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Articles

Volume 08, Number 1 (1983)

In the Vague Spaces of Duncan Campbell Scott's Poetry

  • Catherine Kelly
Submitted
May 22, 2008
Published
1983-01-01

Abstract

The vague spaces of D.C. Scott's poetry are a poetic equivalent for the power that initiates and engenders a spiritual growth, the phases of which require corresponding personal deaths. Presumably a true poet would have unique experiences of the varied interventions recreated in "The Magic House," "Avis," "By the Willow Spring," "The Nightwatchman," and "Amanda," but Scott's vision extends beyond poetic creativity. His sustained tone of wonder; his consistent use of diction, allusion, and symbol that have religious overtones; his highly crafted, probing discrimination and weighting of language toward uncovering the mysterious source of poetry; his pervasive attention to the need for the right human response while being painfully aware of imperfection and dependence -- all imply a transcendent absolute. Thus, the vagueness of Scott's poetry, which is decried or excused by critics, is neither a flaw nor a weakness; rather, vagueness, for Scott, is an intrinsically essential and sensitive instrument for articulating his experience of life.