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The Love Poems
Love Poems, is the definitive collection of Irving Layton’s love poetry. Few poets have written with such sensual intensity, vitality and passion in celebration of women. Here you will discover poems of extraordinary variety – joy, jealousy, sexuality, exultation, lyricism, sarcasm and disappointment.
132 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
67 people want to read
About the author
Irving Layton
85 books40 followersPoet, Teacher.
Born as Israel Pincu Lazarovitch, author Irving Layton immigrated to Canada in 1913, as a baby, his family settling on the infamous St. Urbain Street in the city of Montreal. In the heavily French-speaking province of Quebec, some locals were weary of English foreigners and Jewish families, however, the Lazarovitches adapted to the city where a great Canadian literary scene flourished, producing several English (Canadian) authors such as Mordecai Richler, Leonard Cohen and Louis Dudek.
In the early 1930's, Irving Layton received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from MacDonald College. In 1946, he received his M.A. in Political Science. He also began teaching English, History, and Political Science at the Jewish parochial high school, Herzliah, in 1949. He taught modern English and American poetry at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia) and worked as a tenured professor at York University in the 1970s. He lectured occasionally at McGill University in Political Science. He taught English and Literature at the Jewish Public Library.
Irving Layton often recited his works at readings and travelled the world doing so, gaining fame and popularity. Over the course of his life, Irving Layton received many awards and honours for his writing. In 1959, Irving Layton received the Governor-General's Award for "A Red Carpet for the Sun." He was titled an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1976. In 1981, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature by Italy and South Korea. He also received the Petrarch Award for Poetry.
Well loved, Irving led a full life surrounded by students, friends and family. He was married four times - to Faye Lynch, Harriet Bernstein, Annette Pottier and Betty Sutherland. He also lived with a woman named Aviva Cantor for several years. He fathered four children during his life named Max, Naomi, David and Samantha Clara.
Born as Israel Pincu Lazarovitch, author Irving Layton immigrated to Canada in 1913, as a baby, his family settling on the infamous St. Urbain Street in the city of Montreal. In the heavily French-speaking province of Quebec, some locals were weary of English foreigners and Jewish families, however, the Lazarovitches adapted to the city where a great Canadian literary scene flourished, producing several English (Canadian) authors such as Mordecai Richler, Leonard Cohen and Louis Dudek.
In the early 1930's, Irving Layton received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from MacDonald College. In 1946, he received his M.A. in Political Science. He also began teaching English, History, and Political Science at the Jewish parochial high school, Herzliah, in 1949. He taught modern English and American poetry at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia) and worked as a tenured professor at York University in the 1970s. He lectured occasionally at McGill University in Political Science. He taught English and Literature at the Jewish Public Library.
Irving Layton often recited his works at readings and travelled the world doing so, gaining fame and popularity. Over the course of his life, Irving Layton received many awards and honours for his writing. In 1959, Irving Layton received the Governor-General's Award for "A Red Carpet for the Sun." He was titled an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1976. In 1981, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature by Italy and South Korea. He also received the Petrarch Award for Poetry.
Well loved, Irving led a full life surrounded by students, friends and family. He was married four times - to Faye Lynch, Harriet Bernstein, Annette Pottier and Betty Sutherland. He also lived with a woman named Aviva Cantor for several years. He fathered four children during his life named Max, Naomi, David and Samantha Clara.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 26, 2022
Ce volume en anglais rassemble les poèmes d'amour d'Irving Layton. Dieu sait que sur le sujet, il a accumulé les expériences, et entre autres vers la fin de sa vie vécu avec une jeune femme largement sa cadette et qui est l'objet des derniers poèmes du recueil. La passion déborde souvent de manière assez explicite : des hommages aux poils pubiens d'Aviva, sauf erreur sa première femme, aux considérations sur les muscles qui mollissent avec l'âge et l'usage. Parfois, la seconde passion de Layton s'immisce et il est soudain question, au milieu de l'amour le plus brûlant, du léninisme qui se propage de par le monde. Quand on dit « amour », précisons qu'il s'agit aussi de haine : pendant, Layton adore ses femmes, après il les déteste (comme celles qui pour diverses raisons sont inaccessibles) et les vers enflammés deviennent tristes, pleins de dégoût. Parfois, ultime paradoxe, une fois la blessure cicatrisée, on retrouve des poèmes d'amour. Pour les motifs, à part les femmes et la politique, je note l'exotisme, en particulier des références à la Grèce, d'autres plus quotidiens, comme le sommeil, la danse… Dans la mesure où cette anthologie ne précise guère les dates et le recueil initial dont le poème est issu, mais respecte tout de même une sorte d'ordre chronologique, il est parfois assez difficile de s'y repérer. Toutefois, les poèmes d'amour et Layton, c'est un angle indéniablement pertinent.
February 7, 2024
One of the greatest collections of poems I've read. I hardly enjoy reading poetry, but I couldn't put this down and finished it almost as soon as I started.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews