The First Confederation Poet: Sir Charles G.D. Roberts

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(top to bottom, left to right: cover of rare Orion and Other Poems, 1880–generally considered to be the first significant collection of 19th century Canadian poetry, inscription inside; 1903 author-as-aesthete photo-frontispiece, Poems New Complete Edition: 1907, an inscribed poem inside same; wartime photo of author and signed handwritten poem from Canadian Singers and Their Songs, McClelland & Stewart, 1919; title page  of scarce The Iceberg and Other Poems, Ryerson, 1934, illustrated by J.E.H. MacDonald’s son Thoreau)

The only Canadian writer ever knighted (1935) served as a captain in the English army during World War I. Roberts (1860-1943) was born in the Frederiction area of New Brunswick. His first book, published when he only 20, was Orion and Other Poems which influenced the other Confederation poets Carman, D.C. Scott, and Lampman. Around 1900, he turned to writing successful and popular animal fiction such as Red Fox. *N.B., For collectors, it is these books which have the first and his most interesting-looking Roberts dust jackets per se.

Inscription in 2nd picture reads: Life is good and love is eager/In the playground of the sun.”

Highly recommended reading–a comprehensive overview with numerous photos: Sir Charles G.D. Roberts: A Biography by E.M. Pomeroy, Ryerson, 1943. “The Skater” is my favorite Roberts’ poem and I used it in one of my textbooks; it is the best ice-skating poem of all time.

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