Author Description
The Canadian poet Miriam Waddington has already been introduced to English readers with the publication of `Dream Telescope' (1972), and her poems have appeared in several English magazines. `Driving Home' brings together for the first time her work of thirty years - poems selected from her six previously published books as well as a group of new poems. Using prairie geography, Jewish folklore, and Canadian history, as well as her experience as a social worker and teacher, she seeks to explore the inner sources of many kinds of love - love of country, love between men and women, parents and children, people and landscape. She has consistently searched for, and struggled towards, the discovery of her essential identity as an artist, a woman, and a Canadian in a changing world. Through her rootlessness she identifies many roots, and through her lyrical images of Biblical legends, pagan fairy tales, and local landscapes, she bridges the inner world of the psyche and the outer world of reality. Within the boundaries of her created world she reveals the possibility of love, survival and the new. Her previous poetry collections are `Green World' (1945), `The Second Silence' (1955), `The Season's Lovers' (1958), `The Glass Trumpet' (1966), `Call Them Canadians' (1968), `Say Yes' (1969), and `Dream Telescope' (1972). She is also the author of a study of the Montreal poet A.M. Klein (1970).
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
Miriam Waddington navigates the intersection of personal identity and cultural heritage through a collection that spans three decades of poetic output. The poet examines the tension between rootlessness and belonging, utilizing her background as a social worker and educator to ground her lyrical observations. Her work functions as a bridge between the internal landscape of the psyche and the external realities of Canadian geography and history. Through a blend of new compositions and selections from six previous volumes, she maps the complexities of human connection and the search for self-definition in a shifting environment.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Integration of prairie geography as a central motif for emotional landscapes
- Incorporation of Jewish folklore and biblical legends to frame contemporary experience
- Exploration of familial and romantic love through a lens of social observation
- Use of pagan fairy tales to contrast with modern urban reality
- Reflective commentary on the role of the artist in a changing society
- Lyrical imagery focused on the Canadian landscape and local history
- Examination of the immigrant experience and the search for roots
- Stylistic evolution tracking thirty years of creative development
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
Readers and critics frequently highlight Waddington's ability to synthesize disparate cultural influences into a cohesive poetic voice. Discussion often centers on her unique capacity to balance the intimacy of personal relationships with the broader context of Canadian identity. Many observers note that her professional background in social work informs the compassionate yet analytical tone present throughout the collection. The work is widely regarded as a significant record of a career defined by a persistent struggle toward artistic and personal clarity. Her lyrical precision remains a focal point for those interested in the development of mid-twentieth-century Canadian verse.
Page Count:
176
Publication Date:
1972-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0195402006
ISBN-13:
9780195402001
Poetry
Modern Poetry
Canadian
Subjects
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