Reading Prompts

The following contemporary poems, published recently in Canadian Literature, reflect upon events, topics, and issues related to this chapter.

If one of the poems appeals to you, and you would like to read it more closely or write a paper about it, here are some suggestions:

  • Have a look at the Close Reading Poetry chapter.
  • Return to the poem and work through it line by line in the ways modelled by the sample readings.
  • Ask yourself why the poem was selected for this unit—the answer will help you focus your close reading.

New Albion by Meredith Quartermain

Although this poem is an exploration poem, it puts a palindrome about Napoleon at the centre of it, playing with substituting Alba for Elba. What disables Cook, and how does the poem’s form fit with his frustration?

Inukshuk by Daniel David Moses

Why would dead silence be / Better?

Works Cited

  • Moses, Daniel David. Inukshuk. Canadian Literature 124–25 (1990): 241–42. Print.12080
  • Quartermain, Meredith. New Albion. Canadian Literature 197 (2008): 61. Print.
  • Simpson, Anne. Map of the Known World. Canadian Literature 170–71 (2001): 19. Print.