RT journal article
T1 Walter Scott’s Vision of Don Roderick (1811): a «Drum and Trumpet Performance»?
T2 La visión de Don Rodrigo (1811) de Walter Scott: ¿una «faena de tambor y trompeta»?
A1 Valladares, Susan
K1 Walter Scott
K1 The Vision of Don Roderick
K1 Peninsular War
K1 contemporary reviews
K1 Robert Southey
K1 Don Roderick; Last of the Goths
K1 religión
K1 history
K1 nationalism
K1 Highlanders
K1 Sir John Moore
K1 La Visión de Don Rodrigo
K1 Guerra de la Independencia
K1 críticas contemporáneas
K1 Don Roderick, último de los Godos
K1 historia
K1 nacionalismo
AB Scott’s poem The Vision of Don Roderick was published in 1811, to raise fundsfor the «Portugueze Sufferers» and rally support for Britain’s involvement in the PeninsularWar —a campaign that was coming under mounting public criticism. Scott’s own descriptionof his poem as a «Drum and Trumpet performance» has generally been read asan indicator of his dissatisfaction with The Vision —defined by contemporary reviewers asa circumstantial piece, quite different to his earlier poems. This article argues that Scottwas, however, far from dismissive of The Vision. He distributed handsome copies to hisclose circle of friends and literary acquaintances, and even added a few miscellaneouspoems to it, in order to secure new editions in the future. The historical span of the poem,stretching from the eighth-century to present day Spain, was certainly problematic but, asthis article attests, also inextricably related to Scott’s political agenda. The first part of thearticle considers the contentiousness of religious and historical themes then associatedwith Spain through a reading of Robert Southey’s Don Roderick; Last of the Goths (1814), apoem comparable to Scott’s in its subject, but markedly different in its scope and execution.The article then moves on to consider the national tensions (and specifically Scottish)concerns underlying The Vision’s narrative. It offers a discussion of Scott’s representationof the Highlanders, his interest in the essential plurality of the Iberian Peninsula, dismissalof Sir John Moore, and opposition to the Catholic movement in Britain.
PB Cádiz: Universidad de Cádiz, Servicio de Publicaciones y Grupo de Estudios del Siglo XVIII
SN 2173-0687
YR 2012
FD 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/15227
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/15227
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 10-may-2026