Archibald Lampman's Poetry: The City of the End of Things
On July 1, 1867, a fledgling nation not only experienced a geopolitical birth, but a cultural one as well. The Confederation of the newly formed Dominion of Canada included Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. With the physical and political formation of a country comes the incarnation of a certain domestic mindset, and atmosphere. This mindset strives to identify, and subsequently express, the identifying characteristics unique to the environment in question. Throughout history, in any nation or other culturally exclusive group, forms of art such as music, literature, dance, painting, sculpture, etc. have served to give a voice to national identity. Feeling this same need for expression of national identity, Canadians turned to such art forms, one of which was poetry. With the emergence of several young men now known as the "Confederation Poets" came a voice through which our identity could be publicly formed. The avenue through which our nation was to explore the realm of what makes us uniquely "Canadian" in the coming years was paved by these men. "What distinguished Confederation poets from other poets of their time... was this deeper awareness of the spirit residing mutually in the landscape and the self and, c
onsequently, their attempt to create a locality in their poems that would truly reflect the spirit of the place." (Mezei, 2). Finally, the imagery of fire is present in this work, as a symbol for the impermanence of the City. Fire is passionate, furious, and spectacular, but it ultimately burns out. Like an intense love affair that lasts a short while, the City burns bright, but burns out. "Only fire and night hold sway," (l. 26), "the abysses and vast fires," (l. 30), "the fires shall moulder out and die" (l. 72), "a flaming terrible and bright." (l.12). There is a sense of immediate fury and bustle of activity with the imagery of fire; however, Lampman tries to show that this combustion will fizzle out just as quickly as it was begun. Fire is, perhaps like the City, overly ambitious, furious, passionate, and ultimately unable to sustain itself.
Some common words found in the essay are:
City Lampman, Manser Turton, Essentially City, Moodie Lampman, Toronto Montreal, Fire City, Tennyson Arnold, Concerning Lampman's, Nova Scotia, Idiot Lampman, intent writing, physical environment, nature city, confederation poets, temporary nature city, imagery fire, poets voice, roars crashes, flaming terrible, fires moulder die, perceptions city, sensory perceptions city, beyond reach, night hold sway, intent writing poetry,
Approximate Word count = 2304
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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