The T.E. Lawrence Poems

by Gwendolyn MacEwen

The T.E. Lawrence Poems is Gwendolyn MacEwen’s most integrated, complete and respected work. It is now recognized as her signature poetic achievement.“In 1962, I was staying in a hotel in Tiberias, Israel; the tall, white-haired proprietor invited me downstairs one evening and served me syrupy tea and a plate of fruit. He showed me a series of old sepiatone photographs which lined the walls – photographs of blurred riders on camels riding to the left into some uncharted desert just beyond the door. Some of them were signed.‘It’s Lawrence isn’t it?’ I asked, walking up to one.‘Yes,’ said my host, offering me a huge section of an orange. ‘I rode with him once a long time ago. I see you always carry a pen and paper to write things down. I thought you’d be interested; I thought you’d like to know.’These poems were written some twenty years later.”

Genres: Poetry, Canada

Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Gwendolyn MacEwen was one of Canada's most celebrated writers publishing several stories and many works of poetry throughout her career. She was born in Toronto, Ontario on September 1, 1941 to Elsie and Alick MacEwen. As a child she attended public schools in both Toronto and Winnipeg, and when she was seventeen her first poem was published in the Canadian Forum, a journal which published the works of both new and renowned writers. At the age of eighteen she left school to pursue a full time career as a writer and at the same time opened a Toronto coffee house, "The Trojan Horse".

As a child Gwendolyn didn't get the best care from her parents. Her mother was mentally unstable, spending most of her life in institutions and her father was largely an alcoholic. However this may have been what led to her writing being so heavily focused on mythology, dreams, magic, and history. After leaving school Gwendolyn taught herself several different languages including Greek, French, Arabic and Hebrew, which she used to translate many of her poems. Her fluency in several languages is what most likely encouraged her to make references to cultures outside of Canada. Gwendolyn tended to focus on more surreal ideas in her writing and she had her own unique way of expressing them when compared to other poets from her time. A lot of her poetry involved changing the surrealism into reality by using strong imagery and often allegory. The cultures she studied often showed up in her work as part of the overall imagery and allusions to historical events were quite common.

Her volume of poems "The Shadow-Maker" won the Governor General's Award in 1969 and included many poems such as her famous "Dark Pines Under Water". During the mid eighties she was a writer in residence at the University of Western Ontario and then later the University of Toronto. Gwendolyn died in 1987 at the age of 46 from what was believed to have been health problems due to alcohol. Although she was not alive to be present, later that year her collection "Afterworlds" was awarded the Governor General's Award, making it the second time her work had won such a prestigious honour.

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of poems in which MacEwan takes on the persona of Lawrence of Arabia. As Kate Cayley says, "She perfectly inhabits the voice of her subject. It could be called ventriloquism, but possession might be closer." Although the subject is Lawrence, MacEwan is present in every poem, the poet and subject merging into a perfect singular.

There is something a little weird about a white woman embodying the the characters and history of Palestine and Arabia, but Lawrence was British diplomat... some strange culture crossings going on.

I will say that although I think it's a masterful piece of work, there were many haunting lines, I didn't enjoy it that much. It is a little serious, and dry, like the desert it is set in.

[Claudi Feldhaus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Die Autorin versetzt sich in "Lawrence von Arabien" und wählt eine asexuelle, homoromantische und leider auch misogynistische und rassistische Stimme, um die Themen Krieg und Gewalt zu untersuchen.
Nich das Buch, das mir Lyrik schmackhaft macht.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books I'll never get over.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I feel the heat where one finds poetry--in the hollow
diaphragm under the cage of ribs."

These lines from "Hot Baths" in MacEwen's collection the T.E. Lawrence poems so aptly describes my feelings after experiencing this collection. The book is profound and complex and perfectly captures the mystery of "El Aurens"...Gwendolyn MacEwen remains one of my favourite poets. Gone too soon.