(Among the Millet J.Durie & Son, 1888, incredibly rare signed Christmas inscription inside; photo-frontispiece in Poems Morang, 1900, autographed facsimile poem in same; rare copy of Happiness Ryerson, Christmas 1925; At the Long Sault Ryerson, 1943–cover design by Thoreau MacDonald; Morning on the Lievre N.F.B. VHS
Morpeth, Ontario-born Archibald Lampman (1861-1899) was the top 19th century nature poet writing in Canada. He spent his days off from the Post Office Department in Ottawa canoeing and writing which led to his first and best book Among the Millet (1888). Lampman’s reputation owes a lot to his literary executor-friend D.C. Scott who saw to the publication of his collected Poems in 1900 after his death and who much later published a further, unexpected volume At the Long Sault and Other Poems 43 years later, during WWII.
Lampman was the first early Canadian poet to truly resonate with/for me (in grade 12, 1967) with sonnets like “A January Morning”. One of my big CanLit collecting strikes was finding an incredibly rare copy of his first book inscribed to his close Ottawa artist-friend Charles E. Moss (c.f. above image). The N.F.B. 1961 feature Morning on the Lievre (available for purchase) featuring a few of Lampman’s poems about his canoe trips is highly recommended.
I still regard Lampman as one of our best-ever nature poets and used three of his best–“Midnight”, “At the Long Sault”, and “A January Morning” in my textbooks. His is one of the rarest CanLit signatures and I consider myself lucky and proud to have his (see above).