballad poetry of Germany and Denmark into Scots. Some of his work featured in Northern Numbers, a periodical founded and edited by Hugh MacDiarmid. Of his English poems, Scotland is internationally renowned, the third stanza being frequently quoted. This quote features on the Canongate Wall at the new Scottish Parliament building:
This is my country, The land that begat me. These windy spaces Are surely my own. And those who toil here In the sweat of their faces Are flesh of my flesh, And bone of my bone.
His translations into Scots constitute the greater part of his work, and is the main basis for his reputation. His translations include a collection of ballads, Arrows, from German, and Historical Ballads of Denmark and Four and Forty from Danish. He translated many German poets, including von Kotzebue, Müller, Uhland, Herder but, above all, Heine.
alexander, gray, poet, alexander, gray, frse, january, 1882, february, 1968, scottish, civil, servant, economist, academic, translator, writer, poet, contents, life, work, family, bibliography, also, references, external, linkslife, work, edithe, born, marshal. Sir Alexander Gray CBE FRSE 6 January 1882 17 February 1968 was a Scottish civil servant economist academic translator writer and poet Contents 1 Life and work 2 Family 3 Bibliography 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksLife and work EditHe was born at 1 Marshall Street in Lochee 1 near Dundee the son of John Young Gray an art teacher at the High School of Dundee and his wife Mary Young 2 Gray spent his childhood in Dundee and was educated at the High School of Dundee going on to study mathematics and economics at the University of Edinburgh graduating MA in 1902 This was followed by periods of study at Gottingen University and at the Sorbonne in Paris During the First World War he worked in the civil service employing his linguistic skills to produce anti German propaganda In 1921 he was appointed professor of Political Economy at Aberdeen University and whilst there he published one of his most important economic works The Development of Economic Doctrine in 1931 In 1934 he took up the equivalent post at Edinburgh University s School of Economics which he held until his retirement in 1956 During the Second World War he returned to work for the civil service returning to his professorship at Edinburgh after the war In 1948 he published a study of the life and doctrines of Adam Smith He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1942 His proposers were Edmund Taylor Whittaker Sir Ernest Wedderburn James Pickering Kendall and James Ritchie He served as the Society s Vice President 1948 to 1951 3 In addition to his economic writings Gray was an active composer and translator of poetry His work consisted of original poems written in English and translations of the folk and ballad poetry of Germany and Denmark into Scots Some of his work featured in Northern Numbers a periodical founded and edited by Hugh MacDiarmid Of his English poems Scotland is internationally renowned the third stanza being frequently quoted This quote features on the Canongate Wall at the new Scottish Parliament building This is my country The land that begat me These windy spaces Are surely my own And those who toil here In the sweat of their faces Are flesh of my flesh And bone of my bone His translations into Scots constitute the greater part of his work and is the main basis for his reputation His translations include a collection of ballads Arrows from German and Historical Ballads of Denmark and Four and Forty from Danish He translated many German poets including von Kotzebue Muller Uhland Herder but above all Heine He died in Edinburgh on 17 February 1968 Family EditIn 1909 he married Alice Gunn Bibliography EditAdam Smith 1948 The Socialist Tradition Moses to Lenin 1946 Any man s life A book of poems 1924 Arrows A book of German ballads and folksongs attempted in Scots 1932 The Development of Economic Doctrine An Introductory Survey 1931 second edition 1980 Economics yesterday and to morrow 1949 Family endowment a critical analysis 1927 Four and forty A selection of Danish ballads presented in Scots 1954 Gossip A new book of poems 1928 Historical ballads of Denmark 1958 New Leviathan some illustrations of current German political theories 1915 Poems 1925 Robert Burns man and poet Address to the Scottish Arts Club 1944 1944 Scottish staple at Veere 1909 Sir Halewyn Examples in European balladry and folk song 1949 Some aspects of national health insurance 1923 Songs and ballads chiefly from Heine 1920 Songs from Heine Schumann s Dichterliebe 1928 Timorous civility a Scots miscellany True pastime some observations on the German attitude towards war 1915 Upright sheaf Germany s intentions after the war 1915 See also Edit Poetry portalGolden Treasury of Scottish Poetry Scottish literatureReferences Edit Dundee Post Office Directory 1868 69 Lochee Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 2002 PDF The Royal Society of Edinburgh July 2006 ISBN 0 902 198 84 X Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783 2002 PDF The Royal Society of Edinburgh July 2006 ISBN 0 902 198 84 X External links EditLiterary Encyclopedia article on Gray gives some examples of his poetry History of the School of Economics at Edinburgh deals with Gray s time at Edinburgh The National Library of Scotland National Library of Scotland holds Gray s papers Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alexander Gray poet amp oldid 1058223878, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
