Selected Poems

This dazzling collection of poetry is the first-ever translation into English of the work of a writer now considered the father of modern French Canadian literature. Émile Nelligan's work spanned only two years, from 1897 to 1899, when he suffered a nervous disorder later described as dementia praecox. Until his death in 1941, Nelligan tragically lived in a state of remote indifference. The impact of this great writer's work at a young age and his distinction as being the first Canadian writer to be influenced by Baudelaire and Rimbaud make this collection a vital contribution to the international understanding of Quebecois literary history.