E.J. Pratt

History

E.J. Pratt was born in Western Bay, Newfoundland, February 4 1882. He grew up in a succession of Newfoundland outports. He completed his schooling at the Methodist College in St. John's.

After two years of teaching, in 1904 Edwin became a candidate for the Methodist Ministry. He served a three year probationship and then he entered Victoria College. There, he studied theology and psychology. He was ordained in 1913.

Edwin never served as a regular Minister, instead he taught psychology at the University of Toronto. In 1920, he was appointed to the English Department of Victoria College. He taught there until he retired in 1953.

E.J. died in Toronto Ontario on April 26, 1964.

Awards

Edwin began publishing his poetry in 1914, but he did not become recognized until 1923, when he made an impression on the Newfoundland Verse. After publishing more than a dozen volumes of poetry like Titans (1926) and Collected Poems (1958), he became known as the foremost Canadian poet of the first half of the twentieth century. In 1920, he was elected to the Royal Society of Canada. In 1940, he won the Lorne Pierce Medal of Poetry. Books of his poetry won Governor General Awards in 1937, 1940 and 1952. In 1946, he was made CMG by King George VI. As well, he edited the Canadian Poetry Magazine from 1936 to 1943.

Writing

Edwin Pratt tends to be generally realistic, showing an unsentimental view of life. He enjoys putting humour and irony into his writing. His most valued qualities are courage, self-sacrifice, loyalty and defiance. He often puts the sea and maritime life into his writing too. Frequently, he will reflect back to his childhood by including information from his Newfoundland background. Even though Edwin was a major poet, he was an isolated figure who did not belong to any schools or movements.