John Thompson (poet)
Encyclopedia
John Thompson was an English-born Canadian poet.
John Thompson was born in Timperley
in 1938. Following the death of his father and abandonment by his mother, he was educated at various boarding schools and the Manchester Grammar School
. He received his B.A. in honours psychology from the University of Sheffield
in 1958. Following two years service in the British Army intelligence corps, he studied comparative literature at Michigan State University and received his Ph.D. He studied under A. J. M. Smith
and his thesis entailed the translation of poems by the French poet René Char
. In 1966 he moved to Canada and taught English literature at Mount Allison University
in New Brunswick, where he lived in a farmhouse and formed a close friendship with then-poet-in-residence at University of New Brunswick
, Warren Kinthompson. His first collection of poetry, At the Edge of the Chopping there are no Secrets (1973), received mixed reviews. This was followed by a divorce and a fire that consumed his home and most of his manuscripts. He wrote the 38 poems in his second - and last - collection, Stilt Jack, while in Toronto on a sabbatical.
The cause of his death at the age of 38, immediately after Stilt Jack was completed, remains the subject of debate. In the fall of 1975, Thompson wrote his will. At Christmas, he broke down and was hospitalized. On his release three months later, instead of abiding by the doctor's orders not to mix drugs and alcohol, he continued to drink steadily. He finished Stilt Jack in April. On April 24, he gave the manuscript to his friend and fellow poet, Douglas Lochhead
. After returning home, the tenants in the apartment below heard muffled choking and cries. He was discovered comatose-and pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. James Polk describes the cause of death as "a brutal mix of barbiturate
s and liquor." The autopsy did not provide conclusive evidence that Thompson killed himself.
Thompson's poems, published and unpublished, including his translations of French and Québécois poets, John Thompson: Collected Poems and Translations, and a biographical essay by the editor, Peter Sanger, were published by Goose Lane Editions (Fredericton) in 1995.
In 1998 in The Danforth Review, Dan Reve wrote, "[The ghazal
] is a rarefied, peculiar and therefore powerful form... John Thompson is to be credited with the introduction and dissemination of the ghazal in Canada. His Stilt Jack is one of literature's odd, incommensurable works of genius."
John Thompson was born in Timperley
Timperley
Timperley is a village within the Altrincham area, of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. Situated within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, Timperley is approximately seven miles southwest of Manchester....
in 1938. Following the death of his father and abandonment by his mother, he was educated at various boarding schools and the Manchester Grammar School
Manchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...
. He received his B.A. in honours psychology from the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
in 1958. Following two years service in the British Army intelligence corps, he studied comparative literature at Michigan State University and received his Ph.D. He studied under A. J. M. Smith
A. J. M. Smith
Arthur James Marshall Smith was a Canadian poet and anthologist. He "was a prominent member of a group of Montreal poets" -- the Montreal Group, which included Leon Edel, Leo Kennedy, A.M. Klein, and F.R...
and his thesis entailed the translation of poems by the French poet René Char
René Char
René Char was a 20th century French poet.-Biography:Char was born in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in the Vaucluse department of France, the youngest of four children of Emile Char and Marie-Therese Rouget, where his father was mayor and managing director of the Vaucluse plasterworks...
. In 1966 he moved to Canada and taught English literature at Mount Allison University
Mount Allison University
Mount Allison University is a primarily undergraduate Canadian liberal arts and science university situated in Sackville, New Brunswick. It is located about a half hour from the regional city of Moncton and 20 minutes from the Greater Moncton International Airport...
in New Brunswick, where he lived in a farmhouse and formed a close friendship with then-poet-in-residence at University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
, Warren Kinthompson. His first collection of poetry, At the Edge of the Chopping there are no Secrets (1973), received mixed reviews. This was followed by a divorce and a fire that consumed his home and most of his manuscripts. He wrote the 38 poems in his second - and last - collection, Stilt Jack, while in Toronto on a sabbatical.
The cause of his death at the age of 38, immediately after Stilt Jack was completed, remains the subject of debate. In the fall of 1975, Thompson wrote his will. At Christmas, he broke down and was hospitalized. On his release three months later, instead of abiding by the doctor's orders not to mix drugs and alcohol, he continued to drink steadily. He finished Stilt Jack in April. On April 24, he gave the manuscript to his friend and fellow poet, Douglas Lochhead
Douglas Lochhead
Douglas Lochhead, FRSC was a Canadian poet who lived in Sackville, New Brunswick, of which town he was the official poet laureate...
. After returning home, the tenants in the apartment below heard muffled choking and cries. He was discovered comatose-and pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. James Polk describes the cause of death as "a brutal mix of barbiturate
Barbiturate
Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, and can therefore produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to total anesthesia. They are also effective as anxiolytics, as hypnotics, and as anticonvulsants...
s and liquor." The autopsy did not provide conclusive evidence that Thompson killed himself.
Thompson's poems, published and unpublished, including his translations of French and Québécois poets, John Thompson: Collected Poems and Translations, and a biographical essay by the editor, Peter Sanger, were published by Goose Lane Editions (Fredericton) in 1995.
In 1998 in The Danforth Review, Dan Reve wrote, "[The ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
] is a rarefied, peculiar and therefore powerful form... John Thompson is to be credited with the introduction and dissemination of the ghazal in Canada. His Stilt Jack is one of literature's odd, incommensurable works of genius."