"Niagara Falls"

Poem Review # 104147

Canadian Studies > History, Culture
Canadian Studies > Natural Resources
English > Analysis

"Niagara Falls"

This paper analyzes a nineteenth century poem, "Niagara Falls," by James K. Liston.

895 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper examines what Liston's poem "Niagara Falls" tells us about the preoccupations and concerns of nineteenth century Canadians vis-a-vis the natural world. The paper attempts to convey the changing attitudes of the general public towards the falls as the tough climate of Upper Canada gradually fell under the control of humanity. The paper presents a copy of the poem as an appendix to the paper.

From the Paper:

"To begin with, there are many ideas expressed in Liston's nineteenth-century work - ideas that suggest the sublime nature of the falls, the overwhelming grandeur and scale of the Canadian wilderness, and the exoticism of the New World. For instance, the poem opens with a stirring apostrophe to Niagara Falls that portrays it as a metaphor for nature's power over man: "Enduring monument of Power Divine!/Thou Stand'st alone - unmatch'd, unrival'd Falls" (Liston, lines 2 and 16-17). At the same time, there is a deliberate attempt on the part of the poet to associate the falls with military imagery: "Those vapors dense, which rise unceasingly,/With the rude noise, like man's artillery/Proclaim the watery conflict, and point out,/ to distant travelers, 'Niagara Falls'" (Liston, lines 19-22)."

Sample of Sources Used:

Irwin, William. The new Niagara tourism, technology, and the landscape of Niagara Falls. Pennsylvania State University: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1996.
Liston, James K. "Niagara Falls." Canadian Poetry. N.d. University of Western Ontario (Department of English). 12 May 2007 <http://www.uwo.ca/english/canadianpoetry/longpoems/liston_niagara_falls/niagara_falls.htm>