The Quest for a 'National' Nationalism

E.J. Pratt’s Epic Ambition, ‘Race’ Consciousness, and the Contradictions of Canadian Identity

Description

In his 2018 Pratt Lecture, The Quest for a ‘National’ Nationalism, renowned author and critic George Elliott Clarke investigates E. J. Pratt’s poetic attempt to become the epic poet of Canada. And while Pratt’s epic poems, such as “Brebeuf and His Brethren” and “Towards the Last Spike,” stand as lofty poetic achievements, the poet is never able to escape his own identity and speak convincingly for all Canadians. Unable to speak for Francophones, Indigenous peoples, and People of Colour, Pratt becomes the epic poet of the establishment, but never truly of the people.

Reviews

"This is Breakwater’s first published Pratt Lecture, a slim, crisp, pocketful of learned-ness. "

- Joan Sullivan