Given Montreal’s rich poetic tradition, its historic contribution to the development of culture and the arts in Canada, given that in many ways Montreal—not Toronto—is the birthplace of poetry in this country, with poetic genius the likes of Emile Nelligan, A.M. Klein, Irving Layton and Leonard Cohen in the air, I believe Montreal should and must have a Poet Laureate. Actually, is a disgrace that we do not, given the fact that Toronto, Halifax, Edmonton, St.John’s, and even Sackville, New Brunswick already have one. As it now stands, there are two provincial Poets Laureate—in Saskatchewan and in PEI—and of course, there’s the national poet Laureate, Pauline Michel, who took over from George Bowering in 2004.
But why a Poet Laureate for Montreal? Do we need one? What does a Poet Laureate really do? And why is it important for countries, provinces and municipalities to have them?
Historically, a Poet Laureate served as the official chronicler of state events and special occasions. In a way, he was responsible for getting history down on paper, for communicating it to the world at large. Today, his or her role has moved away from the clerical and didactic, and become more interpretive and reflective of the individual holding tenure. You might say the Poet Laureate has become more of a literary ambassador -- an advocate for poetry, language and the arts. His or her role now is to reflect the life of a community through readings of poetry and through the creation of special legacy projects such as the one instituted by Toronto’s first Poet Laureate, Dennis Lee – his ongoing “naming” project whose goal is to insert the arts into the collective consciousness by naming public places after people who have contributed to the artistic life of that city.
Typically, the mandate of the Poet Laureate includes attending functions across the city to promote and attract people to the literary world. He or she must find innovative ways of weaving poetry into a wide range of official and informal city events. That being said, a city’s Poet Laureate must not simply be a figurehead, a cultural “yes-man” (or woman) who refrains, at all costs, from upsetting the applecart. In my view, he or she must be more than an adjunct, an afterthought, an entertaining and agreeable accessory to civic life. That is because poets have a sixth sense. Like most artists, they are among the first to detect and bring to public awareness issues of exploitation and injustice, world poverty, atrocity, disease.
Percy Bysshe Shelly once called poets the “unacknowledged legislators of the world.” Now that we have moved into the 21st century, why must their efforts go unnoticed? Why must they continue to remain unacknowledged and undervalued, reclusives tucked away in their garrets, occasionally dusted off and brought out for show? Why must poetry remain in the mothball classrooms of academe? Fortunately, many countries around the world, including Canada and the U.S., have made the leap and adopted the tradition of bestowing a title on these custodians of human decency and democracy. England has had one since 1668.
If we believe that Montreal is a world-class city—and I believe it is—then it should reflect that on all fronts, not simply economic ones. After all, poetry is not just “words on a page” but a blueprint for how to live life – with human decency, with commitment and passion, full-speed ahead. What better way than to have someone knowledgeable and with poetic sensibility be our guide. A Poet Laureate could inject his or her passion in many ways. Those with a soft spot for the youth, for example, might channel their energies into the school system, helping to empower young people with the written word. They might work hand-in-hand with educators on various projects. They might liaison with other arts communities on larger projects. Poets with a special interest in global social issues might find ways for their municipality to interface with like-minded cities on the world stage. The bottom line is that each Poet Laureate would bring his own uniqueness to the job, his own sense of activism in order to find innovative ways of returning poetry to the workers, to the youth, to all citizens – where it belongs.
The Montrealer who accepts this title would have a grave responsibility to serve the community—and serve it well. I would not like to see a passive Poet Laureate for this city, one who accepts the largely honorary post, organizes a few readings and then waits out the term in a fancy study somewhere, salivating over how it will look on a resumé. When Lawrence Ferlinghetti, heavy of the Beat Generation and San Fransisco’s first Poet Laureate, passed the torch to his successor, Janice Mirikitani, in March of 2000, he announced in no uncertain terms that it was imperative that a Poet Laureate be, above all, an activist poet rather than a ‘Have a Nice Day’ quietist one. Poets, he said, must be ‘loud and hardy.’ This means not only having a vision but having the backbone to take a position, when required— sometimes a radical one. It means doing so even if it goes against the conventional wisdom of the day.
Because Quebec is occasionally volatile politically, such fallout should be expected, but not feared. After all, this political battlefield where the solitudes sometimes meet and spar, is what makes living in this province and in Montreal most exhilarating for an artist. It contributes to the collective inspiration of this city. We must embrace heat, controversy, and debate for these are the true signs of healthy living.
Perhaps Montreal has been asleep at the wheel, but it is not too late. There is no doubt that our ciy is rich with poets-- of all stripes. We have the expertise and the sensibility. Were Montreal to follow the lead of some of these other cities, it would seem logical to alternate the position between English and French-language poets who have had long-term residency in the city, substantial publication history, and who have significantly contributed to the writing community. Their work should reflect Montreal or express themes that are of relevance to Montrealers.
In his inaugural speech in 2004, Pier Giorgio Di Cicco, current Poet Laureate of Toronto stated:
“... poetry may teach people how to live poetically, or more precisely, with passion. A world-class city is not “world class” without passion. If it is without passion, it is merely a big city. Passion is about taking risks in any sector of endeavor, for the good of many and for the elevation of the human spirit. And passion is the way we encourage each other to those ends. Poetry is the record of that passion and the rallying cry for that passion.”
Montreal should have one.
** Note: This essay was based on the position I took in a radio debate with J.J. Locke on CKUT’s “Poets Debatable” which aired on May 22, 2006.
