Poetry · Chapter
Departed Statesmen explained
A poetic tribute to deceased Canadian statesmen, including Joseph Howe, D'Arcy McGee, George Cartier, John Sandfield, and George Brown, with a concluding glance at the living leaders Sir John A.
What happens
A poetic tribute to deceased Canadian statesmen, including Joseph Howe, D'Arcy McGee, George Cartier, John Sandfield, and George Brown, with a concluding glance at the living leaders Sir John A. Macdonald and Blake.
Themes in this chapter
Local Patriotism and Regional Pride
Celebrates Canadian statesmen who shaped the nation, emphasizing national pride and the legacy of Confederation.
Mortality and Loss
Reflects on the deaths of prominent political leaders, contrasting their past struggles with the ongoing political life of the living.
Characters to notice
- Mr. McGee
Eulogized as brilliant and free, having come from Ireland.
- Queen Victoria
Implied as the sovereign under whom these statesmen served.
Key passages
“Joseph Howe, none higher stood than thou, Thou wert a man with lofty brow; D'Arcy McGee, so brilliant and free, From green isle you came o'er the sea.”
Joseph Howe was a man of great stature and intellect, while D'Arcy McGee, a brilliant and free-spirited figure, emigrated from Ireland.
Introduces two key statesmen, emphasizing Howe's moral height and McGee's Irish origins.
“But if a glance at this world you take You will there see John A. and Blake, But Sir John the greatest power doth wield, Our Canadian Beaconsfield.”
Looking at the current political scene, one sees John A. Macdonald and Blake, but Macdonald holds the most power, likened to the British statesman Beaconsfield.
Contrasts the deceased leaders with the living, highlighting Macdonald's dominance.