Voices of the Young: A Selection of Student Poetry

Edward L. Edmonds is a professor of education at the University of
Prince Edward Island.

This slim volume consists of short selections from the poetry of 13
students, all but one of whom are under 20. It is one in a series of
such publications begun in 1993. The poems have a refreshing immediacy;
some are titled, while others simply catch a moment in time and have no
title. Personal relationships figure prominently, but comment on current
social issues is also forthcoming, as in “AIDS” or in “Hash for
Cash.” Characteristic “Newfie” humor peeps through in such
whimsies as “Hydrophobia” and “Vampire.” A deeper, more
reflective note is sounded in “His Gift,” “The Captive,” and
“White Man’s Wisdom.” The poem “The Fishermen of Newfoundland”
is a moving lament for a dying industry. The book concludes with a short
thumb-nail sketch of each contributor.