SOURCE: Bruce, George. “The Integrity of Edwin Muir.” In Edwin Muir: Centenary Assessments, edited by C. J. M. MacLachlan and D. S. Robb, pp. 1-18. Aberdeen, Scotland: Association for Scottish Studies, 1990.

In the following essay, Bruce considers the integrity—meaning the consistency, soundness, and sincerity—of Muir throughout his career as a literary critic and a poet.

First I wish to acknowledge the considerable debt I owe to Professor Butter for his critical biography, Edwin Muir: Man and Poet. All interested in Edwin Muir owe Professor Butter a debt for his clear presentation of the central issues in connection with the making of Muir's poetry and for the description of the character of Edwin Muir, to which he adduces a wide range of evidence. My debt, however, in this paper is specific, for the integrity of Edwin Muir is consequential to his achievement, and in discussing the character...