Imagery in Canadian poetry
Date
1972
Authors
Harris, Barbara Pritchard
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Abstract
The problem was to discover whether Canadian poets since Confederation have developed a distinctive imagery that immediately identifies them as Canadian. Poems by 224 poets were considered, from anthologies, collected works, small miscellaneous collections, private printings, and, in one case, manuscript. Personal readings by several poets, both in person and on the radio, were heard, and the radio broadcasts tape-recorded. Appendix III consists of a check list of all poets read and heard.
Figures of speech based on Canadiana were recorded in a card index, and later sorted and classified according to time and place, type of figure of speech and reference, and style of poetry ; the chapter divisions follow these classifications. All quotations containing these figures of speech are listed in Appendix II. Appendix I is a brief statistical survey of some first dates of record of words in Canadian English as found in the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles.
The conclusion reached from examination of the data is that a distinctive Canadian imagery, based on Canadian folklore or mythology, flora, fauna, climatic conditions, and physical geography, or history, does not now exist in Canadian poetry, although some of the earlier poets showed signs of developing one.