The Chapters on Post-Confederation Fiction (Chapters XVI and XVII—Novelists and Short Story Writers of the First Renaissance and Chapter XXI—Fiction Writers of the Second Renaissance) were written, expressly at my solicitation, by Mr. Donald G. French, whose wide and intimate knowledge of the forms, technics, and history of Canadian fiction is recognized throughout Canada. For many years he has been assiduous, as an essayist and lecturer, in reviewing and promoting the study of Canadian imaginative prose fiction, and his experience of many years as reviewer, and later as literary editor for a book publishing house, has given him special opportunities to study the history and observe the evolution of Canadian imaginative prose. Moreover, since Mr. French is also well versed in the forms, history, and technics of Canadian poetry, and since he has a temperamental patience, which engenders in him the ‘wise passiveness’ essential to the just critic, I engaged for the book as a whole his taste and judgment, in regard to treatment and style, and his knowledge of facts of Canadian literary history. The text of the book is therefore enhanced in treatment and style, as well as in critical justice, by Mr. French’s contribution, and by his critical revision of the whole work.
I wish, here, specially to remark my ideal and aim in writing Highways of Canadian Literature. It is, I believe, the duty of the literary historian and critic to respect his subject and to present it under its most significant and engaging aspects in order that he may win others to equal respect for his subject. Canadian Literature is important at least to Canadians; and, whatever be its comparative aesthetic and artistic dignity, it is an integral part or branch of English Literature. This book will justify itself if it compels Canadians to recognize the importance of their own literature, and wins other peoples to a decent respect for a literature which, while still in its adolescence, shows evidences of attaining to independent and vigorous adult estate—in the event of which Canadian literary creation, taste, and judgment will be based, not on the work of British or of American masters of poetry and imaginative prose, but on that of Canadian masters. Meanwhile, this book aims to disclose to Canadians the social and spiritual importance of their own literature and to determine its place or distinction in English Literature—in short, to promote in Canada and abroad what may aptly be called ‘the higher study’ of Canadian Literature.
To Mr. Newton MacTavish, M.A., Editor of The Canadian Magazine, Mr. R. H. Hathaway, Mr. M. O. Hammond, Dr. Duncan Campbell Scott, Mr. John Murray Gibbon, Mr. S. Morgan-Powell, Literary Editor of The Montreal Star, Mr. John Garvin, B.A., Editor of Canadian Poets, Canadian Poems of the Great War, etc., Dr. Ray Palmer Baker, author of A History of English-Canadian Literature to the Confederation, and Mr. T. G. Marquis, author of English-Canadian Literature, I am indebted for advice, criticism, and much practical aid in preparing the text. To Miss Annie Donohoe, Librarian of the Nova Scotia Legislative Library and Mrs. Mary Kinley Ingraham, M.A., Librarian of Acadia University, I am indebted for assistance in research; and to Miss Laura P. Carten, Editor of The Children’s Page, Halifax Herald, for reading the ‘galley proofs’ of the text. To Colonel William Ernest Thompson, LL.B., Honorary Secretary of the Board of Governors of Dalhousie University, my indebtedness is great and is acknowledged in the Dedication to this book.
J. D. Logan.
Acadia University, Wolfville, N.S.
Contents
| PAGE | ||
| Dedication | [3] | |
| Preface | [5] | |
| Preliminary Survey | [15] | |
| I. PRE-CONFEDERATION LITERATURE (1760-1887) | ||
| CHAPTER I | ||
| Social and Spiritual Bases | [33] | |
| The Social and Spiritual Bases of Canadian Literature—The Puritan and Loyalist Migrations—The Significance of the Scots Migration—The Primacy of Nova Scotia in the Creative Literature of Canada—Literary Species in Ontario and Quebec. | ||
| CHAPTER II | ||
| Incidental Pioneer Literature | [44] | |
| The Incidental Pre-Confederation Literature of Canada—Alexander Henry’s Travels—Mrs. Brooke’s Novels—Mrs. Jameson’s Nature-Studies—The Émigré Pre-Confederation Literature of Canada—Mrs. Susanna Moodie—Adam Kidd—John Reade—George Murray—Archibald McLachlan—William Wye Smith and Isabella Crawford. | ||
| CHAPTER III | ||
| Joseph Howe | [55] | |
| The Nativistic Literature of Canada—Joseph Howe as Founder of the Independent Prose, Creative Journalism, Political Literature, Literary and Forensic Oratory—as Patriotic, Descriptive, and Humorous Poet—and as the Discoverer and Sponsor of Thomas Chandler Haliburton. | ||
| CHAPTER IV | ||
| Thomas Chandler Haliburton | [63] | |
| The Nativistic Literature of Canada—Thomas Chandler Haliburton—First Systematic Humorist of the Anglo-Saxon peoples—Creator of a New Type of Satiric Humor and Comic Characterization. | ||
| II. POST-CONFEDERATION LITERATURE | ||
| (1887-1924) | ||
| A. The First Renaissance | ||
| CHAPTER V | ||
| Romance and Poetry | [89] | |
| The Nativistic Literature of Canada—The Historical Romancers—John Richardson—Rosanna Mullins—and Others. The Poets—Goldsmith—Sangster—Mair. | ||
| CHAPTER VI | ||
| The Systematic School | [105] | |
| The First Renaissance in Canadian Literature—The Systematic School and Period—Roberts and his Colleagues. | ||
| CHAPTER VII | ||
| Charles G. D. Roberts | [110] | |
| Roberts Sponsor to Lampman—Literary Father of Bliss Carman—Master of Verse Technique—Forms of his Verse, and its Qualities. | ||
| CHAPTER VIII | ||
| Archibald Lampman | [127] | |
| An Interpreter of the Essential Spirit of Canada—Study of Lampman’s ‘Sapphics’—Power of Humanizing Nature—Excellence of his Sonnets—Consummate Artist of Natural Beauty. | ||
| CHAPTER IX | ||
| Bliss Carman | [139] | |
| As a World-Poet—Creative Melodist—Periods of his Poetry—Singing Quality and its Method—Lyrist of the Sea and of Love—Treatment of Nature. | ||
| CHAPTER X | ||
| Duncan Campbell Scott | [159] | |
| Influences on his Work—Old World Culture—Austere Intellectualism—Music and Painting—Association with Lampman—Scott, Campbell, and Lampman compared—Influence of English poets—Technical Excellences—Revelation of the Indian Heart—Mystical Symbolism. | ||
| CHAPTER XI | ||
| Wilfrid Campbell | [184] | |
| As an Objective Nature Painter—Humanized Substance of his Verse—Patriotism and Brotherhood—Dramatic Monody—Poetical Tragedies and Dramas. | ||
| CHAPTER XII | ||
| Pauline Johnson | [195] | |
| Her Ancestry and its Influences—Literary and Musical Qualities of Work—Stages of Development in Spiritual Vision—Picturesque Color Verse. | ||
| CHAPTER XIII | ||
| Parker and Scott, F. G. | [210] | |
| Parker as a Sonneteer of Spiritual Love—Origin and Theme of a Lover’s Diary—Musical and Colorful Lyrical Verse—Scott’s Poetry a Reflection of his Personality—Distinguished as the ‘Poet of the Spirit’—Chief Qualities of his Poetry. | ||
| CHAPTER XIV | ||
| Minor Poets | [219] | |
| The Term ‘Minor’ Defined—Ethelwyn Wetherald—Jean Blewett—Francis Sherman—A. E. S. Smythe—S. Frances Harrison—Arthur Stringer—Peter McArthur—Isabel Ecclestone Mackay. | ||
| CHAPTER XV | ||
| Elegiac Monodists | [229] | |
| The Elegiac Monodists of Canada—Charles G. D. Roberts—Bliss Carman—Wilfred Campbell—Duncan Campbell Scott—William Marshall—James De Mille. | ||
| CHAPTER XVI | ||
| Novelists | [241] | |
| The Fictionists of the Systematic School—The Historical Romancers—Lighthall—Saunders—Parker—Marquis—Maclennan and McIlwraith—Agnes C. Laut—Wilfred Campbell—Charles G. D. Roberts—The Romancers of Animal Psychology—Thompson Seton—Roberts—Saunders—Fraser—The Evangelical Romancers—Ralph Connor—R. E. Knowles. | ||
| CHAPTER XVII | ||
| Short Story Writers | [258] | |
| The Short Story Fictionists of the Systematic School—E. W. Thomson—Duncan Campbell Scott—Charles G. D. Roberts—Gilbert Parker—Ernest Thompson Seton—W. A. Fraser. | ||
| B. The New Genre | ||
| CHAPTER XVIII | ||
| William Henry Drummond | [265] | |
| The New Canadian Genre of Idyllic Poetry—William Henry Drummond, Interpreter of the Habitant—Poet of Social Democracy in Canada. | ||
| C. The Decadent Interim | ||
| CHAPTER XIX | ||
| The Vaudeville School | [271] | |
| The Decadent Interim in Canadian Literature—The Vaudeville School of Poets—Robert W. Service, Robert J. C. Stead, and Others. | ||
| D. The Second Renaissance | ||
| CHAPTER XX | ||
| The Restoration Period | [280] | |
| The Restoration or Second Renaissance Period in Canadian Literature—New Forms, Themes, and Social Ideals—The Poets—Marjorie Pickthall—Robert Norwood—Katherine Hale—and Others. | ||
| CHAPTER XXI | ||
| Fiction Writers | [298] | |
| The Community Novel—Montgomery—Keith—McClung—Le Rossignol. Institutional Fiction—Packard—Sullivan—Duncan—Wallace and Others. Realistic Romance—Service—Cody—Stead, etc. Historical Fiction—Snider—Anison North—Teskey—McKishnie—Cooney. Imaginative Fiction—Pickthall—Mackay. Miscellaneous Types—McKishnie—Sullivan—Hémon—Sime. The New Realism—Salverson—de la Roche Cornell, etc. | ||
| CHAPTER XXII | ||
| The Poetic Dramatists | [314] | |
| The Poetic Dramatists of the Second Renaissance—Arthur Stringer—Robert Norwood—Marjorie Pickthall, and Others. | ||
| CHAPTER XXIII | ||
| Humorists | [322] | |
| The Humorists of Canada: Pre-Confederation—Haliburton—Howe—De Mille—Duvar—Post-Confederation—Lanigan—Cotes—Drummond—Ham: New School—Leacock—Donovan—Davis—MacTavish—McArthur—Hodgins. | ||
| CHAPTER XXIV | ||
| National Stage Drama | [333] | |
| The Rise of Native and National Realistic Stage Drama in Canada: The Little Theatre and the Work of Carroll Aikins and Merrill Denison. | ||
| III. SPECIAL AND MISCELLANEOUS (1760-1924) | ||
| CHAPTER XXV | ||
| The War Poetry of Canada | [339] | |
| Mrs. Moodie—Annie Rothwell Christie—Isabella Valancy Crawford—John McCrae—Canadian Poems of the Great War. | ||
| CHAPTER XXVI | ||
| Hymn Writers | [354] | |
| The Hymn Writers of Canada—Alline—Clelland—Scriven—Murray—Scott—Rand—Dewart—Walker—and Others. | ||
| CHAPTER XXVII | ||
| Literary Criticism | [362] | |
| Literary Criticism in Canada—Schools, Aims, Methods, and Defects—New Synoptic Method Applied to Poetry of Overseas Dominions. | ||
| CHAPTER XXVIII | ||
| Essayists and Color Writers | [374] | |
| The Essayists and Color Writers of Canada—Carman—MacMechan—Blake—Katherine Hale—King—Deacon—Leacock. | ||
| CHAPTER XXIX | ||
| Anthologies | [380] | |
| Canadian Birthday Book (Seranus)—Dewart’s Selections from Canadian Poets—Lighthall’s ‘Songs of the Great Dominion’—Oxford Book of Canadian Verse—Garvin’s Canadian Poets, etc. | ||
| CHAPTER XXX | ||
| Canadian Journalism | [388] | |
| Canadian Journalism in Relation to Permanent Canadian Literature; A Summary Critical History of the Chief Canadian Newspapers and Magazines. | ||
| CHAPTER XXXI | ||
| Narrative Literature | [395] | |
| Narrative Literature—History—Biography—Exploration—Travels—Sport or Open-Air Life. | ||
| INDEX | [405] | |