Burns Singer (29 August 1928 – 8 September 1964) was bornJames Hyman Singer inNew York City. He was a Scottish poet and translator.[1]
Though he was born in New York, from the age of four, Singer was brought up in Scotland and educated inGlasgow. At the age of 15 he already had well-developed and original literary interests.[2]
Singer's father was aManchester-born second-generation Jewish immigrant from Poland, his mother was of Irish, Scottish and Norwegian background. Singer would go on to adopt her maiden name, Burns.[2] Singer showed considerable interest inPolish poetry. His collaborative translations of Polish poets includedIgnacy Krasicki,Juliusz Słowacki,Cyprian Norwid andJerzy Peterkiewicz. Some of these appeared in theanthologyFive Centuries of Polish Poetry, 1450–1950 (1962), with Peterkiewicz, and a later edition.
While in Scotland Singer studied English composition for two terms at theUniversity of Glasgow and then zoology. In 1945, at age 17, between two periods at Glasgow university, Singer went toCornwall where he came into contact withW. S. Graham, a major poetic influence. Singer then had a period of several years when he travelled and worked in Europe.[2] After the 1951 suicide of his mother he returned to Scotland where he worked for four years the marine biology lab in Aberdeen, supporting his father.[2] He had by then spent a year inMarburg and done some service in theUnited States Army. In 1955, he married Marie Battle, an African-American psychologist; they moved to London, where he sought freelance work writing. He enjoyed a period of success in literary journalism and as a poet.Still and All (1957) was the only collection of his poetry published during his lifetime and was thePoetry Book Society Recommendation for that year. In 1960 he published withJerzy PeterkiewiczFive Centuries of Polish Poetry,[3] a selection of translations. It is considered that his style was a "middle way" or compromise, between theNew Apocalyptics andThe Movement, or theScottish Renaissance and the Sassenach.
He spent some time with Marie inCambridge, before ultimately returning to marine biology. His early death, inPlymouth, was from a heart attack. His ashes were scattered at sea. There is a memorial to Singer in the churchyard ofSt Mary the Less (Little St Mary's) inCambridge.[2]
