Archibald Lampman

Born in Morpeth, Ontario, on November 17, 1861, he grew up in the family of an Anglican clergyman and later studied at Trinity College in Toronto. After a short period of teaching, he spent much of his working life as a postal clerk in Ottawa, writing poetry alongside his civil-service job.

He became one of the best-known Confederation poets and is often regarded as one of the finest Canadian poets writing in English in the late 19th century. Readers especially remember his nature poetry, where careful observation of seasons, fields, rivers, and city edges turns into meditative, musical verse.

His books include Among the Millet and Lyrics of Earth, and his reputation continued to grow after his early death in Ottawa on February 10, 1899. Though his life was short, his poems still stand out for their calm beauty, emotional honesty, and strong feeling for the Canadian landscape.