Phil Egan
I used to get great marks in high school in subjects like English, Latin and history.
If you think I’m bragging, let me hasten to assure you that subjects like chemistry, physics, algebra, and science baffled me.
Poetry, likewise, was not a strong suit. In fact, my English teacher, Mrs. Stellmacher, would be shocked to learn that, at age 69, I only recently learned the Canadian poet Bliss Carmen was not a woman. I confess, I grew up not knowing any guys names ‘Bliss.’
William Bliss Carmen was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick in 1861 and invited to Sarnia to give a recital by the Literary Society of Sarnia Collegiate Institute, then located on London Road.
In February of 1921 the Sarnia Canadian Observer announced a plan to bring “the Canadian poetical genius” to the Imperial City the following month.
Carmen was of Empire Loyalist descent and spent much of his life in the U.S. He achieved international recognition for his poetry, supplementing his income by giving readings, commentaries, and literary and philosophical discussions. He had studied at the universities of New Brunswick, Edinburgh and Harvard, and took both law and engineering before determining to live a life as a “man of letters.”
On the evening of March 3, 1921, 600 Sarnians gathered at the old city hall to hear the poet’s “deep, rich tones” and “exquisite beauty of expression.”
“Past the lighthouse, past the nun buoy,
Past the crimson rising sun,
There are dreams go down the harbor
With the tall ships of St. John.”
The newspaper the following day was enthusiastic.
“His poems struck a responsive chord in his hearers, his wonderful choice of words and melodious phrases carrying a strong appeal to all who heard. The applause that followed his reading spoke to the popularity of the reader’s works.”
When Carmen came to Sarnia he was recovering from a terrible bout of tuberculosis that almost killed him. By 1920, he was living in poverty, the victim of a long bout of lack of productivity while he fought the illness. His visit to Sarnia was part of a newly begun Canadian tour that drew enthusiastic audiences eager to hear his poetry.
Seven months after his visit here, Carmen was crowned Canada’s Poet Laureate at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Montreal. He was stunned by the reception he received across Canada to his readings, which he described as “breathless attention, crowded halls, and a strange, profound enthusiasm such as I never guessed could be, and good thrifty money too.”
He declared himself to be “the most surprised person in Canada.”