“Canadian Woods,” by Eleanor Addison

Addison, Eleanor. “Canadian Woods.” Naushon and Other Poems (New York: Margent, 1940) 53.

Eleanor Addison, Naushon and Other Poems (New York: Margent, 1940) 53

“The Unsung Land,” by R.H. Grenville

Grenville, R. H. [Beatrice C. Rowley]. “The Unsung Land.” Profile: A Chapbook of Canadian Verse. Ottawa, ON: Poetry Craft Group, Ottawa Branch CAA, 1946. 5.

This poem won a third-place prize of $15 in the poetry competition held by the Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Authors Association in 1946. R. H. Grenville won 3 awards in this competition: the A.H. Jarvis Award of $25 for “Of a Lost Poet,” this poem’s $15 prize, and an honourable mention prize of $5 for “Courage.”

“A Twilight Song,” by Georgie Archibald

Archibald, Georgie [Susan Georgina Archibald Elliston]. “A Twilight Song.” 1890. Bed-Time Stories for my Grand-Children. Ed. Edith J. Archibald. Halifax, NS: s.n., 1910. Frontispiece.

This poem precedes the first story, “Nu-mach-wa: An Indian Story,” in Bed-Time Stories for my Grand-Children, a collection of stories compiled and mainly written by Georgie’s mother, Edith Jessie Archibald.

Archibald, Georgie [Susan Georgina Archibald Elliston]. “A Twilight Song.” 1890. Bed-Time Stories for my Grand-Children. by Edith J. Archibald. (Halifax, NS: s.n., 1910). Frontispiece.

“Living or Dead?” by M.E.R.

We’re fairly sure that “M.E.R.” is a woman, but my searches have not turned up sufficient information to verify that. Nonetheless, here is a delightfully illustrated poem from Buds and Blossoms and Friendly Greetings, a monthly journal that began publication in 1876 in Halifax.

“M.E.R.” “Living or Dead?” Buds and Blossoms and Friendly Greetings 8.1 (Jan 1884): 160.

“Lost Sunlight, by Martha Bloom

Attending the Digital Diversities conference in Edmonton, we were surprised by 6 inches of snow on Wednesday (6 May 2015). It seems appropriate to publish this poem by Martha Bloom, despite it being an autumn poem, with its image of the sunlight disappearing and flowers peeking through the snow. The sunlight is back today…

Bloom, Martha. “Lost Sunlight.”  Vancouver Sun (3 July 1943) 2.

“The poems appearing today were written by members of the ‘B’ (junior) Section of the Vancouver Poetry Writers’ Group which is affiliated with the London Poetry Society. … One dollar was paid for every poem on this page.”

 

“Fear of our Fellow Creatures,” by Jean Blewett

I love finding works by one of our authors when I am looking for news of another… In the Toronto Globe (8 September 1922), one of our marvellous RAs, Lindsey Bannister, found mention of a story by Florence Deacon Black, “In Froggie Land,” serialized in Jewels: For the Little Ones, a periodical published by the United Church of Canada.

On the same page, right above a discussion of “Lengths of Skirts” and a recipe for “Ginger-Pear Marmalade” (which I think I have to make this summer), we found this far more meaningful article and poem by Jean Blewett. Blewett was the originator and previous editor of “The Homemaker” section of the newspaper, where these gems are found.

“The Call of the Woods,” by Marion E. Moodie

Moodie, Marion E. “The Call of the Woods.” Songs of the West. Toronto: William Briggs, 1904. n.p.