More and more, Gwendolyn MacEwen – who died in 1987 – looms up as the important poet of her generation. She was a virtuoso, her poems ranging from simple lyric statements through nostalgic comedy to deeply worrying political meditations. Her images were mesmeric.
Born in Toronto in 1941, she published eleven books of poems, translations, and poetic dramas. She was also the author of several works of fiction. She received the Governor General’s Award for poetry twice.
Margaret Atwood has written an incisive introduction. She and Barry Callaghan have edited the poetry into two volumes, The Early Years and The Later Years.
“Her poems move through dreams and mysteries. The voice is unmuffled and clear. It speaks directly and plainly to that which is the deepest part of our humanity.” —The Globe & Mail
“MacEwen is a poet of the earth in all its diversity, its humankind, its magic. A romantic poet in the sense that romance means passion and commitment to ideal.” —Poetry Canada Review