Robert Tannahill (1774-1810) was a Scottish laboring class poet from Paisley, near Glasgow. Known as the "Weaver Poet," Tannahill penned his poems and songs while sitting near his loom. Tannahill's songs drew massive crowds of nearly 30,000 to concerts over 50 years after his death, and he was considered by many to be second only to the famous Robert Burns in his songwriting abilities. Though historically ignored since the early twentieth century, Tannahill's work is finally beginning to receive critical attention. This project originally focused on twenty-five poems and songs that best exhibited Tannahill's love of and need for nature in his work. It now showcases 63 poems and 33 songs, nearly the entire contents of his 1807 edition of The Soldier’s Return; A Scottish Interlude in Two Acts: With Other Poems and Songs, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect.
In addition to Tannahill's creative output, Transforming Robert Tannahill showcases transcriptions of Tannahill's correspondence, many of which are transcribed directly from holograph manuscripts. The website aims to be of use to both the general public interested in Tannahill's work and the more focused Tannahill scholar. Easily accessible interactive biographical timelines and historical maps are featured alongside in-depth scholarship focusing on Tannahill's frequency of location usage and text analysis. |