The making of modern poetry in Canada : essential commentary on Canadian poetry in English / edited by Louis Dudek and Michael Gnarowski.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Gnarowski, Michael, 1934-2023, editor.

Dudek, Louis, 1918-2001, editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Canadian poetry--20th century--History and criticism.

Canadian poetry.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xxxi, 340 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Edition:

Third edition.

Place of Publication:

Montreal ; Kingston ; London ; Chicago : McGill-Queen's University Press, [2017]

Summary:

"The Making of Modern Poetry in Canada gathers together primary literary documents including manifestos, reviews, critical essays, and recollections to illustrate the most significant developments in the rise modernist English Canadian poetry. Rather than present exclusively academic criticism, the editors have carefully selected original texts by the principal figures of modernism to offer readers a behind-the-scenes look at twentieth-century poetry in Canada. Collecting several decades of writings by luminaries beginning with pivotal essays by Sutherland and Smith, and including George Bowering, Northop Frye, Irving Layton, P.K. Page, F.R. Scott, Raymond Souster, and William Carlos Williams, this volume provides explanatory notes to guide the reader and to evaluate the significance of each in its literary and historical context. Each section begins with an overview of the contents and commentary on the significance of the presented literary evidence. This classic work of Canadian literary studies is now back in print with a substantial new introduction and appendices by Michael Gnarowski, who explains and interprets the essence of key initiatives in the unfolding of a modernist point of view. The Making of Modern Poetry in Canada offers a comprehensive chronological path from the earliest examples of Canadian modernism to the beginning of the postmodern period."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

I The Beginnings of the Modern School

The Precursors (1910-1925)

Introduction 3

Preface to Open Water / Arthur Stringer Stringer, Arthur 5

Rhymes With and Without Reason / John Murray Gibbon Gibbon, John Murray 9

Preface to Acanthus and Wild Grape / Frank Oliver Call Call, Frank Oliver 21

The Initiators (1925-1936)

Introduction 24

Contemporary Poetry / A.J.M. Smith Smith, A.J.M. 27

Wanted: Canadian Criticism / A.J.M. Smith Smith, A.J.M. 31

The Future of Canadian Literature / Leo Kennedy Kennedy, Leo 34

Preface to New Provinces / F.R. Scott Scott, F.R. 38

A Rejected Preface / A.J.M. Smith Smith, A.J.M. 38

II The New Poetry: A Manifesto

Introduction 45

Introduction to Other Canadians / John Sutherland Sutherland, John 47

III The Early Forties

The New Literary Scene

Introduction 65

Brief to a Royal Commission / John Sutherland Sutherland, John 66

John Sutherland and Northern Review / Robert Weaver Weaver, Robert 80

New Critical Currents

Introduction 84

Canada and Its Poetry / Northrop Frye Frye, Northrop 86

A Note on Canadian War Poetry / F.R. Scott Scott, F.R. 97

The Maple Leaf is Dying / Neufville Shaw Shaw, Neufville 101

Academic Literature / Louis Dudek Dudek, Louis 104

Review of Poems by Robert Finch / John Sutherland Sutherland, John 107

Editorial Board of Northern Review: Notices of Resignation 109

Letter to Northern Review / P.K. Page Page, P.K. 110

IV Signs of Reaction, New and Old

Introduction 113

The Past Decade in Canadian Poetry / John Sutherland Sutherland, John 116

Foreword to Canadian Poetry in English / Lorne Pierce Pierce, Lorne 122

Introduction to Canadian Poetry in English / V.B. Rhodenizer Rhodenizer, V.B. 124

V Resurgence

Introduction 141

Où sont les jeunes? / Louis Dudek Dudek, Louis 142

Preface to Cerberus / Louis Dudek Dudek, Louis 144

Preface to Cerberus / Irving Layton Layton, Irving 145

Preface to Cerberus / Raymond Souster Souster, Raymond 146

Letter of Resignation / Earle Birney Birney, Earle 147

Don't Blame This on Bliss / Robert A. Currie Currie, Robert A. 149

VI Points of View

Introduction 155

Introduction to Twentieth Century Canadian Poetry / Earle Birney Birney, Earle 157

English-Canadian Poetry, 1944-1954 / Desmond Pacey Pacey, Desmond 160

The State of Canadian Poetry: 1954 / Louis Dudek Dudek, Louis 169

Foreword to A Red Carpet for the Sun / Irving Layton Layton, Irving 175

The Keys to Dreamland / Northrop Frye Frye, Northrop 178

Verticals of Adam / Northrop Frye Frye, Northrop 188

Editorial / James Reaney Reaney, James 197

Preface to Poetry 62 / Eli Mandel Mandel, Eli 199

VII The Little Magazines

Introduction 203

The Role of Little Magazines in Canada / Louis Dudek Dudek, Louis 205

The Role of "Little Magazines" in the Development of Poetry in English in Montreal / Michael Gnarowski Gnarowski, Michael 212

Anything Bat Reluctant: Canada's Little Magazines / Frank Davey Davey, Frank 222

VIII Wider Horizons

Poetry Finds a Public

Introduction 231

A Note on Layton / William Carlos Williams Williams, William Carlos 233

Canadian Poetry Finds Its Voice in a Golden Age / Joan Finnigan Finnigan, Joan 235

Anonymous: The Private World of Raymond Souster 241

Anonymous: The Purdy Pigment 243

On Raymond Souster / Robert Fulford Fulford, Robert 245

Relations with Trench Writing in Canada

Introduction 247

From the Introduction to The Oxford Book of Canadian Verse / A.J.M. Smith Smith, A.J.M. 250

L'influence de la littérature canadienne-auglaise au Canada français / Jean-Charles Bonenfant Bonenfant, Jean-Charles 256

The Poet in Quebec Today / F.R. Scott Scott, F.R. 265

Modern Poetry Across Canada

Introduction 270

Patterns of Recent Canadian Poetry / Louis Dudek Dudek, Louis 271

Editorial / George Woodcock Woodcock, George 286

Open Letter to a Demi-Senior Poet / Milton Acorn Acorn, Milton 287

Editorial / Alan Bevan Bevan, Alan 289

The Montreal Miracle and K.V. Hertz / Milton Acorn Acorn, Milton 292

The Most Remarkable Thing About Tish / George Bowering Bowering, George 293

Statement / Frank Davey Davey, Frank 294

Rime, A Scholarly Piece / Frank Davey Davey, Frank 295

Preface to New Wave Canada / Raymond Souster Souster, Raymond 300.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780773549586

0773549587

9780773549593

0773549595

OCLC:

969538354