Famous 19th Century Canadian Poets

Find out more about the greatest 19th Century Canadian Poets, including John McCrae, Oliver Goldsmith, Robert W. Service, Michael Whelan and Duncan Campbell Scott
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 1 
John McCrae
(Poet and Soldier Best Known as the Author of War Memorial Poem 'In Flanders Fields')
John McCrae
6
Birthdate: November 30, 1872
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Died: January 28, 1918

Best known for his iconic war poems such as In Flanders Fields, Canadian poet John McCrae was also an army physician. He was the first Canadian to serve as a consulting surgeon for the British Army and had earned the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Canadian Army.

 2 
Robert W. Service
(Poet & Writer)
Robert W. Service
10
Birthdate: January 16, 1874
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Preston, Lancashire, England
Died: September 11, 1958

Robert W. Service was a British-Canadian poet and writer. Popularly called "the Bard of the Yukon," he wrote some of the most commercially successful poetry of his era. A bank clerk by profession, he often wrote while traveling for work. Besides poetry, he also wrote fiction and non-fiction. He was often compared to English writer and novelist Rudyard Kipling. 

 3 
Susanna Moodie
(British-Born Canadian Author Who Wrote About Her Experiences as a Settler in Canada)
Susanna Moodie
3
Birthdate: December 6, 1803
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bungay, England
Died: April 8, 1885

English-Canadian writer Susanna Moodie is best known for her realistic depictions of her life in “the bush” or the wilderness of Canada, which was a British colony back in her time. Her most popular work remains Roughing it in the Bush. She had initially also penned several children’s stories.

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 4 
Thomas D'Arcy McGee
(Former Member of the Canadian Parliament for Montreal West (1867 - 1868))
Thomas D'Arcy McGee
5
Birthdate: April 13, 1825
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Carlingford, Ireland
Died: April 7, 1868

Thomas D'Arcy McGee was an Irish-Canadian politician, Catholic spokesman, journalist, and poet. As a young man, he opposed British rule in Ireland and was in favor of creating an independent Irish Republic. He later became conservative in his beliefs and moved to Canada. He helped create the Canadian Confederation in 1867 but was assassinated the following year.  

 5 
Duncan Campbell Scott
(Poet, Writer, Civil servant)
Duncan Campbell Scott
3
Birthdate: August 2, 1862
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Ottawa
Died: December 19, 1947

Duncan Campbell Scott was a Canadian writer, poet, and civil servant. He is regarded as one of Canada's Confederation Poets. As a civil servant, he served as deputy superintendent of the Department of Indian Affairs. In this position, he supported the implementation of racist policies toward Canada's First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.  

 6 
Bliss Carman
(Poet)
Bliss Carman
2
Birthdate: April 15, 1861
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Fredericton
Died: June 8, 1929

Bliss Carman was a Canadian poet whose works earned him international recognition. His poem, Autumn ,inspired Leo Sowerby to write Comes Autumn Time, which became his best-known organ piece. Throughout his illustrious career, Carman was honored with many prestigious awards like the Royal Society of Canada's Lorne Pierce Gold Medal. During his later years, Carman served as Canada's poet laureate.

 7 
E. J. Pratt
(Canadian Poet)
E. J. Pratt
2
Birthdate: February 4, 1882
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Newfoundland Colony, Canada
Died: 1964 AD

E. J. Pratt was a Canadian poet who won the Governor General's Award, Canada's top poetry prize, on three occasions. Regarded as the most important Canadian poet of his generation, Pratt is also considered the leading Canadian poet of the first half of the 20th century. During his career, he also won other prestigious awards like the Canada Council Medal.

 8 
Robert Stanley Weir
(Canadian judge and poet)
Robert Stanley Weir
2
Birthdate: November 15, 1856
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Hamilton, Canada
Died: August 20, 1926

Robert Stanley Weir was a Canadian judge and poet. He is best known for writing the English lyrics to the national anthem of Canada, O Canada. He was trained as a teacher and lawyer. Over the course of his successful legal career, he was appointed a municipal court judge. He published several poems in magazines and book collections. 

 9 
Charles G. D. Roberts
(Canadian Poet Who was One of the First Canadian Authors to be Internationally Known)
Charles G. D. Roberts
2
Birthdate: January 10, 1860
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Douglas, New Brunswick, Canada
Died: November 26, 1943
Known as the Father of Canadian Poetry, Charles George Douglas Roberts was a remarkable poet and prose writer. Besides poetry, he published various works on natural history, travel, verse, and fiction. He served as an inspiration for various Canadian poets of his time, including his cousin Bliss Carman, Duncan Campbell Scott, and Archibald Lampman.
 10 
Archibald Lampman
Archibald Lampman
2

Archibald Lampman was a 19th-century Canadian poet considered to be the most outstanding exponent of the Canadian school of nature poets. He is often referred to as the “Canadian Keats” and classified as one of Canada's Confederation Poets. He was a quiet and dignified person with high ideals. He passed away at the age of just 37. 

 11 
Annie Louisa Walker
(English and Canadian Teacher and Author)
Annie Louisa Walker
2
Birthdate: June 23, 1836
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Died: July 7, 1907

Annie Louisa Walker was an English and Canadian teacher and author. Born in England, she moved to Canada as a young girl. She ran a school with her sisters and also embarked on a literary career. With the help of her second cousin, prominent writer Margaret Oliphant, she was able to build a successful career as a novelist. 

 12 
Charles Fenerty
(Inventor)
Charles Fenerty
3
Birthdate: 1821
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Upper Sackville, Canada
Died: June 10, 1892

Charles Fenerty was a 19th-century Canadian inventor and poet. He is best remembered for inventing the wood pulp process for paper-making. His invention did not receive much attention in his lifetime and he never took out a patent on it. He was well known as a poet and published numerous poems. He was an extensive traveler as well. 

 13 
William Wilfred Campbell
(Canadian Poet Regarded as One of the Country’s Confederation Poets)
William Wilfred Campbell
2
Birthdate: June 1, 1860
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Newmarket, Canada
Died: January 1, 1918

A versatile writer and poet, William Wilfred Campbell began writing poems while in college, continuing to do so while serving as Episcopal priest, publishing his first two books of poems during this period. Later, he gave up his post due to a crisis of faith and continued with his writing, regularly publishing volumes of verses, verse dramas, fictions and non-fictions.

 14 
William Henry Drummond
(Canadian Poet Known for His Humorous Dialect Poems)
William Henry Drummond
1
Birthdate: April 13, 1854
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mohill, Ireland
Died: April 6, 1907

William Henry Drummond was a Canadian poet whose works established him as one of the most famous writers in the West. He is also counted among the most loved and widely-read Canadian poets. The Dr. William Henry Drummond Poetry Contest, which was established in 1970, is conducted in his honor.

 15 
Octave Crémazie
(Canadian Poet Known for Patriotic Poetic Works Such as Le Vieux Soldat Canadien and Le Drapeau de Carillon)
Octave Crémazie
1
Birthdate: April 16, 1827
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Quebec City, Canada
Died: January 16, 1879

Octave Crémazie was a French-Canadian bookseller and poet who played a major role in Quebec's cultural development. Often referred to as the father of French Canadian poetry, Crémazie is best remembered for his patriotic verse. Octave Crémazie is credited with founding an organization called Institut canadien, which aimed at promoting French-Canadian culture.

 16 
Isabella Valancy Crawford
(Canadian Writer and Poet)
Isabella Valancy Crawford
1
Birthdate: December 25, 1846
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Died: February 12, 1887

Isabella Valancy Crawford was a Canadian poet and writer. The author of Malcolm's Katie, a popular poem held in high regard in the history of Canadian poetry, Crawford is widely regarded as Canada's first major poet. She made a living using her skills as a freelance writer, one of the first Canadians to do so.

 17 
François-Xavier Garneau
(Canadian Poet and Historian)
François-Xavier Garneau
1
Birthdate: June 15, 1809
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Quebec City, Canada
Died: February 3, 1866

François-Xavier Garneau was a French Canadian notary, civil servant, poet, and liberal. Garneau is remembered for his contribution to the French-Canadian community, including Histoire du Canada, a three-volume historical account of the French Canadian nation. The Canadian Historical Association created the François-Xavier Garneau Medal, which is given every five years in his honor.

 18 
Louis-Honoré Fréchette
(Canadian Poet, Politician, Playwright, and Short Story Writer)
Louis-Honoré Fréchette
1
Birthdate: November 16, 1839
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Levis, Canada
Died: May 31, 1908

Louis-Honoré Fréchette was a Canadian poet, playwright, short story writer, and politician. Fréchette is the first Quebecer to be honored with the prestigious Montyon Prize, which he received for his work, Les Fleurs boréales, les oiseaux de neige. In 1989, Canada Post honored his contribution by issuing a postage stamp featuring his portrait.

 19 
Antoine Gérin-Lajoie
(Canadian Poet and Novelist)
Antoine Gérin-Lajoie
0
Birthdate: August 4, 1824
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Yamachiche, Canada
Died: August 7, 1882

Antoine Gérin-Lajoie was a Québécois Canadian novelist, poet, and attorney. He is credited with writing one of Canada's most famous poems, Un Canadien errant. Antoine Gérin-Lajoie is also credited with founding a couple of literature magazines, namely Le Foyer canadien and Les Soirées canadiennes.

 20 
Alexander McLachlan
(Canadian poet)
Alexander McLachlan
0
Birthdate: 1818 AD
Birthplace: Johnstone, United Kingdom
Died: 1896 AD

Alexander McLachlan was a Canadian poet who achieved popularity in the mid-19th century. He often wrote in Scottish dialect as he was born in Scotland. Referred to as the Canadian Robert Burns, McLachlan's works reflected the homesickness of Scottish immigrants living in Canada.

 21 
Nérée Beauchemin
(Canadian Poet and Physician)
Nérée Beauchemin
0
Birthdate: February 20, 1850
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Yamachiche, Canada
Died: June 29, 1931

French-Canadian poet Nérée Beauchemin was a major figure of the Le Terroir, or The Soil, school of poetry. Additionally, he was also a physician. His works mostly featured the Canadian landscape and the rural life of Quebec and its nearby regions, though he only released two poetry volumes throughout his career.

 22 
Charles Heavysege
(Canadian Dramatist and Poet Best Known for His Play 'Saul')
Charles Heavysege
0
Birthdate: May 2, 1816
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England
Died: July 14, 1876

Charles Heavysege was a Canadian dramatist and poet best remembered for his acclaimed play, Saul. He was one of the earliest Canadian poets to publish his works in Canada. Although he was initially known only in Canada, Charles Heavysege had achieved international acclaim by the 1860s.

 23 
Louis Dantin
(Canadian Novelist, Poet, Short Story Writer and Editor)
Louis Dantin
0
Birthdate: November 28, 1865
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Beauharnois, Canada
Died: January 17, 1945

Canadian writer Eugène Seers, also known as Louis Dantin, is best remembered for editing and publishing the poems of Émile Nelligan. Initially aspiring to be a Roman Catholic priest, he wrote religious poems but quit soon and joined the Harvard University Press. He also gained fame as a skilled essayist.