E. J. Pratt (1883–1964)
Author of Collected Poems
About the Author
E. J. Pratt is considered to be the poet who initiated the Canadian modernist movement. Yet, unlike his literary contemporaries, Pratt was attracted to the convention of epic poetry: Brebeuf and His Brethren (1940) and Towards the Last Spike (1952) are impressive examples of this style and are also show more ambitious attempts to forge a national mythology through verse. Edwin John Pratt was born at Western Bay, Newfoundland. As he grew up in this desolate coastal town, Pratt's association with the sea impressed him with an image that would later reverberate throughout his poetry. Although trained as a Methodist minister, Pratt evidently experienced a crisis of faith following his studies in philosophy and psychology at the University of Toronto, where he received a Ph.D. in theology. In 1920, largely because of his promise as a poet, he was given an English professorship at Victoria College, University of Toronto, a post from which he retired in 1953. Pratt's verse is aptly described by E. K. Brown as the "work of an experimenter who is continuing to clutch at a tradition although that tradition is actually stifling him." show less
Image credit: E.J. Pratt
Works by E. J. Pratt
Complete poems : Part 1 4 copies
The Roosevelt and the Antinoe 3 copies
The Iron Door: An Ode 2 copies
Verses of the sea 2 copies
Many Moods 1 copy
They are Returning 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Pratt, E. J.
- Legal name
- Pratt, Edwin John
- Birthdate
- 1883-02-04
- Date of death
- 1964-04-26
- Gender
- male
- Education
- University of Toronto (Victoria College)
- Occupations
- poet
teacher - Organizations
- Canadian Authors Association
- Awards and honors
- Lorne Pierce Medal (1940)
- Nationality
- Canada
- Birthplace
- Western Bay, Newfoundland, Canada
- Place of death
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Associated Place (for map)
- Canada
Members
Reviews
It takes guts to write long long long narrative verse in this age. So I am very much admiring Pratt's guts. However, sometimes guts get in the way. By which I mean, in one of his poems a giant whale battles a giant squid to the death, and chews on it's squishy guts. I am not sure how often giant whales and giant squids battle to the death, but somehow I doubt they do it with this much relish.
Also, in Brebeuf and his Brethren, similar relish is taken by Huron and Six Nations people in show more torture and savagery. I know Pratt was a man of his times, even behind the times. But his depiction of Native people and wildlife seems wildly inaccurate to me.
But man, he sure can hold your attention for pages and pages of blank verse. show less
Also, in Brebeuf and his Brethren, similar relish is taken by Huron and Six Nations people in show more torture and savagery. I know Pratt was a man of his times, even behind the times. But his depiction of Native people and wildlife seems wildly inaccurate to me.
But man, he sure can hold your attention for pages and pages of blank verse. show less
Lists
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 25
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 128
- Popularity
- #157,244
- Rating
- 3.5
- Reviews
- 1
- ISBNs
- 21