SOURCE: An introduction to “Arthur Symons' Reviews of Bliss Carman” in Canadian Poetry, Vol. 37, Winter, 1995, pp. 100-102.

Tracy Ware provides an “Introduction,” written in 1995, to a series of reprints of reviews (please see Arthur Symons' reviews [1894, 1895, and 1897, above) of Carman's volumes Low Tide on Grand Pré, Songs from Vagabondia, Behind the Arras, and More Songs from Vagabondia. Ware explains that Symons “played a key role” in establishing Carman's early reputation as a poet.]

Introduction

In the summer of 1890, Arthur Symons wrote Bliss Carman his appreciation of the latter's poems: “There is something delightfully fresh in them—a lyric April. I hope you will soon collect them into a book, & give one the opportunity of reading more of you.” Later that year, Symons repeated his praise: “When are you going to publish a volume? I want the pleasure of reviewing it.”¹ Symons not only reviewed Carman's first volume, Low...