Anne Wilkinson
Anne Wilkinson (1910-1961) was a notable Canadian poet and writer born in Toronto, Ontario, into a prominent family. She received a diverse education, attending private schools in Canada, the United States, and France. After marrying surgeon Frederik Wilkinson in 1932 and having three children, she became an influential figure in the Toronto literary scene following World War II. A cofounder of the esteemed literary journal Tamarack Review in the early 1950s, Wilkinson gained recognition for her poetry, which often explored themes of life and death with both depth and humor.
Her collections, such as *Counterpoint to Sleep* and *The Hangman Ties the Holly*, reflect her unique ability to address serious themes with whimsy, drawing comparisons to renowned poets like John Donne and Emily Dickinson. Wilkinson also authored a children's book, *Swann and Daphne*, introducing her playful style to younger audiences. In addition to her poetry, she documented her family's eccentricities in *Lions in the Way*, blending fact and dramatization. Despite her battle with cancer, her work, including the posthumously published *Collected Works of Anne Wilkinson*, continues to offer insight into her life and artistic evolution, showcasing her remarkable talent for weaving profound subjects into lighthearted narratives.
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Anne Wilkinson
Poet
- Born: September 21, 1910
- Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Died: May 10, 1961
Biography
Anne Wilkinson was born on September 21, 1910, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to George Sutton and Mary Elizabeth Lammond (Osler) Gibbons. Her mother’s family, the Oslers, was a prominent family in Toronto and allowed Wilkinson a life of eccentric and unconventional privilege. She attended a variety of private schools in Canada and in the United States, as well as attending schools in France. In 1932, she married a surgeon, Frederik Wilkinson, and the couple had three children, one daughter and two sons, prior to their divorce in 1953.
Wilkinson thrived in the Toronto literary scene after World War II, belonging to many writing and literary groups. In the early 1950’s she became a cofounder of the Tamarack Review, which rapidly became one of Canada’s premier literary journals.
Wilkinson began publishing collections of her poetry in the 1950s and her work was compared favorably to poets John Donne, Emily Dickinson, and Gerald Manley Hopkins. Her poetry collections Counterpoint to Sleep (1951) and The Hangman Ties the Holly (1955) celebrate life through the acceptance of death. This theme became more prevalent later in her life after Wilkinson was diagnosed with cancer. Wilkinson’s poetry stressed living life to its fullest while maintaining the realization and finality of mortality. Although tackling serious themes, Wilkinson had the ability to handle such subject matter with wit and humor in a fanciful, almost whimsical, style. Wilkinson’s poetry frequently possesses a nursery rhyme- or fairy tale-like quality and in 1960, she published a children’s book, Swann and Daphne, which was set in modern times and introduced Wilkinson’s imaginary and loving style to a younger generation.
Wilkinson wrote of her family’s eccentricities and quarks in Lions in the Way: A Discursive History of the Oslers. Although not a factual biography, the book, based on actual people, details her family members and dramatized scenes from her upbringing in a larger-than- life fashion.
Wilkinson died on May 10, 1961, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Her prior poetry collections combined with previously unpublished poems and manuscripts were compiled in Collected Works of Anne Wilkinson, and A Prose Memoir, published posthumously in 1968. This superb collection offers a personal glimpse into the poet’s life through autobiographical poems which highlight the natural evolution of her work throughout her career. Her ability to handle profound subjects through lighthearted humorous language was Wilkinson’s greatest achievement.