Paper Summary:

This paper compares and contrasts the great variety of modern sonnet forms in the works of Irving Layton, George Bowering, and Phyllis Webb. It maintains that, by understanding the tenets of free verse that accompany fourteen lines presented in stanza formation, the poetry of Layton and Webb show a similarity in line structure, yet they often stray from the haiku form used by Webb. The paper points out that the poetry of Bowering offers a stilted lack of fourteen-line combinations, despite the rhyme scheme of the traditional sonnet form. At the same time, he offers a free verse sensibility that is modern in the forms used by Webb and Layton. In conclusion, the paper holds that all three of these poets project an individualistic and modern adaptation of the sonnet form.

From the Paper:

"George Bowering's "Summer Solstice" provides a very similar usage of iambic pentameter, very much in line with Layton's style. However, the reliance on fourteen line verses are missing from Bowering's organization of poems overall parts. The first part of the poem represents a distinct introduction that his poem is being based on the traditional fourteen-line sonnet, but this is the only recognizable aspect of the eleven parts he provides as a continuum of his overall form."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Marchand, P. (2006). "Irving Layton, 93: Canada's trailblazing poet." Torontostar.com. Retrieved 25 March, 2007 from http://irvinglayton.blogspot.com/2006/01/toronto-starcom-article-jan-5.html
• Potvin, L. (2006). "Phyllis Webb: The voice that breaks." The University of Western Ontario. Retrieved 25 March, 2007 from http://www.uwo.ca/english/canadianpoetry/cpjrn/vol32/potvin.htm

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