Mark Alexander Boyd facts for kids

Mark Alexander Boyd (born January 13, 1562 – died April 10, 1601) was a Scottish poet and a soldier for hire. He is remembered for his Latin poems and one very special poem written in the Scots language.

Who Was Mark Alexander Boyd?

Mark Alexander Boyd was born in Ayrshire, Scotland. His family came from Penkill, a place in Carrick, which is also in Ayrshire. He grew up under the care of his uncle, James Boyd of Trochrig, who was the Archbishop of Glasgow.

Adventures in France

When he was a young man, Mark Alexander Boyd left Scotland and moved to France. There, he studied civil law, which is a type of legal system. He also took part in the French Wars of Religion. These were a series of conflicts in France, and he served in the army of King Henri III.

His Writings

Mark Alexander Boyd had two collections of Latin poems published. These came out in 1590 and 1592. At that time, he was working as a teacher at the College of Guienne in Bordeaux, France.

He returned to Scotland in 1596. He passed away in Ayrshire on April 10, 1601. Today, he is mostly remembered for one poem written in the Scots language. This poem is called Sonnet of Venus and Cupid. A writer named Arthur Quiller-Couch said it was his poem in 1900. Another famous poet, Ezra Pound, even called it "the most beautiful sonnet in the language."

Works

• Epistolae Heroides et Hymni (1592)
• Sonnet of Venus and Cupid