[Traditional Quebecois] rejection of the real world as well as of the pleasures (sinful) of the present and of the body resulted in a collective malaise that is expressed with great sensitivity and power in [Poems by] Anne Hébert.

Indeed, perhaps no other Quebecois poet has so successfully presented the long night of the French-Canadian soul as it seeks to exorcise its demons and escape from the small "chambre fermée" in which it finds itself imprisoned and exiled. Although this poetry is deeply personal and highly original, it is difficult not to remark upon the similarities between the personal adventure of Anne Hébert and the general evolution of Quebec society in recent years. The two collections which make up Poems—Tomb of the Kings and Mystery of the Verb—were originally published in 1953 and 1960 respectively. The contrast in style, tone and content between these two...