Mélanges de civilisation canadienne-française offerts au professeur Paul Wyczynski (review)

454 LETTERS IN CANADA 1978 poems by Irving Layton (though only in the nature of squibs), an interview with Tom Marshall whose voice sounds a modestly sane and confident note, and a typically bludgeoning defence of his poetics by Milton Acorn, alternately sensible and vigorously, even narrowly dogmatic . This issue also contains some almost directly prosaic but curiously effective translations from Chinese poetry. It is only in this issue that the magazine makes an insistent impression. Parts of the other issues spark the reader's interest. The first one is devoted to women's concerns, particularly through poetry. It presents two critical impressions of poetry readings by women in Toronto. Such pieces are not easily written and not easily taken in by a reader, particularly , when, as in this case, the poets are not well known, but Gwen Hauser's review gives a clear idea of the reading, together with her own urgently felt ideas within a specific politico-poetic-feminist context. In general, the prose pieces in Intrinsic are stronger than the poems. In particular, there are intelligent and perceptive reviews by assistant editor Mary Ellen Kappler, written with a clarity of expression the editor, Mike Zizis, would do well to copy, as his editorials are consistently overblown, attempting a windy evocation of the sympathetically nonacademic personality who will respond to the outpourings of his supporters , new poets, and friends. He certainly does not come across as having the necessary mixture of critical toughness and open-minded empathy a good magazine editor should have. Intrinsic's first year of publication closed disappointingly with issue 4 (Spring 1978), which had only one review in the midst of a welter of undistinguished poetry. This was doubly disappointing, as the previous issue had a stronger concept, with its emphasiS on ideas and argument about forms within contemporary Canadian poetry. (PETER STEVENS) Melanges de civilisation canadienne-fran~aise aflerts au professeur Paul Wyczynski Editions de l'Universite d'Ottawa 1977· 302. $9.75 Professeur aJ'Universite d'Ottawa et fondateur du Centre de recherche en civilisation canadienne-fran~aise de cette me-me universite, auteur de nombreux livres et articles, notamment sur la vie et l'ceuvre d'Emile Nelligan, dont il est Ie specialiste inconteste, Paul Wyczynski se devoue, depuis plus de vingt-cinq ans, tant par ses recherches que par son enseignement, a mieux faire connaitre les lettres et la civilisation canadiennes-franc;aises. II fut, a maints egards, un pionnier dans ce domaine; pour plusieurs, collegues et etudiants, il fut et il demeure Ie HUMANITIES 455 modele du chercheur serieux et patient, dont l'esprit en eveil constant ne connait pas de frontieres. II n'etait que naturel que les collegues et amis d'un tel homme souhaitassent lui rendre publiquement hommage. Les Melanges reunissent vingt textes, classes selon I'ordre chronologique des auteurs et precedes d'un avant-propos de Pierre Savard, d'une biD-bibliographie de Paul Wyczynski et d'un hommage de Guy Sylvestre. Ces textes, de qualite evidemment variable, nous offrent un ensemble d'etudes relevant de la critique litteraire et de l'histoire, ainsi que quelques creations littt~ raires originales. Les textes des Melanges consacres aI'histoire et ala critique litteraires abordent des sujets, des genres et des auteurs fort differents, selon les methodes d'analyse et les criteres d'appreciation les plus varies. Faisant ceuvre d'historien litteraire, John Hare etablit 'I'authenticite des memoires de Robert Chevalier, rediges par Alain Rene Lesage.' David Hayne, de son cote, suggere une tentative de periodisation des generations litteraires au Canada franc;ais qui ambitionne d'epouser 'avec suffisamment de souplesse la realite changeante de la vie litteraire.' Cette tentative, susceptible d'ouvrir des voies et des perspectives nouvelles aux historiens de nos lettres, meriterait assurement d'etre poussee plus avant. Sans intention aucune de dresser un palman?s, voyons maintenant de quoi traitent les pages de critique litteraire que renferment les Melanges. Dans sa 'Fantaisie sur une sequence de La Minuit,' texte qui nous a beaucoup plu, Jacques Blais suit, 'docile aux intentions du meneur de jeu et selon ses points de vue, plutot que Ie deroulement lineaire et conventionnel , Ie deploiement spatial, a la fois...