If Charles Sangster had had the good fortune to be born later and to be recognized as a Confederation poet instead of classified as a pre-Confederation poet, he might enjoy the reputation of Charles G. D. Roberts, Bliss Carman, Duncan Campbell Scott, and Archibald Lampman--provided, that is, he had been able to respond to the historical moment as they did. Because Sangster is now acknowledged as a precursor of the new voices of the new country, however, his poetry is still assigned a well-deserved place of importance in Canadian literary history. A native of Kingston, Ontario (then Upper Canada)--Canada's first capital and the home of its first prime minister, John A. Macdonald--Sangster had humble beginnings and an unremarkable, unfortunate life. Throughout his life he was just as concerned with making ends meet practically as with making words meet poetically.

His Scottish heritage and his military background (his...