About Burns Singer
Lived 1928 – 1964 (aged 36). Burns Singer was an American poet and marine biologist.
Burns Singer (29 August 1928 – 8 September 1964) was born James Hyman Singer in New York City. He was a Scottish poet and translator.
Early life and education Though he was born in New York, from the age of four, Singer was brought up in Scotland and educated in Glasgow. At the age of 15 he already had well-developed and original literary interests.
Singer's father was a Manchester-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. a selection of translations. It is considered that his style was a "middle way" or compromise, between the New Apocalyptics and The Movement, or the Scottish Renaissance and the Sassenach.
Death He spent some time with Marie in Cambridge, before ultimately returning to marine biology. His early death, in Plymouth, was from a heart attack. His ashes were scattered at sea. There is a memorial to Singer in the churchyard of St Mary the Less (Little St Mary's) in Cambridge.
Works Living Silver (1953) - a study of the British fishing industry Still and All (1957) (poems) Five Centuries of Polish Poetry (1962) with Jerzy Peterkiewicz Collected Poems (1970) - posthumously, edited by W. A. S. Keir Selected Poems (1977) - posthumously, edited by Anne Clusenaar Collected Poems (2001) - posthumously, edited by James Keery
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Burns Singer's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Burns Singer?
Scottish biologist and poet
When was Burns Singer born?
Burns Singer was born on 29 August 1928.
When did Burns Singer die?
Burns Singer died on 8 September 1964.
What was Burns Singer's occupation?
Burns Singer was a poet and marine biologist.
What nationality was Burns Singer?
Burns Singer was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Burns Singer. https://biography.guide/burns-singer/
MLA: "Burns Singer." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/burns-singer/.
Chicago: "Burns Singer." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/burns-singer/.
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