The Modern Canadian Reader

**please use headphones or earbuds to listen

For my final project, I decided to write a song based on a poem in the Brian Trehearne anthology. I found P.K. Page’s After Rain intriguing after reading and writing a journal reflection on it. The free-spirited feeling, the emphasis on feminine whimsy, and the idea of creating beauty makes this poem alluring. Page’s speaker admires every inch of her surroundings—paying extra attention to the detail. Notably, the speaker focuses on being present in the moment. They ignore what the rain may have taken away and attend to all it brings. The simplicity of the poem adds to its artistry making it a favourite of mine. Page’s acceptance and embrace of femininity despite the misogyny she faced in that time is inspiring to read.

The feeling of presence and peace inspired me to write this song “Elephant Shapes”. This short song can be seen as an extension to After Rain and it resembles similar traits. The poem already holds a peaceful song-like rhythm and lyrical quality which helped with the writing. The speaker lays back in the grass while looking up at the sky and notices the clouds look like elephants. Like After Rain, the speaker holds a positive mindset. They find the beauty around them. We are always surrounded by nature and beauty, and even though we recognize it, we often forget to admire it. This speaker slows down and focuses solely on the nature around them.

This simple and relaxing demo is comprised of soft vocal layering and a live recording of acoustic guitar. Paired with electronic percussion and live birds from my backyard. This demo is fully written, recorded, and produced by me in my bedroom. However, it is not yet mastered, so please use headphones or earbuds (!) when listening.

from T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land (1922).

Eliot is an American poet, but this poem characterizes modernity and serves as a reaction to the struggles faced by the modern man. After witnessing chaos and worldwide destruction, feelings of disillusionment and ennui accompany a profound sense of change. In a moment of crisis the modern man’s safety and sense of regularity has altered. 

The Third Eye - Jay McPherson (1951)

This short poem is a difficult one to understand. I had to read and re-read quite a few times. It puts work on the reader’s part, but this also attributes to its intriguing quality. McPherson’s poetry holds many religious undertones and The Third Eye continues with this spiritual theme.

McPerson's poem consists of 8 lines with an AA, BB, CC, etc. rhyme scheme. The choice of this rhyming pattern places emphasis on the final word and it connects the two lines. The first line explicates the characteristics of the speaker's two naked eyes, and the second line shares the traits of their awakening.

The poem reads quickly, it almost feels like a run-on sentence (despite the punctuation) and its as of the speaker may be rambling. My observation derives from the repetition of the word "the" in lines 2-4. This, along with abrupt sentences, resembles a manic disconnection of thoughts. Not to say that the speaker is sick, but that their thoughts are flowing quickly due to their access to a higher consciousness.

Additionally, the speaker (most likely McPherson herself) attributes their creativity to this eye and would give up her two seeing eyes to keep the other; yet another thing that a person without access to their third eye may find strange and disorganized.

The Butterfly - Margaret Avison (1943)

The use of space in this poem intrigued me when reading it. Avison's deliberate indentation transform each stanza into faint "S" shapes and the functional white space serves as a guide. It looks as though the lines are almost floating along the page similar to the butterfly floating in the storm.

The speaker describes their perspective of the storm as if they are on the outside looking in. This suggests a Biblical aspect to the poem. The speaker essentially sees this scene through a snow globe and observes the butterfly's beauty and struggle. Avison mentions "The Voice" in this poem, thus confirming the Biblical references.

A Sad Child - Margaret Atwood {1965}

The literary devices used in this poem aid to its conversational flow. To start, Atwood chooses to write in the second-person where the speaker tells someone what they are feeling and why. The speaker presumably speaks to "a sad child", but whether this their inner child or someone else is unclear. Atwood also uses a fair amount of alliteration and repetition that make this poem seem rhythmical despite it being free-verse. The repeated use of words and sounds compliments the childlike feel of the poem.

A Sad Child could be viewed in different ways: the speaker, for example, could be a parent talking to their child. While this parent attempts to console their child, their dismissive comments could suggest how children's feelings are overlooked. Or, the speaker could be talking to themselves. Maybe they notice their inner child's low emotions and ramble on to find justification. Regardless, this conversation ultimately exposes possible reasons for sadness but offers cavalier methods to alleviate it. The speaker, whether talking to their child or themselves, teaches the sad child to suppress their feelings and get over it.

After Rain - P.K. Page {1954}

After Rain centres a feminine point of view. This peaceful poem is a favourite of mine; something as simple as admiring her garden still holds such power behind the lines. As many women writers have, Page experiences discrimination for her work. She is not always taken seriously (neither was femininity). Despite it all, Page embraces her femininity and channels it towards her work.

This song like rhythm of this poem aids to its peaceful quality. The speaker practices presence by taking in every aspect of their surroundings and finding "such female whimsy" in the scenes nature creates. After the rain comes the calm and Page revels in this.

The speaker's mindset and her femininity shapes the beauty she sees. She has accepted her circumstance and opened up her mind (a modernist quality), thus projecting her internal feelings. Because she is in touch with her femininity she has access to this positive outlook which contrasts to Giovanni, the broken man -- presumably one that perpetuates toxic masculinity -- that can only see what the rain has ruined.

I decided to look at The Pound Era by Hugh Kenner for my book report project. My dad suggested this to me stating that it was the book to read if I was studying modernism. This book left me with a a few questions: what makes modernist literature? What is the essential piece to modernism? When does modernism end?

Modernism was a time for innovation and experimentation. Modernists threw out old ideologies and created their own. It was a time where people were no longer afraid, accepted the evolving state, and made something more of it. This reminds me of the term phantasmagoria in the Romantic era, which describes a fear (or shock) of new technology emerging. Romantics were not yet ready for what was to come or for thought of unfamiliar change. Modernists took this unfamiliarity and channeled it towards their art. The essential components to modernist literature includes an open mind, vulnerability, and courage.

I really do not have much to say about this. Earle Birney known as one of the greatest Canadian poets shares this intriguing sound poem. 

The Darkling Thrush - Thomas Hardy (1990)

The lyrical quality adds flow and innocence to this poem despite the grim content. This contrast shows Hardy's deep trust with faith. The bird in the third stanza, the one that sings through the rubble and its broken surroundings, brings the speaker hope. The bird knows something that the rest of the world does not and offers a glimmer of aspiration for the upcoming century, or does it?

Yes, the bird could be a sign that peace and hope are to come, or it could just simply be a bird. The speaker may be the one looking for a sign and projecting their hope onto this animal. This speaker looks for a reason to be happy among the uncertain times and will find a sign in whatever they want to believe. How do we tell whether this bird symbolizes something, or whether it is just a bird? The ambiguity of this poem is intentional. Hardy wants the reader to come to their own conclusion. Choosing to believe that the bird symbolizes hope means choosing faith.

Newfoundland - E.J. Pratt (1923)

The vague title along with the lack of place names and details leaves this poem completely open. Pratt’s speaker seems to guide the reader through the characteristics of Newfoundland as a whole rather than the specifics. This makes me wonder, what is Pratt trying to achieve? What is the purpose of leaving room such ambiguity?

The language used in the first stanza, for example, “unsinewed tread of waters” (line 3), and “unpeopled shores” (line 5) shares that the speaker is partial, if not territorial, towards these waters. Pratt suggests that Newfoundland waves are unlike others; they hold something that you cannot describe or assume, but something that you must to see.

The Loon’s Cry - Frank Oliver Call (1920)

Personification and imagery are the two main uses of figurative language throughout Call’s poem. Call sets a clear picture of the scene that the speaker witnesses. The water, the wind, and the exterior are all described with dull words to portray a depressing scene. The lake moans and it can not sleep, the wind croons, and a lonely loon cries in the distance.

The first stanza juxtaposed with the rest of the poem shares that the darkness outside represents the speaker's inner feelings and self-doubt about love. The slow dissipation of the loon's cry (later revealed to be the call of loneliness) suggests an awakening for the speaker.

This blog was created for my Research Journal assignment for English 452: Modern Canadian Poetry. I will be documenting my readings and thoughts on modernism, poetry, and other Canadian literature throughout the semester.