IGNOU MEG-12 Block 2 Summary | Recent Canadian Poetry
- Last Updated On October 15, 2025
Table of Contents
Here you will get the detailed summary of IGNOU MEG 12 Block 2 – Recent Canadian Poetry.
We have provided the summary of all units starting from unit 1 to unit 4.
Introduction
IGNOU MEG-12 Block 2 focuses on “Recent Canadian Poetry”, offering a critical overview of the development of poetry in Canada, especially in the context of its growth during the 20th century. This block traces how Canadian poetry evolved in response to national identity, cultural autonomy, global literary movements, and personal and political expression. It also examines Canada’s position in the larger Commonwealth literary tradition, considers major novelists who have also contributed as poets, and highlights a range of important contemporary voices that have shaped the poetic landscape of the country.
Unit 1: The Growth of Canadian Poetry
This unit outlines the historical trajectory and thematic evolution of Canadian poetry, particularly in English. Initially derivative of British traditions, Canadian poetry matured over time to develop its own distinct voice. The major developments include:
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Early poetry that focused on nature, wilderness, and colonial experience, often echoing Romantic and Victorian styles.
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A transition in the 20th century toward modernist experimentation, driven by poets such as A.J.M. Smith, who brought imagism, symbolism, and free verse into Canadian literature.
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The rise of confessional and political poetry in the post-war era, reflecting concerns about identity, language, place, and history.
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Emphasis on regionalism and the multicultural character of Canada, particularly from the 1960s onward.
This unit establishes the foundation for understanding Canadian poetry as a complex and evolving response to national and global pressures.
Unit 2: Recent Commonwealth Poetry and Canada’s Place in It
This unit places Canadian poetry in the wider context of Commonwealth literature, which includes former British colonies that developed their own postcolonial literary traditions. It explores:
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The ways in which Canadian poetry shares concerns with other Commonwealth nations—colonial legacy, cultural hybridity, resistance to English literary norms.
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Canada’s dual identity—as both a Western and a postcolonial nation—creates unique tensions in its literature.
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Canadian poets’ participation in global literary festivals, anthologies, and academic discussions, which position Canada as a key player in contemporary Anglophone poetry.
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The push for a distinct Canadian identity, moving away from British literary influence and asserting local, indigenous, and immigrant voices.
This unit emphasizes that Canada’s poetic voice is in conversation with the world, while still rooted in local landscapes and histories.
Unit 3: Two Major Novelists as Poets
This unit examines the poetic works of two celebrated Canadian novelists who also contributed significantly to poetry: Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje.
Margaret Atwood:
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Known for her feminist themes, dystopian novels, and critical essays, Atwood is also a prominent poet.
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Her poetry often explores female identity, environmental degradation, mythology, and language politics.
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Atwood uses irony and a sharp, economical style, blending the personal and political.
Michael Ondaatje:
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Renowned for his lyrical novels (The English Patient, In the Skin of a Lion), Ondaatje began as a poet.
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His poetry is characterized by intensity, fragmentation, and sensual imagery, often delving into memory, migration, and history.
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He bridges genres, creating hybrid forms that reflect diasporic consciousness and experimental poetics.
This unit shows how poetry enriched the literary expression of these novelists and contributed to the aesthetic diversification of Canadian literature.
Unit 4: Five Other Important Poets
This unit provides an overview of five significant Canadian poets whose work represents a range of themes, styles, and regional affiliations:
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Earle Birney: One of Canada’s most influential early modernist poets, known for poems like David. His work balances wit, irony, and compassion, often focusing on landscape and human experience.
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Irving Layton: A provocative and controversial voice, Layton’s poetry is marked by bold sensuality, philosophical questioning, and a rejection of conventional morality.
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Leonard Cohen: Famous as a singer-songwriter, Cohen’s poetry reveals his deep spiritual and emotional introspection, with minimalist but haunting lyricism.
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Daphne Marlatt: A feminist and postmodern poet, Marlatt challenges linear narratives and patriarchal language, experimenting with syntax and form.
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George Bowering: Known for his postmodern, ironic style, Bowering’s poetry often plays with history, politics, and language itself, reflecting a critical stance toward national myths.
These poets contribute to the richness and complexity of recent Canadian poetry, offering pluralistic and experimental voices that reflect the nation’s evolving identity.