American friends of mine have told me that they envy Canada for its Poets and songwriters. These friends are within a couple years of my age, and I am turning 40 later this year. But what does this mean to me, a Canadian, who remembers being told in school that Canada has internationally awarded poets; I never would have thought that Americans of my age group were learning a mirror version of our history? They know about Margaret Atwood; though they thought Leonard Cohen was American. I asked in turn, 'if Leonard Cohen is American, where is he from in America and why does he speak French?'. The response that only made sense to reply by one was Louisiana.
Though beyond Margaret Atwood, they couldn't name another, which made me doubt my supposed stance that Canadian Poetry has an international standard, as I as well, couldn't name another either. I have read some Canadian Poets, but were any as great as Atwood? At times, yes, some poets really show innovation. Emile Nelligan can write very inspiring pieces, but a Poet like Stuart Ross simply annoys me with his careless structure that insults the reader.
In rereading Atwood, I found the journals of Susanna Moodie lost their charm as compared to Neitsche, or Homer, that I read a few years later on. My thoughts now on that apparent international acclaim, it must have been a slow year as a book of free verse poetry won all the awards. At least Canadians had another thing to feel proud about, yet I think the retelling of Susanna Moodie in free verse, might have brainwashed people into thinking that the poetry was in our roots. Canadians and Americans alike.
I thought it best to explain what Poetry in Canada is, as simplest I could, in order to move on and give a description of the Poetry Scene in Ottawa. There isn't one. From the eye-soar pages of bywords.ca to the University open mics, you can only expect to be confused with the poetry you come across, as there are tons of individuals self-advertising, with little organization or preparedness in their work. I say the Poetry scene in Ottawa isn't one, because the style of choice by most people is the free verse: no cares, day of the meme style storytelling. Like Darmok and Jalad at tanagra. Just a small Trek reference for you if you got it, but Ottawa Poetry only wishes it were that good. No skills, just big dreams! Everyone is an amateur, even the people selling books. For some reason, any Canadian that picks up a pen to write thinks they have more credentials and worth just because of their Canadian citizenship. Which is suddenly now an identity in Poetry.
If you can name more than 3 internationally awarded Canadian Poets, then maybe you can change my stance on what I think this Canadian identity actually is, and if you can, please do share in the comments. As for myself, I am tired of what became the modern style, with everyone trying to replicate that Canadian Gold that Atwood had been so widely preached for.
My message to amateurs; If you can't challenge yourself in your poetry writing process, and I don't mean brainstorming, I mean the concrete writing which is a step after the brainstorming, then what worth do you truly think you will make. Atwood crapped out gold with the journals of Moodie. She is redeemed in my eyes however that she wrote the Penelopiad, a much more mature style of verse. If you write Poetry, do you write poetry because it is easy, or because it always offers a challenge? Perhaps this is the amateurs' road?
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