Douglas Burnet Smith
Biography
DB Smith - Photo Courtesy of St. FX University
Douglas Burnet Smith is a Winnipeg-born poet. He is the author of more than a dozen books of poetry, including Voices from a Farther Room (1992), which was nominated for the Governor General’s Award. In 1989 he won The Malahat Review’s Long Poem Prize, and he was awarded the Atlantic Poetry Prize for 2000’s The Killed. In additional, he has served as the President of the League of Canadian Poets, and as Chair of the Public Lending Right Commission of Canada.
Smith currently teaches English and Creative Writing at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and splits his time between there and Paris France.
Smith currently teaches English and Creative Writing at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and splits his time between there and Paris France.
Additional Information:
Author's Wikipedia page
Diving into the Wreck
Ghost Wreck: A Chamber Opera in 3 Acts - with libretto by Douglas Burnet Smith
Ladder to the Moon
Author's Wikipedia page
Diving into the Wreck
Ghost Wreck: A Chamber Opera in 3 Acts - with libretto by Douglas Burnet Smith
Ladder to the Moon
There are bare places
inside us
like the ground under children’s swings,
the corners of old pastures
where only bones grow,
hideouts
smaller than pores
in which the acceptable
festers, golden resorts
where we bury
our heads in white sand,
convinced we are
alone.
But we never travel
alone. The anonymous
insider
arrives at the terminal
just ahead of us
knowing there are no planes
on the runways, nothing
but the slow cattle of the moon, their udders glowing,
swinging heavily
with the knowledge of strange grass.
Published in Ladder to the Moon (Brick Books, 1988).
Used with permission of the author.
inside us
like the ground under children’s swings,
the corners of old pastures
where only bones grow,
hideouts
smaller than pores
in which the acceptable
festers, golden resorts
where we bury
our heads in white sand,
convinced we are
alone.
But we never travel
alone. The anonymous
insider
arrives at the terminal
just ahead of us
knowing there are no planes
on the runways, nothing
but the slow cattle of the moon, their udders glowing,
swinging heavily
with the knowledge of strange grass.
Published in Ladder to the Moon (Brick Books, 1988).
Used with permission of the author.
Critical Analysis: Collective Isolation in Douglas Burnet Smith’s “Bare Places”
Margot Malenfant (for ENGL 3103: Advanced Poetry Workshop)
Douglas Burnet Smith’s poem, “Bare Places,” explores the mysterious and secret places we all have inside of us. In the exploration, however, the poem uncovers that perhaps there are not any truly secret places, and most of the time someone else will have discovered that secret place as well. In the poem, Smith refers to “bare places” both inside and outside of oneself. The poem begins by stating: “There are bare places / inside us / like the ground under children’s swings, / the corners of old pastures” (1-4). This passage immediately suggests the possibility of secret, seemingly untouched areas within one’s self. However, though this distinction is made in the beginning, it is clear that these “bare places” are not solitary, but made bare by the countless others who have been there as well. The “ground under children’s swings,” for instance, can only be made bare by the constant passage of feet over the top, day after day.
Smith refers to these places with multiple descriptions, for example, “where only bones grow, / hideouts” (5-6), and “golden resorts / where we bury our heads in white sand, /convinced we are / alone” (9-13). Clearly these are places where one can escape, whether it is emotionally or physically, from the trials of everyday life. In “Bare Places,” Smith defines the unnamable places where one feels completely isolated, in quietness and solitude. With Smith’s descriptions of such places, the reader can easily picture his or her own “hideout,” or “bare place,” for it can be compared to those descriptions.
Ironically, however, the poem proceeds with the pivotal passage,
But we never travel
alone. The anonymous
Insider
arrives at the terminal
just ahead of us
knowing there are no planes
on the runways, nothing (14-20).
Here, it becomes clear that perhaps there is no “bare place,” and each person’s place of solitude is also potentially someone else’s. Especially given the current society’s trend toward the constant busyness and preoccupation with mundane tasks, the need for a “bare place” that nobody else knows about is relatable. Everyone has the same need to escape the daily grind, and although Smith introduced the poem as exemplifying such a possibility, he quickly uproots the idea as being nearly impossible, for all people search for the same escape, and every patch of “strange grass” (24) is not actually strange, for someone else has likely already discovered it. This theme of illusory isolation is further emphasized by the way Smith structures the poem.
In his article, “Listening and Making,” Robert Hass allocates the importance of rhythm and prosody in poetry. Smith’s “Bare Places” succeeds in demonstrating how rhythm can be used to strengthen the poetic message by forcing the reader to pause at certain words. Though at first sight there is no distinct pattern in the form of the poetry, Smith uses three words to separate the flow of the poem and provide rhythm. These three words, as displayed at around each third of the poem, are “hideouts,” “alone,” and “insider.” The words are each given their own line, not encircled by any other words. Thus, as the poem rolls on, the reader, especially when reading aloud, is forced to stop and start while reading, taking notice of the breaks. This exemplifies Hass’ assertion that “because rhythm has direct access to the unconscious, because it can hypnotize us, enter our bodies and make us move, it is a power.” (108). Thus, the three words Smith uses to interrupt the rhythm necessarily give the poem power to disrupt the hypnotic rhythm.
Not only do the three words in question provide rhythm and pause to the poem as a whole, but they also reflect the subject matter of the poem with their meanings. The words “hideouts,” “alone,” and “insider,” each share commonality in meaning – each word relates to the “bare place” and also ties in to the sense of isolation, secrecy, and feeling of being alone. In choosing such words as the hub for the overall theme of the poem, Smith highlights the desire to be truly alone in a sacred space.
Hass describes rhythm as a kind of power; Smith, in “Bare Places,” seeks to use this power to hypnotize and create a collective thought or feeling, and then break that hypnotic thought. Thus, the three “hub” words Smith uses function not only to create rhythm in the poem, but also as ways in which to create a collective feeling of isolation, of secrecy.
Works Cited (for analysis):
Smith, Douglas Burnet. “Bare Places.” Ladder to the Moon. Ontario: Brick Books, 1988. 11.
Hass, Robert. “Listening and Making.” Twentieth Century Pleasures. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. 107-133.
Herbert Cunningham, John. Rev. of Sister Prometheus: Discovering Marie Curie, by Douglas Burnet Smith. Northern Poetry Review.
Middlebro, Tom. “Glossed.” Rev. of Living in the Cave of the Mouth, by Douglas Burnet Smith. Canadian Literature 126 (1990): 164-165. CanLit.ca. Accessed 17 April 2012.
Douglas Burnet Smith’s poem, “Bare Places,” explores the mysterious and secret places we all have inside of us. In the exploration, however, the poem uncovers that perhaps there are not any truly secret places, and most of the time someone else will have discovered that secret place as well. In the poem, Smith refers to “bare places” both inside and outside of oneself. The poem begins by stating: “There are bare places / inside us / like the ground under children’s swings, / the corners of old pastures” (1-4). This passage immediately suggests the possibility of secret, seemingly untouched areas within one’s self. However, though this distinction is made in the beginning, it is clear that these “bare places” are not solitary, but made bare by the countless others who have been there as well. The “ground under children’s swings,” for instance, can only be made bare by the constant passage of feet over the top, day after day.
Smith refers to these places with multiple descriptions, for example, “where only bones grow, / hideouts” (5-6), and “golden resorts / where we bury our heads in white sand, /convinced we are / alone” (9-13). Clearly these are places where one can escape, whether it is emotionally or physically, from the trials of everyday life. In “Bare Places,” Smith defines the unnamable places where one feels completely isolated, in quietness and solitude. With Smith’s descriptions of such places, the reader can easily picture his or her own “hideout,” or “bare place,” for it can be compared to those descriptions.
Ironically, however, the poem proceeds with the pivotal passage,
But we never travel
alone. The anonymous
Insider
arrives at the terminal
just ahead of us
knowing there are no planes
on the runways, nothing (14-20).
Here, it becomes clear that perhaps there is no “bare place,” and each person’s place of solitude is also potentially someone else’s. Especially given the current society’s trend toward the constant busyness and preoccupation with mundane tasks, the need for a “bare place” that nobody else knows about is relatable. Everyone has the same need to escape the daily grind, and although Smith introduced the poem as exemplifying such a possibility, he quickly uproots the idea as being nearly impossible, for all people search for the same escape, and every patch of “strange grass” (24) is not actually strange, for someone else has likely already discovered it. This theme of illusory isolation is further emphasized by the way Smith structures the poem.
In his article, “Listening and Making,” Robert Hass allocates the importance of rhythm and prosody in poetry. Smith’s “Bare Places” succeeds in demonstrating how rhythm can be used to strengthen the poetic message by forcing the reader to pause at certain words. Though at first sight there is no distinct pattern in the form of the poetry, Smith uses three words to separate the flow of the poem and provide rhythm. These three words, as displayed at around each third of the poem, are “hideouts,” “alone,” and “insider.” The words are each given their own line, not encircled by any other words. Thus, as the poem rolls on, the reader, especially when reading aloud, is forced to stop and start while reading, taking notice of the breaks. This exemplifies Hass’ assertion that “because rhythm has direct access to the unconscious, because it can hypnotize us, enter our bodies and make us move, it is a power.” (108). Thus, the three words Smith uses to interrupt the rhythm necessarily give the poem power to disrupt the hypnotic rhythm.
Not only do the three words in question provide rhythm and pause to the poem as a whole, but they also reflect the subject matter of the poem with their meanings. The words “hideouts,” “alone,” and “insider,” each share commonality in meaning – each word relates to the “bare place” and also ties in to the sense of isolation, secrecy, and feeling of being alone. In choosing such words as the hub for the overall theme of the poem, Smith highlights the desire to be truly alone in a sacred space.
Hass describes rhythm as a kind of power; Smith, in “Bare Places,” seeks to use this power to hypnotize and create a collective thought or feeling, and then break that hypnotic thought. Thus, the three “hub” words Smith uses function not only to create rhythm in the poem, but also as ways in which to create a collective feeling of isolation, of secrecy.
Works Cited (for analysis):
Smith, Douglas Burnet. “Bare Places.” Ladder to the Moon. Ontario: Brick Books, 1988. 11.
Hass, Robert. “Listening and Making.” Twentieth Century Pleasures. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. 107-133.
Herbert Cunningham, John. Rev. of Sister Prometheus: Discovering Marie Curie, by Douglas Burnet Smith. Northern Poetry Review.
Middlebro, Tom. “Glossed.” Rev. of Living in the Cave of the Mouth, by Douglas Burnet Smith. Canadian Literature 126 (1990): 164-165. CanLit.ca. Accessed 17 April 2012.
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Smith, Douglas Burnet. Burden. Regina: University of Regina Press, 2020.
---. Chainletter. Stratford.: Trout Lily Press, 2001.
---. Helsinki Drift. Vancouver: Beach Holme Pub., 2002.
---. “Hyperbole in Peter van Toorn’s Mountain Tea and Other Poems.” Essays on Canadian Writing 43 (1991): 23-36. MLAIB.
---. The Killed. Toronto: Wolsak and Wynn, 2000.
---. The Knife-Thrower’s Partner. Toronto: Wolsak and Wynn, 1989.
---. "Landscape with Horses." The Fiddlehead 273 (Autumn 2017): 50-89.
---. Ladder to the Moon. Ontario: Brick Books, 1988.
---. Learning to Count. Calgary: Frontenac House, 2010.
---. The Light of Our Bones. Winnipeg: Turnstone Press, 1980.
---. Living in the Cave of the Mouth. Riverview: Owl’s Head Press, 1988.
---. "Mosquitoes, Scissors, Stars." Prairie Fire. 36.1 (2015): 46.
---. "Postcard." Malahat Review. (2014): 77.
---. Scarecrow. Winnipeg: Turnstone Press. 1980.
---. Sister Prometheus: Discovering Marie Curie. Toronto: Wolsak and Wynn, 2008.
---. "Suppose There’s a Place We Don’t Know Of." Malahat Review. (2014): 84.
---. "Television." Malahat Review. (2014): 81.
---. Thaw. Winnipeg: Four Humours Press, 1977.
---. Two Minutes for Holding. Toronto: Stoddart/House of Anansi, 1995.
---. Voices From a Farther Room. Toronto: Wolsak and Wynn, 1992.
Secondary Sources
Sze-Lorrain, Fiona. Rev. of Sister Prometheus: Discovering Marie Curie by Douglas Burnet Smith. Antigonish Review 161 (2010): 81-83. WorldCat.
Woodcock, Patrick. Rev. of Helsinki Drift, by Douglas Burnet Smith. Quill and Quire (June 2002).
Smith, Douglas Burnet. Burden. Regina: University of Regina Press, 2020.
---. Chainletter. Stratford.: Trout Lily Press, 2001.
---. Helsinki Drift. Vancouver: Beach Holme Pub., 2002.
---. “Hyperbole in Peter van Toorn’s Mountain Tea and Other Poems.” Essays on Canadian Writing 43 (1991): 23-36. MLAIB.
---. The Killed. Toronto: Wolsak and Wynn, 2000.
---. The Knife-Thrower’s Partner. Toronto: Wolsak and Wynn, 1989.
---. "Landscape with Horses." The Fiddlehead 273 (Autumn 2017): 50-89.
---. Ladder to the Moon. Ontario: Brick Books, 1988.
---. Learning to Count. Calgary: Frontenac House, 2010.
---. The Light of Our Bones. Winnipeg: Turnstone Press, 1980.
---. Living in the Cave of the Mouth. Riverview: Owl’s Head Press, 1988.
---. "Mosquitoes, Scissors, Stars." Prairie Fire. 36.1 (2015): 46.
---. "Postcard." Malahat Review. (2014): 77.
---. Scarecrow. Winnipeg: Turnstone Press. 1980.
---. Sister Prometheus: Discovering Marie Curie. Toronto: Wolsak and Wynn, 2008.
---. "Suppose There’s a Place We Don’t Know Of." Malahat Review. (2014): 84.
---. "Television." Malahat Review. (2014): 81.
---. Thaw. Winnipeg: Four Humours Press, 1977.
---. Two Minutes for Holding. Toronto: Stoddart/House of Anansi, 1995.
---. Voices From a Farther Room. Toronto: Wolsak and Wynn, 1992.
Secondary Sources
Sze-Lorrain, Fiona. Rev. of Sister Prometheus: Discovering Marie Curie by Douglas Burnet Smith. Antigonish Review 161 (2010): 81-83. WorldCat.
Woodcock, Patrick. Rev. of Helsinki Drift, by Douglas Burnet Smith. Quill and Quire (June 2002).
