J. MacKay, Quebec-Hill, 1891. Courtesy Early Canadiana Online.
J. MacKay (1791 fl.) was a Canadian poet.
Life[]
Extensive research has failed to establish the identity of MacKay, who is described in the Literary History of Canada as “an unknown”. The author appears to have been born in England, and to have travelled there from Canada at various times; such as 1791, when his long poem, Quebec Hill, was published in London. There are several possible candidates for the authorship, but no hard evidence linking the poem to any of them. The situation is not helped by the fact "that in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in Britain and Canada (not to mention the United States) J. Mackay was, if anything, a more common name than J. Smith."[1]
Writing[]
The British Critic: A new review: "This poem was written in Canada, or at least the greatest part of it, and will be found to contain some animated descriptions, and much true poetic spirit."[1]
James Bannister, The Monthly Review: Mackay "does not appear to be greatly animated by poetic genius.... [The] versification of [his] poem ... is throughout uniformly cold and spiritless.... The rimes ... are in most parts incorrect; and Mr. M[ackay] seems to think himself authorised to alter the accentual quantity of syllables as it may suit his convenience."[1]
The Critical Review: "we would advise the author to be more attentive to his rhymes,— now and then to his English,— and avoid that tame monotony which gives a sleepiness to his numbers. Should he start at our advice, we most solemnly protest, that, when we came to the end of his poem, we experienced all the somniferous effects of a dose of opium."[1]
Publications[]
- Quebec Hill; or, Canadian scenery: A poem, in two parts. London: privately published, printed by W. Blackader, 1797
- (edited by D.M.R. Bentley). London, ON: Canadian Poetry Press, 1988
- also published in Three Early Poems from Lower Canada (edited by Michael Gnarowski). Montreal, Lawrence M. Lande Foundation, 1969.
Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.[2]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Introduction," Quebec-Hill. London, ON: Canadian Poetry Press, 1988. Canadian Poetry, Web, Oct. 29, 2016.
- ↑ Search results = au:J. Mackay, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Oct. 29, 2016.
External links[]
- About
- Quebec Hill introduction at Canadian Poetry
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