ABSTRACT
The canonical determinants of a sub-culture are seldom the same as those governing major literary traditions. This chapter focuses on those characteristics which are supposed to distinguish Scottish literature from English literature, using Hugh MacDiarmid's counter-claim of Scottish Europeanism. The language of Scottish literature, by contrast, is the varied feature. From the Middle Ages, when Middle Scots vied with Latin and Gaelic, through the vernacular revival where mixtures of Scots and English formed decorous permutations, to the present day with Morgan and MacDiarmid, MacCaig and Tom Leonard, linguistic differences are embraced. Literary quality determines the range of canonical choice in Scottish literature courses, but ethnological concerns determine the particular texts taught and kinds favoured. The rhetorical tradition of Vinsauf and Vendome defines current understanding and accounts for Dunbar also referring to the earlier great Latin rhetorical master, Cicero.
