Top 10 Canadian Poets

Here is a list of the top 10 Canadian poets of all time. This list includes Canadian poets from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. All the poets are best in their own way, but some of them rose to prominence. They not only wrote exceptional poems but also won the hearts of people from all around the world. The list consists of the most important Canadian poets but is not limited to the following.

Charles G. D. Roberts

Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts was one of the internationally acclaimed Canadian poets. His works include Canadian exploration and natural history. He is regarded as the “Father of Canadian Poetry”.

Roberts wrote several books of poetry, including Orion, and Other Poems, In Divers Tones, AVE! An Ode for the Shelley Centenary, The Book of the Native, The Vagrant of Time, etc.

Some of his best-known poems are:

• “The Solitary Woodsman”
• “Heat in the City”
• “The Aim”
• “In the Night Watches”
• “The Iceberg”

Archibald Lampman

Described as “the Canadian Keats’, Archibald Lampman was one of the finest names among the Confederation poets. Lampman also belongs to the Canadian school of nature poets. His first book, Among the Millet and Other Poems, was published in 1888 at his own expense. His other poetry collections include Lyrics of Earth, Alcyone and Other Poems, etc.

Some of his well-known poems are:

• “In Beechwood Cemetery”
• “In November”
• “Morning on the Lièvre”
• “After Rain”
• “The City”

William Henry Drummond

William Henry Drummond was one of the most widely-read and best-loved poets in Canada. His humorous dialect poems established him as a reputed writer, and he was successful in his new approach of versification. Drummond’s first book, The Habitant, was published in 1897.

His other books of poetry are Phil-o-rum’s Canoe and Madeleine Vercheres, Johnnie Courteau and Other Poems, The Great Fight: Poems and Sketches, etc. His best-loved poems include:

• “Right Minds”
• “The Last Portage”

Robert W. Service

Often called “the Bard of Yukon”, Robert William Service wrote several poems inspired by the stories of the Klondike Gold Rush. He was the most commercially successful poet of the 20th century, and he was also known as “the Canadian Kipling”.

Service’s major poetry collections are Songs of a Sourdough, Ballads of a Cheechako, Rhymes of a Rolling Stone, Songs of the Yukon, etc. His best poems include:

• “The Shooting of Dan McGrew”
• “The Creation of Sam McGee”
• “The March of the Dead”
• “The Call of the Wild”

Marjorie Pickthall

Marjorie Pickthall is thought to be the best Canadian poet of her time. Pickthall was born in England and brought up in Canada. She published around 100 poems during her lifetime. Her first collection of poetry, The Drift of Pinions, was published in 1913.

Some of her popular poems include:

• “O Keep the World For Ever At the Dawn”
• “The Homecomers”
• “The Sailor’s Grave at Clo-oose”
• “The Lamp of Poor Souls”

Wilson MacDonald

Wilson MacDonald was so popular that it eclipsed the fame of Robert Service and other popular contemporary poets. MacDonald’s first collection of poetry, Song of the Prairie Land, was published in 1918. He made a living solely from his poetry.

His best-known poems include:

• “Exit”
• “Out of the Wilderness” 

James Reaney

James Reaney was one of the best Canadian poems from the 20th century. Reaney’s poems are based upon where he grew up. He won the highest literary award of Canada, the Governor General’s Award, three times for his poetry and drama. His major poetry collections are The Red Heart, A Suit of Nettles, Twelve Letters to a Small Town, The Down of Death at London, Ontario, etc.

Irving Layton

Irving Layton was best known for his “tell it like it is” style. Layton was born in Romania and migrated to Canada. He published his first poem, The McGilliad, while he was working as an editor at McGill University. In the 1950s, he rose to prominence.

His well-known books of poetry are Here and Now, Now Is The Place: Stories and Poems, The Black Huntsmen: Poems, Love the Conqueror Worm, etc.

Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood was not only one of the important Canadian poets of the 20th and 21st centuries. She published a total of 18 books of poetry since 1961. Her works revolve around the themes of gender, identity, religion, myth, language, climate change, and politics. Several of her poems are inspired by myths and fairy tales.

Some of her poetry collections include Double Persephone, The Circle Game, Expeditions, The Door, Dearly, etc. Her best-known poems include:

• “A Sad Child“
• “Flying Inside Your Own Body”
• “Habitation”
• “Sekhmet, the Lion-headed Goddess of War”
• “The City Planners”
• “This Is a Photograph of Me”
• “You Begin”

George Elliott Clarke

George Elliott Clarke was one of the important Canadian poets of the 21st century. Clarke served as the Poet Laureate of Toronto and Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate. He is regarded as one of the best illustrious poets of Canada. Clarke’s works explore the history and experience of the Black Canadian communities.

He won the Governor General’s Award for Poetry for Execution Poems in 2001. His well-known books of verse are Saltwater Spirituals and Deeper Blues, Whylah Falls, Blue, Blues and Bliss, These Are the Words, Portia White, etc.

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