Birth date: 
1425
Death date: 
1505
Birth town: 
Country: 
Scotland

Little is known about Robert Henryson's life, who was a very well-known Scottish author much admired by his contemporories (often described as the 'greatest' Scottish medieval author); who wrote in middle-scots in the second half of the fifteenth century, and mainly during the reign of James III. He 'possibly' attended and taught at the University of Glasgow, and is associated with the town of Dunfermline, where -inasmuch as can be ascertained from his work and sixteenth century tradition- he may have worked as a teacher, lawyer, or public notary. He was not a court poet, unlike his younger contemporary, William Dunbar.

Henryson's main works include a version of Aesop's Fables (usually entitled The Morall fabillis of Esope the Phrygian), The Testament of Cresseid, a follow-on to Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde (but also seen as his own, original 'masterpiece', a poem in its own right) , Robene and Makyne, and Orpheus and Eurydice, a version of the classic tale.

Pricilla Bawcutt describes Henryson in Discovering Scottish Writers as excelling as 'a narrative poet' who handled the fable genre 'brilliantly.'

Poems by this Poet

Displaying 1 - 10 of 35
Poemsort descending Post date Rating Comments
Aganis Haisty Credence of Titlaris 29 November 2013
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)
0
Ane Prayer for the Pest 19 May 2014
4.333335
Average: 4.3 (3 votes)
0
Cresseid's Complaint against Fortune 29 November 2013
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)
0
Cressida's Leprosy 29 November 2013
4
Average: 4 (1 vote)
0
Fabill 11 - The Taill of the Wolf and the Wedder 19 May 2014
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)
1
Fabill 12 - The Taill of the Wolf and the Lamb 19 May 2014
4
Average: 4 (1 vote)
0
Fabill 9 - The Taill of the Wolf that gat the Nekherig throw the wrikis of the Foxe that begylit the Cadgear 19 May 2014
4
Average: 4 (1 vote)
1
I mend the fyre and beikit me about 19 May 2014
2
Average: 2 (1 vote)
0
Orpheus and Eurydice 19 May 2014
2
Average: 2 (1 vote)
1
Robin and Makyne 31 July 2013
3
Average: 3 (1 vote)
0

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