Songs of the Great Dominion was a pioneering anthology of Canadian poetry published in 1889. The book's full title was Songs of the Great Dominion: Voices from the Forests and Waters, the Settlements and Cities of Canada. The collection was selected and edited by William Douw Lighthall of Montreal. It was published in London, England by the firm of Walter Scott, as part of its "Windsor Series" of anthologies.
The book introduced Canadian and English audiences to a new generation of Canadian writers. It marked the first publication in book form for several poets, including Bliss Carman, Pauline Johnson, and Duncan Campbell Scott.
Lighthall was asked to put together an anthology for Walter Scott by poet William Sharp, who was working as an editor for the firm. Independently, freelance editor Ernest Rhys made the same proposal on behalf of Walter Scott to Canadian poet Charles G.D. Roberts. When the mixup was revealed, Roberts withdrew, but promised Lighthall "whatever assistance you might permit me to be." Roberts suggested several writers for inclusion, including his cousin Barry Straton and his sister Elizabeth (both of whom were included).
"Supplied with a ringing introduction which echoes with patriotic sentiment and lyrical praise for Canada," says the Canadian Encyclopedia, "this is a collection of confident poetry truly representative of the national and literary self-respect of the emergent Dominion."
In his introduction, Lighthall was lavish in his praise of Roberts. "The foremost name in Canadian song at the present day is that of Charles George Douglas Roberts," he declared. Immediately after Roberts Lighthall talked of Charles Sangster, whom he called Canada's "first important national poet" and "a kind of Wordsworth."
Lighthall was also lavish in praising the reputation of Isabella Valancy Crawford, whose one book of poetry had failed to sell in 1884, and who had died neglected in 1887 (a "sad story of unrecognized genius and death," as he put it). While gently mocking her title, Lighthall pronounced Crawford's book, Old Spookse's Pass, Malcolm's Katie, and Other Poems, to be "the most striking volume" of Canadian poetry after Roberts's, and "even more boldly new" than his. After her death, he added, "Miss Crawford's work was, in fact, seen to be phenomenal."
In a review of Songs of the Great Dominion in the September 28, 1889, Athenæum, Theodore Watts-Dunton singled out Pauline Johnson for special praise, calling her “the most interesting English poetess now living” and quoting her poem "In the Shadows" in full. Johnson (who had not yet published a book) considered this to be a big boost for her career, and felt herself "indebted" for the inclusion and the review.
One person who was unhappy with the selection was William Wilfred Campbell. "I have been cruelly misrepresented by a willful choice of my poorest work," Campbell wrote to a friend."
"The anthology is noteworthy for its attempt to include some French Canadian poetry in the appendix as well as some folksongs in translation, and for its recognition of a distinct Indian element in Canadian writing."
Walter Scott republished the anthology in 1892 under the title, Canadian Poems and Lays: Selections of native verse reflecting the seasons, legends, and life of the Dominion.
Contents of the 1889 edition:
Introduction [William Douw Lighthall] /xxiEntry of the Minstrels (from Masque of the Minstrels), Arthur J. Lockhart /xxxixI. The Imperial SpiritHastings (from Merlin and Other Poems), John Reade /3Advance of the Empire (from Jubilee Poems), Mary Barry Smith /5Canada to England, Anonymous /7Empire First, Jean-Talon L'Espérance ("Laclède") /10The Canadians on the Nile (from Poems), William Wye Smith /11II. The New NationalityDominion Day, "Fidelis" / 15Canada (from In Divers Tones), Charles G.D. Roberts /18The Confused Dawn (from Thoughts, Moods, and Ideals), William Douw Lighthall /21National Hymn (from Thoughts, Moods, and Ideals), William Douw Lighthall /22From "'85", Barry Straton /24Song for Canada, Charles Sangster /25Here's to the Land (from Poems), William Wye Smith /27Canada Not Last (from Thoughts, Moods, and Ideals), William Douw Lighthall /28An Ode to the Canadian Confederacy (from In Divers Tones, Charles G.D. Roberts /30Collect for Dominion Day (from In Divers Tones, Charles G.D. Roberts /32III. The IndianA Blood-Red Ring Hung Round the Moon, John E. Logan ("Barry Dane") /35The Departing of Clote Scarp (from In Divers Tones), Charles G.D. Roberts /36Change on the Ottawa (from Marguerite), George Martin /38From "Tecumseh" (Act I, Scene 2), Charles Mair /42The Arctic Indian's Faith (from Poems), Hon. Thomas D'Arcy McGee /44Taapookaa: A Huron Legend (from Hesperus), Charles Sangster /45The Caughnawaga Beadwork Seller, William Douw Lighthall /49The Indian's Grave, Bishop George Jehoshaphat Mountain /51Wahonomin: Indian Hymn to the Queen (from Soul's Quest), Frederick George Scott /52Wabanaki Song, tr. Charles G. Leland /59Wabanaki Song, tr. Charles G. Leland /60Caughnawaga Song, tr. John Waniente Jocks / 62IV. The Voyageur and HabitantThe Old Régime (from Song of Welcome), Mrs. J.F.W. Harrison ("Seranus") / 67Malbrouck (Old Chanson), tr. William M'Lennan /71A La Claire Fontaine (Old Chanson), tr. William Douw Lighthall /74En Roulant Ma Boule (Old Chanson), tr. William M'Lennan /76Gai le Rosier (Old Chanson), tr. William M'Lennan /78Entre Paris et Saint-Denis (Old Chanson), tr. William M'Lennan /80Marianson (Old Chanson), tr. William M'Lennan /83The Resettlement of Acadia, Arthur Wentworth Eaton /87At the Cedars, Duncan Campbell Scott /91Rose Latulippe (A French-Canadian Legend), Mrs. J.F.W. Harrison ("Seranus") / 94Adieu to France (from Roberval), John Hunter-Duvar /104V. Settlement LifeSong of the Axe (from Spooks's Pass), Isabella Valancy Crawford /107Fire in the Woods; or, the Old Settler's Story, Alexander M'Lachlan /109Burnt Lands, Charles G.D. Roberts /114Acres of Your Own (from Poems and Songs), Alexander M'Lachlan /115From "Malcolm's Katie" (from Old Spooks's Pass), Isabella Valancy Crawford /117From "Malcolm's Katie" (from Old Spooks's Pass), Isabella Valancy Crawford /119The Second Concession of Deer (from Poems), William Wye Smith /125The Scot Abroad (from Spring Flowers), Sir Daniel Wilson /127The Farmer's Daughter Cherry (from Old Spooks's Pass), Isabella Valancy Crawford /129A Canadian Folk-Song, William Wilfred Campbell /133The Pioneers (A Ballad), William Douw Lighthall /134"Rough Ben" (North-west Rebellion Incident), Kate B. Simpson /136"The Injun" (Incident of Minnesota Massacre), John E. Logan ("Barry Dane") /142Shakespeer at Dead-Hos' Crick (A North-west Romance), John E. Logan ("Barry Dane") /148VI. Sports and Free LifeThe Wraith of the Red Swan, Bliss Carman /157Birch and Paddle (from In Divers Tones), Charles G.D. Roberts /163The Nor-West Courier, John E. Logan ("Barry Dane") /166The Hall of Shadows (from Poems and Songs), Alexander M'Lachlan /168Canadian Hunter's Song, Mrs. Susanna (Strickland) Moodie /172Canadian Camping Song, James D. Edgar /173The Fisherman's Light (A Song of the Backwoods), Mrs. Susanna (Strickland) Moodie /174The Kingfisher, Charles Lee Barnes /175The Canoe (from Old Spooks's Pass), Isabella Valancy Crawford /177Canoe Song (from Old Spooks's Pass), Isabella Valancy Crawford /178The Walker of the Snow, Charles Dawson Shanly /181In the Shadows, E. Pauline Johnson /184On the Creek (from In Divers Tones), Charles G.D. Roberts /187The Rapid (St. Lawrence), Charles Sangster /190The Winter Spirit (Origin of the Ice Palace), Helen Fairbairn /192Snowshoeing Song, Arthur Weir /195Skating, John Lowry Stuart /197The Winter Carnival, John Reade /199The Spirit of the Carnival, "Fleurance" /203The Football Match, Anonymous /209VII. The Spirit of Canadian HistoryJacques Cartier (from Poems), Hon. Thomas D'Arcy McGee /213L'Isle St. Croix, Arthur Wentworth Eaton /216The Captured Flag (from Fleur de Lys) Arthur Weir /219How Canada Was Saved, George Murray /222Madeleine de Verchères, John Reade /228The Battle of La Prairie (A Ballad), William Douw Lighthall /233The Battle of Grand Pré, M.J. Katzmann Lawson /236Spina Christi (from Canadian Idylls), William Kirby /240The Loyalists (from Laura Secord), Sarah Anne Curzon /253Brock (from Hesperus), Charles Sangster /254Capture of Fort Detroit, 1812, Charles Edwin Jakeway /256Tecumseh's Death (from Tecumseh), Major Richardson /260A Ballad for Brave Women,Charles Mair /262In the North-West, William Wilfred Campbell /267The Veteran, J.A. Fraser /269In Hospital, Annie Rothwell /270In Memoriam (from The Soul's Quest), Frederick George Scott /275VIII. PlacesThe Tantramar Revisited (from In Divers Tones), Charles G.D. Roberts /279Low Tide on Grand Pré, Bliss Carman /283The Indian Names of Acadia, attributed to DeMille /285On Leaving the Coast of Nova Scotia, George Frederick Cameron /287The Fairies in Prince Edward Island, John Hunter-Duvar /288The Vale of the Gaspereau (from Masque of Minstrels), Arthur J. Lockhart /290In the Afternoon (from In Divers Tones), Charles G.D. Roberts /291A Dream Fulfilled, Barry Straton /294The Isle of Demons (from Marguerite), George Martin /297The Secret of the Saguenay (from Fleur de Lys), Arthur Weir /303Saguenay, L.H. Fréchette, tr. J.D. Edgar /306Quebec (from St. Lawrence and Saguenay), Charles Sangster /307Montreal, William M'Lennan /308Montreal, William Douw Lighthall /309The St. Lawrence, K.L. Jones /310Night in the Thousand Isles (from St. Lawrence and Saguenay), Charles Sangster /312Ottawa, Duncan Campbell Scott /314At the Ferry, E. Pauline Johnson /315Niagara, William Kirby /317Lake Couchiching, W.A. Sherwood /320The Heart of the Lakes (from Lake Lyrics), William Wilfred Campbell /321Vapour and Blue (from Lake Lyrics), William Wilfred Campbell /322Medwayosh (from Lake Lyrics), William Wilfred Campbell /323Manitou (from Lake Lyrics), William Wilfred Campbell /324To the Lakes (from Lake Lyrics), William Wilfred Campbell /326The Legend of Restless River (from Lake Lyrics), William Wilfred Campbell /327Morning on the Beach (from Lake Lyrics), William Wilfred Campbell /330Dawn in the Island Camp (from Lake Lyrics), William Wilfred Campbell /331Lake Huron (from Lake Lyrics), William Wilfred Campbell /332Indian Summer (from Lake Lyrics), William Wilfred Campbell /333Sault Ste. Marie (from Poems of the Heart and Home), Pamelia Vining Yule /334Le Lac des Morts (from Songs of the Wilderness), Bishop George J. Mountain /337The Buffalo Plains (from Tecumseh, Act IV, Scene 7), Charles Mair /339The Last Bison, Charles Mair /342A Prairie Year (from Eos: A Prairie Dream), Nicholas Flood Davin /349The Laurentides (from Western Life), H.R.A. Pocock /352The Legend of Thunder (from Western Life), H.R.A. Pocock /357IX. SeasonsHeat (from In the Millet), Archibald Lampman /369To a Humming-bird in a Garden, George Murray /371In the Golden Birch, Elizabeth Gostwycke Roberts /374The Fir Woods, Charles G.D. Roberts /376Clouds (from In the Millet), Archibald Lampman /377Frogs, Charles G.D. Roberts /378Twilight (from Jephthah's Daughter), Charles Heavysege /379The Whip-Poor-Will, "Fidelis" /380A Canadian Summer Evening (from Poems), Mrs. Leprohon /382Evening on the Marshes, Barry Straton /383The Fire-Flies (from Dreamland), Charles Mair /385Midsummer Night (from In the Millet), Archibald Lampman /387The Autumn Tree (from Jephthah's Daughter), Charles Heavysege /388In Apple Time, Bliss Carman /389The Aurora Borealis, John E. Logan ("Barry Dane") /390The Maple (from Orion), Charles G.D. Roberts /391October (from Poems and Songs), Alexander M'Lachlan /392First Snow, Jean-Talon L'Espérance ("Laclède") /394Indian Summer, Mrs. Susanna (Strickland) Moodie /396Indian Summer (from Voices from the Hearth), Isidore G. Ascher /397An Indian Summer Carol, "Fidelis" /399To Winter (from Orion), Charles G.D. Roberts /401A Mid-Winter Night's Dream (from Snowflakes and Sunbeams), William Wilfred Campbell /404Winter Night (from Jephthah's Daughter), Charles Heavysege /405Carnations in Winter, Bliss Carman /406Icicle Drops, Arthur John Lockhart /407The Silver Frost, Barry Straton /409The Jewelled Trees, George Martin /411March (from Old Spooks's Pass), Isabella Valancy Crawford /413The Winds, John E. Logan ("Barry Lane") /417April (from In the Millet), Archibald Lampman /421In Lyric Season, Bliss Carman /424An Old Lesson from the Fields (from In the Millet), Archibald Lampman /425The Frogs (from In the Millet), Archibald Lampman /426Bobolink (from Poems and Songs), Alexander M'Lachlan /429The Canadian Song-Sparrow, J.D. Edgar /431In June, E.W. Thomson /432AppendixI. The Old Chansons of the French Province /437II. Leading Modern French-Canadian Poets /440Notes Biographical and Bibliographical /449Note of Thanks /464