And We Were Sailors

R. Gordon Moyles is professor emeritus of English at the University of
Alberta, the co-author of Imperial Dreams and Colonial Realities:
British Views of Canada, 1880–1914, and the author of The Salvation
Army and the Public.

Amid many jingles and much obtrusive political sentiment, David Benson
offers some lyrical gems in this collection of poems and essays
celebrating and lamenting a passing way of life in his native
Newfoundland. Poems like “Out Again,” “Evening,” and “Iced
Up” delight both the ear and eye with their perfect rhythms and
sensual imagery. An example from “Iced Up”: “She is sluggish and
rolls / tender now, like a careful drunk. / The foredeck is a white
field. / The wheelhouse glistens, / a giant wedding cake adrift / in a
turgid sea.”

Sailors, ships, and the Newfoundland seafaring spirit inspire the best
poems, the most memorable of which is the “afterword” poem, “And
We Were Sailors.” But the whole is marred by an unevenness of style
and by the intrusion of personal anger and political rancor. Benson is
at his best when his subtle irony conveys his message, and at his worst
when that message, overtly presented, submerges the poetry.

Despite its flaws, And We Were Sailors is well worth reading.
Refreshing in its accessibility, rewarding in its rich imagery, and
meaningful in its evocation of the Newfoundland spirit, it makes a
valuable addition to the island’s generous literary heritage.