Donna Allard
Biography
Donna Allard - Photo Courtesy of Author
Donna Allard is a member of the League of Canadian Poets, Writers Union of Canada, Ohio Poetry Association, and in 2019 she was awarded ‘International Beat Poet Laureate for Canada’ by the National Beat Poetry Foundation Inc. CT USA. She was a three-term former President of The Canadian Poetry Association and former member of the Writer’s Federation of NB. In 2014, Donna was given a position as Honorary Member in the CCLA (Canada Cuban Literary Alliance) by President Poet Laureate Richard Grove. Donna also served on the executive board of directors for the National Milton Acorn Literary Festival from 1986 to 1995 on Prince Edward Island. Her writing has been published all around the world in various languages, having been translated from English into Greek, French, Shetlandic and Bengali. ‘From Shore to Shoormal’, Donna's first book by a trade publisher and co-authored with Shetland Island poet Natalie Hall, is not only available to read English and French, but also the nearly lost Old Scot/Shetland dialect. Allard resides down a long dirt road and lives in a 1909 homestead where muses fill her world with flowing visual poetry.
Poem: "Saltbuds"
here I find you
woven in sand, lemons & limes
where tongues of kelp
swish & sway,
provocateur,
protrude
oceans
you find me among stars
short-lived,
falling for you
oblivious to swell song
saltbuds, toes
responding
to the
warmth of low tide,
I uncover
Published in Shore to Shoormal. Broken Jaw Press, 2012.
Republished here with the author's permission.
woven in sand, lemons & limes
where tongues of kelp
swish & sway,
provocateur,
protrude
oceans
you find me among stars
short-lived,
falling for you
oblivious to swell song
saltbuds, toes
responding
to the
warmth of low tide,
I uncover
Published in Shore to Shoormal. Broken Jaw Press, 2012.
Republished here with the author's permission.
Critical Analysis: Sea Sensations
Caelin Sullivan (Managing Editor 2020-2021)
Donna Allard’s poem “Saltbuds” paints a picture of a uniquely Maritime love of nature and connection with the Earth. The poem describes the ocean in the way one might describe a lover. The title “Saltbuds” draws out the vivid taste and image of getting sea water in your mouth, setting the tone for the piece. The stylistic choice of having the poem entirely in lowercase gives the piece a quiet, thoughtful tone. The first stanza opens with “here I find you” (Allard 1), in which the narrator’s use of the second person pronoun “you” addresses the ocean, but also calls the reader to attention, and makes one feel as though they are being spoken to directly. Allard’s lyricism appears to the senses, as the line “woven in sand” (2) appeals to the sense of touch, as the reader can image the tiny grains of sand woven onto a body.
The use of enjambment is also effective in this poem, as the lines “lemons & limes/ where tongues of kelp” (2-3) draw a connection between tongues and the sour tastes of these citrus fruits, asking of the reader to imagine this taste. Describing the underwater plant kelp, as “tongues” is as strong and original image and is followed by the sibilance of “swish and sway” (4), which is difficult to say, forcing the reader to slow and absorb the hypnotic image of the kelp moving underwater. All of this sensual description plays into the idea of a seduction, as the following lines are “provocateur, protrude” (5-6). This a suggestive language choice that calls the reader in, much as the narrator themself is called to “oceans” (7).
The exclusion of full stops in this poem allows each stanza to flow into next, like the flow of the tides. The next stanza is shorter than the one preceding and following it, and focuses in on the narrator:
you find me among stars
short-lived,
falling for you (8-10)
These lines speak to the vastness of the universe compared to the tiny human experience. The ocean finds the narrator among the stars, as though they are a speck of dust. Yet, they fall for the ocean, for the greatness and beauty of the universe, regardless. The narrator then describes being “oblivious to the swell song” (11). A swell in musical terms refers to a gradual increase and then decrease in sound, but when referring to the ocean, swells are waves that have moved away from their spot of origin. The narrator here describes being so infatuated with the ocean that they have not noticed its vastness, how it comes from so far away, and stretches further than one could imagine in both breadth and depth. They are focused on the smaller more tangible details of the sea.
The poem wraps up with the image of the narrator standing with their feet in the ocean:
...toes
responding
to the
warmth of low tide, (12-15)
These lines produce an image of one curling their toes in the water, feeling the warmth and comfort of the sea. The final line, “I uncover” (16) stands on its own, separate from the previous stanza. This has the effect of wrapping up the entire poem and finalizes the narrator’s connection to nature. It shows how the ocean in its vastness is a mystery that can continuously be uncovered the more time one spends exploring it.
Works Cited (for analysis):
Allard, Donna. “Saltbuds.” From Shore to Shoormal. Broken Jaw Press, 2012. pp. 24.
Donna Allard’s poem “Saltbuds” paints a picture of a uniquely Maritime love of nature and connection with the Earth. The poem describes the ocean in the way one might describe a lover. The title “Saltbuds” draws out the vivid taste and image of getting sea water in your mouth, setting the tone for the piece. The stylistic choice of having the poem entirely in lowercase gives the piece a quiet, thoughtful tone. The first stanza opens with “here I find you” (Allard 1), in which the narrator’s use of the second person pronoun “you” addresses the ocean, but also calls the reader to attention, and makes one feel as though they are being spoken to directly. Allard’s lyricism appears to the senses, as the line “woven in sand” (2) appeals to the sense of touch, as the reader can image the tiny grains of sand woven onto a body.
The use of enjambment is also effective in this poem, as the lines “lemons & limes/ where tongues of kelp” (2-3) draw a connection between tongues and the sour tastes of these citrus fruits, asking of the reader to imagine this taste. Describing the underwater plant kelp, as “tongues” is as strong and original image and is followed by the sibilance of “swish and sway” (4), which is difficult to say, forcing the reader to slow and absorb the hypnotic image of the kelp moving underwater. All of this sensual description plays into the idea of a seduction, as the following lines are “provocateur, protrude” (5-6). This a suggestive language choice that calls the reader in, much as the narrator themself is called to “oceans” (7).
The exclusion of full stops in this poem allows each stanza to flow into next, like the flow of the tides. The next stanza is shorter than the one preceding and following it, and focuses in on the narrator:
you find me among stars
short-lived,
falling for you (8-10)
These lines speak to the vastness of the universe compared to the tiny human experience. The ocean finds the narrator among the stars, as though they are a speck of dust. Yet, they fall for the ocean, for the greatness and beauty of the universe, regardless. The narrator then describes being “oblivious to the swell song” (11). A swell in musical terms refers to a gradual increase and then decrease in sound, but when referring to the ocean, swells are waves that have moved away from their spot of origin. The narrator here describes being so infatuated with the ocean that they have not noticed its vastness, how it comes from so far away, and stretches further than one could imagine in both breadth and depth. They are focused on the smaller more tangible details of the sea.
The poem wraps up with the image of the narrator standing with their feet in the ocean:
...toes
responding
to the
warmth of low tide, (12-15)
These lines produce an image of one curling their toes in the water, feeling the warmth and comfort of the sea. The final line, “I uncover” (16) stands on its own, separate from the previous stanza. This has the effect of wrapping up the entire poem and finalizes the narrator’s connection to nature. It shows how the ocean in its vastness is a mystery that can continuously be uncovered the more time one spends exploring it.
Works Cited (for analysis):
Allard, Donna. “Saltbuds.” From Shore to Shoormal. Broken Jaw Press, 2012. pp. 24.
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Allard, Donna. “Beat Poets.” We Are BEAT. Local Gems Press, 2019. pp 03.
---. Bellwalker. River Bones Press, 2006.
---, “bewitching, buck moon, midnight crow.” Midnight Moments Anthology. OPA publishing, 2021.
---, “blue walls.” Americans and Others Anthology: International book of poetry. Camion Press Malta, 2020. pp 08.
---. [Poem.] Canuck Poetry by Prof. Miguel Ángel Olivé Iglesias: A Shower of Warm Light Upon this Land and Us. Hidden Brook Press, 2019.
---. Cold Fire. Skywing Press 2019.
---. “dirt road.” Long Island Review: 'Walt's Corner' (Walt Whitman), 2014. pp 6.
---, “dragon smoke.” An Anthology of Atlantic Canada. League of Poets, 2020. pp 8.
---. “dragon smoke: tribute to George Floyd.” Beat Generation Anthology. Local Gems Press, 2020. pp 1.
---. From Shore to Shoormal. Broken Jaw Press, 2012.
---. “Georgia O’Keeffe & Frida Kahlo Tribute.” Goddess: Raising Consciousness Through Spoken Word Anthology. Local Gem Press, 2020. pp 2.
---. Ghost in the Window. River Bones Press, 2019.
---. hand upon the dunes. River Bones Press, 2006.
---. [Poem]. Handprints on the Future Anthology. Canadian Poetry Association. Hidden Brook Press, 2003.
---. “in my wild place, Hemingway, in defense of heron, both sides of the tweed, brick red chair ” The Dream, The Glory and The Strife: Edited by Raymond Fenech. Hidden Brook Press, 2019. pp 225-227.
---. “long black feathers.” And Left a Place to Stand On: Poems and Essays on Al Purdy. Hidden Brook Press, 2009. pp 94.
---. “map.” Tamaracks: Canadian Poetry for the 21st Century. Lummox Press, 2018. pp 5.
---. Minago Streets. River Bones Press, 2006.
---. [Poem]. Mind Paintings Anthology. Silver Bow Publishing, 2013.
---. “NYE resolution: New Years’ Eve Newfoundland Style.” Expressions: Dr. William Henry Drummond Anthology II. 2009.
---. “on home.” Canadian Beat Scene Publishing, 2020. pp 55.
---. [Poem]. The Open Window II: An International Anthology of Poetry. Hidden Book Press, 2000.
---. [Poem]. Oral Victory Anthology. Hidden Brook Press, 2002.
---. [Poem]. Poetea for Six Anthology. Canadian Poetry Association. Hidden Brook Press, 2001.
---. [Poem]. Poetic Bridges Creating Connections. Local Gems Press, 2020.
---. [Poem]. Postal Code 1- 2-3 Anthologies. Hidden Brook Press, 1998.
---. “a reading, streetlight, wind poet, weaver’s life, white woman, what is it that keeps me.” No Love Lost II Anthology. Hidden Brook Press, 2001. pp 3-7, 131.
---. “rum & cigar.” Galleon Anthology III. Lee Thompson Publishing, 2014. pp 24.
---. “Surrendering.” The DayPoems Poetry Collection 2003.
---. [Poem]. Synaeresis: arts & poetry journal 2.2 (2018) Harmonia Press.
---. [Poem]. The Open Window II: An International Anthology of Poetry. Hidden Book Press, 2000.
---. Three Times Around the World. River Bones Press, 2019.
---. [Poem]. Time of Trial: Beyond the Terror of 9/11. Hidden Brook Press, 2002.
---. “un-titled.” Home The Anthology: An Antidote of Creative Expression. Michael Ginn Entertainment & Spoken Word Texas, 2020. pp 57.
---. [Poem]. Voices Israel Anthology. 2013.
---. [Poem]. Voices Israel Anthology. 2007.
---. “the wait, strolling.” Galleon Anthology IV. Lee Thompson Publishing, 2014. pp 34.
---. walk on water. International Beat Poet Laureate Series. Local Gems Press, 2020. 50 pages.
---. “war dance.” Roll Call; Days of War Anthology. Skywing Press, 2019. pp 25.
---. “war musket grasses.” Literature for the People Anthology. Raymond Fenech publisher, 2019. Malta. * English/French.
---. “war musket grasses, go as a river.” Golden Laurels Anthology: TBA. Local Gems Press, 2021.
---. “we are family.” A Case for Humanity. David Nicoll Publisher, 2020.
---. “we may be a statue.” Brave World Magazine 1 (2020): 41. Sourav Sarkar.
---. [Poem]. Windfall: A Canadian Poetry Association Members' Anthology. Hidden Brook Press, 2002.
---. “& Donna Allard.” A Pathway to Dreams: Food for America Fundraiser Anthology. Local Gems Press, 2020. pp 54.
Secondary Sources
Fisher M. James. “Cold Fire: Selected Poetry by Donna Allard.” The Miramachi Reader, 30 Aug 2019. mirimachireader.ca. 21 Apr 2021.
McLaughlin, Maggie. “A Review of Cold Fire, A Book of Selected Poetry by Donna Allard.” ‘New Beat Generation Laureate’ Intl Beat Poet Laureate, Canada 2019. canadianbeatscene.wixsite.com. 21 Apr 2021.
Okun Hill, Debbie. “Introducing Donna Allard – International Beat Poet Laureate – Canada.” Kites Without Strings 2015. okunhill.wordpress.com. 21 Apr 2021.
Allard, Donna. “Beat Poets.” We Are BEAT. Local Gems Press, 2019. pp 03.
---. Bellwalker. River Bones Press, 2006.
---, “bewitching, buck moon, midnight crow.” Midnight Moments Anthology. OPA publishing, 2021.
---, “blue walls.” Americans and Others Anthology: International book of poetry. Camion Press Malta, 2020. pp 08.
---. [Poem.] Canuck Poetry by Prof. Miguel Ángel Olivé Iglesias: A Shower of Warm Light Upon this Land and Us. Hidden Brook Press, 2019.
---. Cold Fire. Skywing Press 2019.
---. “dirt road.” Long Island Review: 'Walt's Corner' (Walt Whitman), 2014. pp 6.
---, “dragon smoke.” An Anthology of Atlantic Canada. League of Poets, 2020. pp 8.
---. “dragon smoke: tribute to George Floyd.” Beat Generation Anthology. Local Gems Press, 2020. pp 1.
---. From Shore to Shoormal. Broken Jaw Press, 2012.
---. “Georgia O’Keeffe & Frida Kahlo Tribute.” Goddess: Raising Consciousness Through Spoken Word Anthology. Local Gem Press, 2020. pp 2.
---. Ghost in the Window. River Bones Press, 2019.
---. hand upon the dunes. River Bones Press, 2006.
---. [Poem]. Handprints on the Future Anthology. Canadian Poetry Association. Hidden Brook Press, 2003.
---. “in my wild place, Hemingway, in defense of heron, both sides of the tweed, brick red chair ” The Dream, The Glory and The Strife: Edited by Raymond Fenech. Hidden Brook Press, 2019. pp 225-227.
---. “long black feathers.” And Left a Place to Stand On: Poems and Essays on Al Purdy. Hidden Brook Press, 2009. pp 94.
---. “map.” Tamaracks: Canadian Poetry for the 21st Century. Lummox Press, 2018. pp 5.
---. Minago Streets. River Bones Press, 2006.
---. [Poem]. Mind Paintings Anthology. Silver Bow Publishing, 2013.
---. “NYE resolution: New Years’ Eve Newfoundland Style.” Expressions: Dr. William Henry Drummond Anthology II. 2009.
---. “on home.” Canadian Beat Scene Publishing, 2020. pp 55.
---. [Poem]. The Open Window II: An International Anthology of Poetry. Hidden Book Press, 2000.
---. [Poem]. Oral Victory Anthology. Hidden Brook Press, 2002.
---. [Poem]. Poetea for Six Anthology. Canadian Poetry Association. Hidden Brook Press, 2001.
---. [Poem]. Poetic Bridges Creating Connections. Local Gems Press, 2020.
---. [Poem]. Postal Code 1- 2-3 Anthologies. Hidden Brook Press, 1998.
---. “a reading, streetlight, wind poet, weaver’s life, white woman, what is it that keeps me.” No Love Lost II Anthology. Hidden Brook Press, 2001. pp 3-7, 131.
---. “rum & cigar.” Galleon Anthology III. Lee Thompson Publishing, 2014. pp 24.
---. “Surrendering.” The DayPoems Poetry Collection 2003.
---. [Poem]. Synaeresis: arts & poetry journal 2.2 (2018) Harmonia Press.
---. [Poem]. The Open Window II: An International Anthology of Poetry. Hidden Book Press, 2000.
---. Three Times Around the World. River Bones Press, 2019.
---. [Poem]. Time of Trial: Beyond the Terror of 9/11. Hidden Brook Press, 2002.
---. “un-titled.” Home The Anthology: An Antidote of Creative Expression. Michael Ginn Entertainment & Spoken Word Texas, 2020. pp 57.
---. [Poem]. Voices Israel Anthology. 2013.
---. [Poem]. Voices Israel Anthology. 2007.
---. “the wait, strolling.” Galleon Anthology IV. Lee Thompson Publishing, 2014. pp 34.
---. walk on water. International Beat Poet Laureate Series. Local Gems Press, 2020. 50 pages.
---. “war dance.” Roll Call; Days of War Anthology. Skywing Press, 2019. pp 25.
---. “war musket grasses.” Literature for the People Anthology. Raymond Fenech publisher, 2019. Malta. * English/French.
---. “war musket grasses, go as a river.” Golden Laurels Anthology: TBA. Local Gems Press, 2021.
---. “we are family.” A Case for Humanity. David Nicoll Publisher, 2020.
---. “we may be a statue.” Brave World Magazine 1 (2020): 41. Sourav Sarkar.
---. [Poem]. Windfall: A Canadian Poetry Association Members' Anthology. Hidden Brook Press, 2002.
---. “& Donna Allard.” A Pathway to Dreams: Food for America Fundraiser Anthology. Local Gems Press, 2020. pp 54.
Secondary Sources
Fisher M. James. “Cold Fire: Selected Poetry by Donna Allard.” The Miramachi Reader, 30 Aug 2019. mirimachireader.ca. 21 Apr 2021.
McLaughlin, Maggie. “A Review of Cold Fire, A Book of Selected Poetry by Donna Allard.” ‘New Beat Generation Laureate’ Intl Beat Poet Laureate, Canada 2019. canadianbeatscene.wixsite.com. 21 Apr 2021.
Okun Hill, Debbie. “Introducing Donna Allard – International Beat Poet Laureate – Canada.” Kites Without Strings 2015. okunhill.wordpress.com. 21 Apr 2021.
