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Chapter 3. Death by nature in two poems by Alden Nowlan

  • Ernestine Lahey
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Language in Place
This chapter is in the book Language in Place

Abstract

This chapter provides a Text World Theory analysis of two poems by the Canadian poet Alden Nowlan, specifically focusing on the “death by landscape” trope (Atwood 1972) in these works. I argue that Nowlan, often viewed as a regionalist poet, draws on a wilderness-based model of Canadian identity that clearly aligns his work with deeply-felt national concerns. The analysis provided here extends earlier considerations of text-world landscape construction in poetry (e.g. Lahey 2006), thus contributing to the development of a Text World Theory that is more sensitive to literary landscape representation.

Abstract

This chapter provides a Text World Theory analysis of two poems by the Canadian poet Alden Nowlan, specifically focusing on the “death by landscape” trope (Atwood 1972) in these works. I argue that Nowlan, often viewed as a regionalist poet, draws on a wilderness-based model of Canadian identity that clearly aligns his work with deeply-felt national concerns. The analysis provided here extends earlier considerations of text-world landscape construction in poetry (e.g. Lahey 2006), thus contributing to the development of a Text World Theory that is more sensitive to literary landscape representation.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 2. Thematic adverbial adjuncts of place and direction and their relationship to conceptual metaphor in A. E. Housman’s A Shropshire Lad 17
  6. Chapter 3. Death by nature in two poems by Alden Nowlan 45
  7. Chapter 4. Liminal islands 65
  8. Chapter 5. Urban metaphors 85
  9. Chapter 6. The Arabic of Dune 105
  10. Chapter 7. (Re)mapping “authentic” London 125
  11. Chapter 8. “Boston Strong” 147
  12. Chapter 9. Naming as styling 167
  13. Chapter 10. “She enjoys being stroked”, “They are affectionate, lively and interactive boys” 189
  14. Chapter 11. “Your planet needs you” 209
  15. Chapter 12. London past and present 229
  16. Name Index 253
  17. Subject Index 255
https://doi.org/10.1075/lal.37.03lah

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements vii
  4. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  5. Chapter 2. Thematic adverbial adjuncts of place and direction and their relationship to conceptual metaphor in A. E. Housman’s A Shropshire Lad 17
  6. Chapter 3. Death by nature in two poems by Alden Nowlan 45
  7. Chapter 4. Liminal islands 65
  8. Chapter 5. Urban metaphors 85
  9. Chapter 6. The Arabic of Dune 105
  10. Chapter 7. (Re)mapping “authentic” London 125
  11. Chapter 8. “Boston Strong” 147
  12. Chapter 9. Naming as styling 167
  13. Chapter 10. “She enjoys being stroked”, “They are affectionate, lively and interactive boys” 189
  14. Chapter 11. “Your planet needs you” 209
  15. Chapter 12. London past and present 229
  16. Name Index 253
  17. Subject Index 255
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