R. G. Everson
R. G. Everson was a Canadian writer born in 1903 in Oshawa, Ontario, who became known for his contributions to poetry, short stories, and fiction. Educated at the University of Toronto, where he developed a passion for poetry, he never practiced law despite earning an L.L.B. degree. Instead, Everson spent his career in the field of public relations, eventually becoming president of his firm, Johnston, Everson, and Charlesworth Ltd. His literary style is characterized by its simplicity and vivid imagery, often reflecting on the beauty of nature, human emotions, and societal illusions. While his work received limited recognition during his lifetime, it has since gained appreciation for its clarity and depth. Notable publications include "Three Dozen Poems" and "Wrestle with an Angel," the latter offering insights into Canadian literature. Everson's work also explored travel writing and social commentary, highlighting places like Norway and Mexico in his book "Indian Summer." He passed away in Vermont in 1992, leaving behind a legacy that continues to be reexamined and celebrated.
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Subject Terms
R. G. Everson
Poet
- Born: November 18, 1903
- Birthplace: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
- Died: February 16, 1922
- Place of death: Burlington, Vermont
Biography
Though he was educated at the University of Toronto with an L.L.B. degree, R. G. Everson never practiced the law; rather, his he spent his life as a Canadian man of letters who published poetry, short stories, and fiction written in a crisp, simple style that put him at odds with most of his contemporaries. One notices most, however, the beauty of his imagery and metaphoric statements on the lush bounty of Canadian nature, the raw emotions of saddened hearts, and his descriptions of the follies and illusions of humanity. In his writing, he remains positive about the condition of humanity and its inherent goodness, even while he exposes the duplicities and masks indicative of human nature. One of his favorite metaphors uses the warmth, gaiety, and change from summer to autumn.
Everson’s work is not unlike that of the American poet Wallace Stevens, whose brilliant metaphors came from an artistic avocation, not from his profession. Similarly, Everson worked in a Montreal public relations firm, Johnston, Everson, and Charlesworth Ltd., where he would later serve as president. Like Stevens, Everson’s admirers would increase with time, while in his own day his readers were few. Today, his legacy continues to enjoy a reevaluation as readers develop an appreciation for his clear images and simple, terse vocabulary. Born in Oshawa, Ontario, in 1903, Everson remained in his hometown before attending the University of Toronto, where he first took an interest in poetry. And while he graduated with a degree in economics and training in the law, he paid for his schooling by writing Westerns and mysteries for an American press. His literary career temporarily ended when family difficulties intervened, forcing him to work in more immediate and prosperous venues.
Everson moved to Montreal from the Canadian woods and worked for Johnston, Everson, and Charlesworth Ltd.; he became president in 1938. A poet at heart, Everson continued with his first love and published a collection of essays in 1940 called Of This and That. During World War II he worked in the intelligence field, though he remained in Montreal. His volumes of poetry include, most notably, Three Dozen Poems (1957), A Lattice for Momos (1958), and Everson at Eighty (1983). Everson at Eighty and Wrestle with an Angel (1965) remain noteworthy for their illustrations by the well-known Canadian painter Colin Haworth. Wrestle with an Angel comments on Canadian authors and offers contemporary thought, poetry, and criticism. Everson experimented with travel writing in Indian Summer (1976), using the metaphor to describe not only the locales of Norway, Mexico, and South Africa but also to make social commentary. Everson moved to Vermont, where he died in 1992.