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The Field of Waterloo

January 01, 1970

For the painting by Turner, see The Field of Waterloo (painting).

The Field of Waterloo is a poem by Walter Scott, written and published in 1815. It is in iambic tetrameters and trimeters with a few Spenserian stanzas at the end. The work moves from a depiction of the site of the battle, with farm life renewing in the autumn, to an account of the conflict, highlighting Napoleon and Wellington, and a roll-call of prominent British casualties.

Background edit

While already interested, he became even more infatuated with the war after he received a letter from Charles Bell, according to his son-in-law and biographer John Gibson Lockhart. After the allied victory at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815; Scott visited the battlefield on 9 August, being one of the first British civilians to view it, before moving on to Paris. He hoped to recover his expenses by producing an account of his travels (in the form of imaginary letters), published as Paul's Letters to His Kinsfolk (1816), and The Field of Waterloo was also written during the trip. The profits from the poem were intended to go to a fund for widows and orphans of soldiers.[1] Scott mixed personal observation with information received from his escorts, General Adam's aide-de-camp Campbell and Major Pryse Gordon and other officers, including the Duke of Wellington himself, whom he met in Paris.[citation needed] By then he had written an offshoot, Dance of Death, which he recited to John Scott, 13th of Gala in Paris; the work was featured in the 1813 Edinburgh Annual Register and published in Edinburgh on 11 January 1816. By his trip's conclusion, he wrote to his wife Charlotte, James Ballantyne, the 5th Duke of Buccleuch, and his friend Joanna Bailie.[2]

The finished poem was sent to Ballantyne on 30 August.[3][4] On his return to Abbotsford Scott was correcting proofs during the first week of October, responding to detailed criticisms by Ballantyne.[5] Upon reaching London, he met with Lord Byron, who had yet to visit the battlefield and would later write Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, on 14 September. He also covers the battle in Paul's Letters to his Kinsfolk (1816), History of Europe, 1815 (1817), and Life of Napoleon Bonaparte (1827).[2]

Editions edit

The Field of Waterloo was published on 23 October 1815 in Edinburgh by Archibald Constable and Co. and on 2 November in London by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, and John Murray. It cost 5s (25p) and the print run was 6000. Two more editions followed in November of 1000 and 3000 copies respectively.[6]

A critical edition is due to be included in Volume 5 of The Edinburgh Edition of Walter Scott's Poetry, published by Edinburgh University Press.[7]

Reception edit

Only 6 of the 17 reviews of Waterloo were favourable, as against 8 unfavourable and 3 neutral.[8] There was anger at Scott's foisting on the public 'a crude, ill-organized abortion'.[9] The British Critic was unusual in detecting moments of dignified beauty but recognised that it was difficult to combine poetry and patriotism in modern poetry, given Britain's tendency to generous reserve.[10] The Critical Review judged it as 'absolutely the poorest, dullest, least interesting composition that has hitherto issued from the author of Rokeby. Even the gazette of the battle contains more information, and the style of the poem is very little, if at all, superior to that of Marshal Wellington's modest dispatches.'[11] A 28 November 1817 poem published in the Chester Courant similarly described the work.[12]

The poor reception of the poem led to widespread joking about Sir Walter Scott like Napoleon meeting his greatest defeat at Waterloo, as in the widely circulated squib attributed to Lord Erskine: 'On Waterloo's ensanguined plain / Lie tens of thousands of the slain; / But none, by sabre or by shot, / Fell half so flat as Walter Scott.'[13] Critical commentary persisted for the next century.[14]

References edit

  1. ^ Tulloch 2018, pp. 266, 268.
  2. ^ a b Tulloch 2018, pp. 266–267.
  3. ^ Tulloch 2018, p. 266.
  4. ^ The Letters of Sir Walter Scott: 1815–1817, ed. H. J. C. Grierson (London, 1933), 87 (Scott to James Ballantyne, 30 August 1815).
  5. ^ Ibid., 100 (Scott to J. B. S. Morritt, 2 October [1815]); 102 (Scott to Archibald Constable, 5 October [1815]); Edgar Johnson, Sir Walter Scott: The Great Unknown (London, 1970), 507–08.
  6. ^ William B. Todd and Ann Bowden, Sir Walter Scott: A Bibliographical History (New Castle, Delaware, 1998), 376–79.
  7. ^ Walter Scott, Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field, ed. Ainsley McIntosh (Edinburgh, 2018), [ii].
  8. ^ For a detailed consideration of the reviews of Waterloo see J. H. Alexander, The Reviewing of Walter Scott's Poetry: 1805‒1817, Vol. 2 of Two Studies in Romantic Reviewing (Salzburg, 1976), 405‒07.
  9. ^ The Scourge, 10 (December, 1815), 437‒51 (450).
  10. ^ The British Critic (new series), 4 (November 1815), 528‒32.
  11. ^ The Critical Review Series the Fifth, vol. II, no. I, pp. 457–463.
  12. ^ Tulloch 2018, pp. 268–269.
  13. ^ Baron John Campbell, The lives of the lords chancellors and keepers of the great seal of England: from the earliest times till the reign of King George IV, vol. 6 (1851), p. 518
  14. ^ Tulloch 2018, p. 269.

Bibliography edit

  • Gottlieb, Evan. 'Fighting Words: British Poetry and the Napoleonic Wars', in Romantic Globalism: British Literature and Modern World Order, 1750–1830, University of Ohio Press, 2014, pp. 68–94.
  • Semmel, Stuart. 'Reading the Tangible Past: British Tourism, Collecting, and Memory after Waterloo', Representations, 69 (2000), pp. 9–37.
  • Shaw, Philip. 'Walter Scott: The Discipline of History', in Waterloo and the Romantic Imagination, Palgrave Macmillan, 2002, pp. 35–66.
  • Tulloch, Graham (October 2018). "Walter Scott and Waterloo". Romanticism. 24 (3). Edinburgh University Press: 266–277. doi:10.3366/rom.2018.0386. ISSN 1354-991X. S2CID 165188924.

External links edit

  • Edinburgh University Library

January 01, 1970
field, waterloo, painting, turner, painting, poem, walter, scott, written, published, 1815, iambic, tetrameters, trimeters, with, spenserian, stanzas, work, moves, from, depiction, site, battle, with, farm, life, renewing, autumn, account, conflict, highlighti. For the painting by Turner see The Field of Waterloo painting The Field of Waterloo is a poem by Walter Scott written and published in 1815 It is in iambic tetrameters and trimeters with a few Spenserian stanzas at the end The work moves from a depiction of the site of the battle with farm life renewing in the autumn to an account of the conflict highlighting Napoleon and Wellington and a roll call of prominent British casualties Contents 1 Background 2 Editions 3 Reception 4 References 4 1 Bibliography 5 External linksBackground editWhile already interested he became even more infatuated with the war after he received a letter from Charles Bell according to his son in law and biographer John Gibson Lockhart After the allied victory at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815 Scott visited the battlefield on 9 August being one of the first British civilians to view it before moving on to Paris He hoped to recover his expenses by producing an account of his travels in the form of imaginary letters published as Paul s Letters to His Kinsfolk 1816 and The Field of Waterloo was also written during the trip The profits from the poem were intended to go to a fund for widows and orphans of soldiers 1 Scott mixed personal observation with information received from his escorts General Adam s aide de camp Campbell and Major Pryse Gordon and other officers including the Duke of Wellington himself whom he met in Paris citation needed By then he had written an offshoot Dance of Death which he recited to John Scott 13th of Gala in Paris the work was featured in the 1813 Edinburgh Annual Register and published in Edinburgh on 11 January 1816 By his trip s conclusion he wrote to his wife Charlotte James Ballantyne the 5th Duke of Buccleuch and his friend Joanna Bailie 2 The finished poem was sent to Ballantyne on 30 August 3 4 On his return to Abbotsford Scott was correcting proofs during the first week of October responding to detailed criticisms by Ballantyne 5 Upon reaching London he met with Lord Byron who had yet to visit the battlefield and would later write Childe Harold s Pilgrimage on 14 September He also covers the battle in Paul s Letters to his Kinsfolk 1816 History of Europe 1815 1817 and Life of Napoleon Bonaparte 1827 2 Editions editThe Field of Waterloo was published on 23 October 1815 in Edinburgh by Archibald Constable and Co and on 2 November in London by Longman Hurst Rees Orme and Brown and John Murray It cost 5s 25p and the print run was 6000 Two more editions followed in November of 1000 and 3000 copies respectively 6 A critical edition is due to be included in Volume 5 of The Edinburgh Edition of Walter Scott s Poetry published by Edinburgh University Press 7 Reception editOnly 6 of the 17 reviews of Waterloo were favourable as against 8 unfavourable and 3 neutral 8 There was anger at Scott s foisting on the public a crude ill organized abortion 9 The British Critic was unusual in detecting moments of dignified beauty but recognised that it was difficult to combine poetry and patriotism in modern poetry given Britain s tendency to generous reserve 10 The Critical Review judged it as absolutely the poorest dullest least interesting composition that has hitherto issued from the author of Rokeby Even the gazette of the battle contains more information and the style of the poem is very little if at all superior to that of Marshal Wellington s modest dispatches 11 A 28 November 1817 poem published in the Chester Courant similarly described the work 12 The poor reception of the poem led to widespread joking about Sir Walter Scott like Napoleon meeting his greatest defeat at Waterloo as in the widely circulated squib attributed to Lord Erskine On Waterloo s ensanguined plain Lie tens of thousands of the slain But none by sabre or by shot Fell half so flat as Walter Scott 13 Critical commentary persisted for the next century 14 References edit Tulloch 2018 pp 266 268 a b Tulloch 2018 pp 266 267 Tulloch 2018 p 266 The Letters of Sir Walter Scott 1815 1817 ed H J C Grierson London 1933 87 Scott to James Ballantyne 30 August 1815 Ibid 100 Scott to J B S Morritt 2 October 1815 102 Scott to Archibald Constable 5 October 1815 Edgar Johnson Sir Walter Scott The Great Unknown London 1970 507 08 William B Todd and Ann Bowden Sir Walter Scott A Bibliographical History New Castle Delaware 1998 376 79 Walter Scott Marmion A Tale of Flodden Field ed Ainsley McIntosh Edinburgh 2018 ii For a detailed consideration of the reviews of Waterloo see J H Alexander The Reviewing of Walter Scott s Poetry 1805 1817 Vol 2 of Two Studies in Romantic Reviewing Salzburg 1976 405 07 The Scourge 10 December 1815 437 51 450 The British Critic new series 4 November 1815 528 32 The Critical Review Series the Fifth vol II no I pp 457 463 Tulloch 2018 pp 268 269 Baron John Campbell The lives of the lords chancellors and keepers of the great seal of England from the earliest times till the reign of King George IV vol 6 1851 p 518 Tulloch 2018 p 269 Bibliography edit Gottlieb Evan Fighting Words British Poetry and the Napoleonic Wars in Romantic Globalism British Literature and Modern World Order 1750 1830 University of Ohio Press 2014 pp 68 94 Semmel Stuart Reading the Tangible Past British Tourism Collecting and Memory after Waterloo Representations 69 2000 pp 9 37 Shaw Philip Walter Scott The Discipline of History in Waterloo and the Romantic Imagination Palgrave Macmillan 2002 pp 35 66 Tulloch Graham October 2018 Walter Scott and Waterloo Romanticism 24 3 Edinburgh University Press 266 277 doi 10 3366 rom 2018 0386 ISSN 1354 991X S2CID 165188924 External links editEdinburgh University Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Field of Waterloo amp oldid 1200075736, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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