How did Sorley Maclean and other 20th-century poets change Scottish Gaelic poetry?

In the 20th century, a significant movement emerged to revitalize Scottish Gaelic poetry, which had seen little vital production during the 19th century. Poets such as Sorley Maclean, George Campbell Hay, and Derick Thomson led this shift, working to free the genre from its traditional constraints.1

This transformative effort was later continued by writers including Donald MacAulay and Iain Crichton Smith. While the broader history of the language involves a decline in native speakers and a shift in cultural centers toward cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow, this literary revival has been instrumental in modernizing the form and ensuring the continued relevance of Gaelic expression.12