Songs of the Great Dominion


Songs of the Great Dominion was a pioneering anthology of Canadian poetry published in 1889. The book's full title was Songs of the Great Dominion: Voices from the Forests and Waters, the Settlements and Cities of Canada. The collection was selected and edited by William Douw Lighthall of Montreal. It was published in London, England by the firm of Walter Scott, as part of its "Windsor Series" of anthologies.
The book introduced Canadian and English audiences to a new generation of Canadian writers. It marked the first publication in book form for several poets, including Bliss Carman, Pauline Johnson, and Duncan Campbell Scott.

History

Lighthall was asked to put together an anthology for Walter Scott by poet William Sharp, who was working as an editor for the firm. Independently, freelance editor Ernest Rhys made the same proposal on behalf of Walter Scott to Canadian poet Charles G.D. Roberts. When the mixup was revealed, Roberts withdrew, but promised Lighthall "whatever assistance you might permit me to be." Roberts suggested several writers for inclusion, including his cousin Barry Straton and his sister Elizabeth.
"Supplied with a ringing introduction which echoes with patriotic sentiment and lyrical praise for Canada," says the Canadian Encyclopedia, "this is a collection of confident poetry truly representative of the national and literary self-respect of the emergent Dominion."
In his introduction, Lighthall was lavish in his praise of Roberts. "The foremost name in Canadian song at the present day is that of Charles George Douglas Roberts," he declared. Immediately after Roberts Lighthall talked of Charles Sangster, whom he called Canada's "first important national poet" and "a kind of Wordsworth."
Lighthall was also lavish in praising the reputation of Isabella Valancy Crawford, whose one book of poetry had failed to sell in 1884, and who had died neglected in 1887. While gently mocking her title, Lighthall pronounced Crawford's book, Old Spookse's Pass, Malcolm's Katie, and Other Poems, to be "the most striking volume" of Canadian poetry after Roberts's, and "even more boldly new" than his. After her death, he added, "Miss Crawford's work was, in fact, seen to be phenomenal."
In a review of Songs of the Great Dominion in the September 28, 1889, Athenæum, Theodore Watts-Dunton singled out Pauline Johnson for special praise, calling her “the most interesting English poetess now living” and quoting her poem "In the Shadows" in full. Johnson considered this to be a big boost for her career, and felt herself "indebted" for the inclusion and the review.
One person who was unhappy with the selection was William Wilfred Campbell. "I have been cruelly misrepresented by a willful choice of my poorest work," Campbell wrote to a friend."
"The anthology is noteworthy for its attempt to include some French Canadian poetry in the appendix as well as some folksongs in translation, and for its recognition of a distinct Indian element in Canadian writing."
Walter Scott republished the anthology in 1892 under the title, ''Canadian Poems and Lays: Selections of native verse reflecting the seasons, legends, and life of the Dominion.''

Contents

Contents of the 1889 edition:
  • Introduction /xxi
  • Entry of the Minstrels, Arthur J. Lockhart /xxxix
;I. The Imperial Spirit
  • Hastings, John Reade /3
  • Advance of the Empire, Mary Barry Smith /5
  • Canada to England, Anonymous /7
  • Empire First, /10
  • The Canadians on the Nile, William Wye Smith /11
;II. The New Nationality
;IV. The Voyageur and Habitant
  • The Old Régime, Mrs. J.F.W. Harrison ("Seranus") / 67
  • Malbrouck, tr. William M'Lennan /71
  • A La Claire Fontaine, tr. William Douw Lighthall /74
  • En Roulant Ma Boule, tr. William M'Lennan /76
  • Gai le Rosier, tr. William M'Lennan /78
  • Entre Paris et Saint-Denis, tr. William M'Lennan /80
  • Marianson, tr. William M'Lennan /83
  • The Resettlement of Acadia, Arthur Wentworth Eaton /87
  • At the Cedars, Duncan Campbell Scott /91
  • Rose Latulippe, Mrs. J.F.W. Harrison / 94
  • Adieu to France, /104
;V. Settlement Life
  • Song of the Axe, Isabella Valancy Crawford /107
  • Fire in the Woods; or, the Old Settler's Story, /109
  • Burnt Lands, Charles G.D. Roberts /114
  • Acres of Your Own, Alexander M'Lachlan /115
  • From "Malcolm's Katie", Isabella Valancy Crawford /117
  • From "Malcolm's Katie", Isabella Valancy Crawford /119
  • The Second Concession of Deer, William Wye Smith /125
  • The Scot Abroad, Sir Daniel Wilson /127
  • The Farmer's Daughter Cherry, Isabella Valancy Crawford /129
  • A Canadian Folk-Song, William Wilfred Campbell /133
  • The Pioneers, William Douw Lighthall /134
  • "Rough Ben", Kate B. Simpson /136
  • "The Injun", John E. Logan /142
  • Shakespeer at Dead-Hos' Crick, John E. Logan /148
;VI. Sports and Free Life
  • The Wraith of the Red Swan, Bliss Carman /157
  • Birch and Paddle, Charles G.D. Roberts /163
  • The Nor-West Courier, John E. Logan /166
  • The Hall of Shadows, Alexander M'Lachlan /168
  • Canadian Hunter's Song, Mrs. Susanna (Strickland) Moodie /172
  • Canadian Camping Song, James D. Edgar /173
  • The Fisherman's Light, Mrs. Susanna Moodie /174
  • The Kingfisher, Charles Lee Barnes /175
  • The Canoe, Isabella Valancy Crawford /177
  • Canoe Song, Isabella Valancy Crawford /178
  • The Walker of the Snow, /181
  • In the Shadows, E. Pauline Johnson /184
  • On the Creek, Charles G.D. Roberts /187
  • The Rapid, Charles Sangster /190
  • The Winter Spirit, Helen Fairbairn /192
  • Snowshoeing Song, Arthur Weir /195
  • Skating, John Lowry Stuart /197
  • The Winter Carnival, John Reade /199
  • The Spirit of the Carnival, "Fleurance" /203
  • The Football Match, Anonymous /209
;VII. The Spirit of Canadian History
;VIII. Places
  • The Tantramar Revisited, Charles G.D. Roberts /279
  • Low Tide on Grand Pré, Bliss Carman /283
  • The Indian Names of Acadia, attributed to /285
  • On Leaving the Coast of Nova Scotia, George Frederick Cameron /287
  • The Fairies in Prince Edward Island, John Hunter-Duvar /288
  • The Vale of the Gaspereau, Arthur J. Lockhart /290
  • In the Afternoon, Charles G.D. Roberts /291
  • A Dream Fulfilled, Barry Straton /294
  • The Isle of Demons, George Martin /297
  • The Secret of the Saguenay, Arthur Weir /303
  • Saguenay, L.H. Fréchette, tr. J.D. Edgar /306
  • Quebec, Charles Sangster /307
  • Montreal, William M'Lennan /308
  • Montreal, William Douw Lighthall /309
  • The St. Lawrence, K.L. Jones /310
  • Night in the Thousand Isles, Charles Sangster /312
  • Ottawa, Duncan Campbell Scott /314
  • At the Ferry, E. Pauline Johnson /315
  • Niagara, William Kirby /317
  • Lake Couchiching, W.A. Sherwood /320
  • The Heart of the Lakes, William Wilfred Campbell /321
  • Vapour and Blue, William Wilfred Campbell /322
  • Medwayosh, William Wilfred Campbell /323
  • Manitou, William Wilfred Campbell /324
  • To the Lakes, William Wilfred Campbell /326
  • The Legend of Restless River, William Wilfred Campbell /327
  • Morning on the Beach, William Wilfred Campbell /330
  • Dawn in the Island Camp, William Wilfred Campbell /331
  • Lake Huron, William Wilfred Campbell /332
  • Indian Summer, William Wilfred Campbell /333
  • Sault Ste. Marie, Pamelia Vining Yule /334
  • Le Lac des Morts, Bishop George J. Mountain /337
  • The Buffalo Plains, Charles Mair /339
  • The Last Bison, Charles Mair /342
  • A Prairie Year, Nicholas Flood Davin /349
  • The Laurentides, H.R.A. Pocock /352
  • The Legend of Thunder, H.R.A. Pocock /357
;IX. Seasons
  • Heat, Archibald Lampman /369
  • To a Humming-bird in a Garden, George Murray /371
  • In the Golden Birch, /374
  • The Fir Woods, Charles G.D. Roberts /376
  • Clouds, Archibald Lampman /377
  • Frogs, Charles G.D. Roberts /378
  • Twilight, Charles Heavysege /379
  • The Whip-Poor-Will, "Fidelis" /380
  • A Canadian Summer Evening, Mrs. Leprohon /382
  • Evening on the Marshes, Barry Straton /383
  • The Fire-Flies, Charles Mair /385
  • Midsummer Night, Archibald Lampman /387
  • The Autumn Tree, Charles Heavysege /388
  • In Apple Time, Bliss Carman /389
  • The Aurora Borealis, John E. Logan /390
  • The Maple, Charles G.D. Roberts /391
  • October, Alexander M'Lachlan /392
  • First Snow, Jean-Talon L'Espérance /394
  • Indian Summer, Mrs. Susanna Moodie /396
  • Indian Summer, Isidore G. Ascher /397
  • An Indian Summer Carol, "Fidelis" /399
  • To Winter, Charles G.D. Roberts /401
  • A Mid-Winter Night's Dream, William Wilfred Campbell /404
  • Winter Night, Charles Heavysege /405
  • Carnations in Winter, Bliss Carman /406
  • Icicle Drops, Arthur John Lockhart /407
  • The Silver Frost, Barry Straton /409
  • The Jewelled Trees, George Martin /411
  • March, Isabella Valancy Crawford /413
  • The Winds, John E. Logan /417
  • April, Archibald Lampman /421
  • In Lyric Season, Bliss Carman /424
  • An Old Lesson from the Fields, Archibald Lampman /425
  • The Frogs, Archibald Lampman /426
  • Bobolink, Alexander M'Lachlan /429
  • The Canadian Song-Sparrow, J.D. Edgar /431
  • In June, E.W. Thomson /432
;Appendix
  • I. The Old Chansons of the French Province /437
  • II. Leading Modern French-Canadian Poets /440
  • Notes Biographical and Bibliographical /449
  • Note of Thanks /464