When The Orators was originally published in 1932 it was described by Poetry Review as 'something as important as the appearance of Mr Eliot's poems fifteen years ago'. A long poem written in both prose and verse, it was a powerful addition to the canon of modernist poetry.

The Clan Chisholm is said to descend to have Norman origins and to have come from the borders of Scotland. However, for over six hundred years the clan has been associated with the highlands of Scotland, particularly Inverness, Sutherland, Ross and Caithness.