Sound and silence in selected poetry of Duncan Campbell Scott

Abstract

The poetry of Duncan Campbell Scott has always been recognized by the Canadian literary establishment as being worthy of attention. His work usually appears in most of the textbooks and anthologies of Canadian Poetry, and there is little or no question that his poetry stands as a vital chapter in the history of Canadian literature. However, despite the fact that there have been many studies done on Scott's poetry, there remain aspects of his work that have not been given enough attention. This thesis examines, in particular, the role that sound plays in what is generally considered to be the best of his work. Chapter one discusses how Scott allows the reader to hear the conflict in Nature, the conflict found between Man and Nature, and the conflicts found within Man himself. These conflicts represent the major themes of his poetry. Chapter two deals with how Scott uses sound to appreciate and perhaps even understand these conflicts by achieving, and sharing with the reader, a heightened spiritual state. Finally, chapter three attempts to show thematic consistency in much of Scott's poetry resulting from the sharing of his poetic consciousness as described and determined by sound.