enthusiast
Mannikin
Emile Nelligan (1879-1941), best known for his short poem "Ship of Gold," was born in Montreal. He composed the vast majority of his verse between 1896 to 1899, when he was institutionalized and later diagnosed with dementia praecox.
His complete poems were translated into English by Fred Cogswell. A reading of these poems suggest a number of possible literary influences. One group of poems collectively titled "The Garden of Childhood" convey the same loss of innocence as Blake's Songs of Experience. Others like "Summer Night" bring to mind the lyricism of Keats. The repetition of "the bells, the bells" in "The Idiot Girl" may be an homage to Poe's famous poem. The following stanza from "The Coffin" suggests that Poe was a major influence on Nelligan:
In my bizarre taste for the tomb I've grown so
Full of disdain for earth's noises and man;
In love with mystery like a great black swan
That sees by the light of a lunar flambeau.
There also can be found a number of poems that pay direct tribute to such Symbolists as Baudelaire and Rodenbach. All of these inspirations were utilized to create a unique body of work with numerous flashes of brilliance.
I believe similarities between Ligotti and Nelligan can be found in their fascination with autumnal decay and beauty, their frustration with the mundane world of cares and regrets, and their talent for horrific imagery. The final two lines from "The Muse's Cradle" evoke the same grim humor present in Ligotti's stories:
But hush! Now at our door I hear that shrew,
Distress, and the sharp crunch of her black shoe!
Are you familiar with Nelligan's work? What are your impressions? I look forward to any replies.
Enthusiast
His complete poems were translated into English by Fred Cogswell. A reading of these poems suggest a number of possible literary influences. One group of poems collectively titled "The Garden of Childhood" convey the same loss of innocence as Blake's Songs of Experience. Others like "Summer Night" bring to mind the lyricism of Keats. The repetition of "the bells, the bells" in "The Idiot Girl" may be an homage to Poe's famous poem. The following stanza from "The Coffin" suggests that Poe was a major influence on Nelligan:
In my bizarre taste for the tomb I've grown so
Full of disdain for earth's noises and man;
In love with mystery like a great black swan
That sees by the light of a lunar flambeau.
There also can be found a number of poems that pay direct tribute to such Symbolists as Baudelaire and Rodenbach. All of these inspirations were utilized to create a unique body of work with numerous flashes of brilliance.
I believe similarities between Ligotti and Nelligan can be found in their fascination with autumnal decay and beauty, their frustration with the mundane world of cares and regrets, and their talent for horrific imagery. The final two lines from "The Muse's Cradle" evoke the same grim humor present in Ligotti's stories:
But hush! Now at our door I hear that shrew,
Distress, and the sharp crunch of her black shoe!
Are you familiar with Nelligan's work? What are your impressions? I look forward to any replies.
Enthusiast
