A Drunk Man Looks at the ThistleKenneth Buthlay's edition of "A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle" is widely considered to be the best edition of all and provides extensive commentary and notes, taking the reader through MacDiarmid's complex and often opaque use of language. The drunk man lies on a moonlit hillside looking at a thistle, jaggy and beautiful, which epitomises Scotland's divided self. The man reflects on the fate of the nation, the human condition in general and his own personal fears. |
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Common terms and phrases
A. R. Orage aboot abune ahint aiblins aince auld Blok brocht Burns Burns Supper Caledonian Antisyzygy canna Complete Poems cratur D. S. Mirsky Daith darkness deid doot Dostoevsky Drunk Man Looks English eternal frae Francis George Scott gang gi'e Glasgow ha'e ha'en haud Heaven heid hert Hugh MacDiarmid human ilka ither itsel juist kennin leafs letter licht London MacD MacD's MacDiarmid Macgillivray maist Man's maun Melville micht mind muckle mune munelicht nae mair naething Nietzsche nocht ocht Orage orra owre pairt poet poetry puir readers rises and forever rose Russian s'ud sall Sangschaw Scotland Scots Scott Scottish Chapbook Scottish Literature Scottish Renaissance sense sicht soul stars suggested syne thee thing thistle rises thistle's thocht thraw turn warld weel wha's whaur wheel whisky winna wumman wund