Robert Pollok (19 October 1798 – 15 September 1827) was a Scottish poet best known for his work, The Course of Time, published in the year of his death.

[2] During this time, he anonymously published three poems: Helen of the Glen, The Persecuted Family, and Ralph Gemmell.

In 1827, shortly before leaving the university, Pollok published what was to be his final and most famous work, The Course of Time, a ten-book poem in blank verse.

He left Scotland with this intention, but his health worsened rapidly, and he died at Shirley (now a part of Southampton), England on 15 September.

It was unveiled on 24 September 1900, and bears the inscription "Robert Pollok, Author of 'The Course of Time' / Born 1798 Died 1827 / He soared untrodden heights and seemed at home".