CLASSIFICATION
Swallow ID:
8354
Partner Institution:
University of Calgary
Source Collection Title:
Earle Birney fonds
Source Collection ID:
Source Collection Contributing Unit:
University of Calgary, Archives and Special Collections
Source Collection URI:
Source Collection Image URL:
ITEM DESCRIPTION
Title:
Earle Birney reading from The Strait of Anian.
Title Source:
Transcribed from the artifact
Title Note:
Label of recording title and included poems taped to box. Box stamped JH 2W5.
Language:
English
Production Context:
Studio recording
Identifiers:
[7.5]
Rights
Rights:
The Public Domain Mark (PDM)
CREATORS
Name:
Birney, Earle
Dates:
1904-1995
CONTRIBUTORS
MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
Recording Type:
Analogue
AV Type:
Audio
Material Designation:
Reel to Reel
Physical Composition:
Magnetic Tape
Extent:
1/4 inch
Playing Speed:
7 1/2 ips
Tape Brand:
CBC Radio - Canada
Sound Quality:
Excellent
Physical Condition:
Good
DIGITAL FILE DESCRIPTION
Duration:
T00:27:01
Size:
445.12 MB
Dates
Date:
1966
Type:
Performance Date
Notes:
Dates supplied through research for copyright.
LOCATION
Address:
Toronto [?], Ontario, Canada
CONTENT
Contents:
Earle Birney
[00:00:00]
Reads "Prairie Counterpoint".
Earle Birney
[00:05:32]
Reads "For Steve".
Earle Birney
[00:14:45]
Reads "And the Earth Grow Young Again".
Earle Birney
[00:17:30]
Reads "Invasion Spring".
Earle Birney
[00:19:04]
Reads "D-Day".
Earle Birney
[00:20:40]
Reads "Within these Caverned Days".
Earle Birney
[00:23:00]
Reads "VE-night".
Earle Birney
[00:24:45]
Reads "Death of a War".
Notes:
Title based on contents of file.
- “Prairie”: Poem in sections, written back in 1945. Includes poetic speaker in addition to Birney, an old farmer (?).
- The rest of the poems have to do with the Second World War.
- “For Steve”: Elegy for his friend Steve Cutwright. They trained together before Steve joined the Air Force. Died as Birney was preparing to ship over to Europe. Written in 1943.
- “And the Earth”: Written in Ash, Surrey, England. The title line comes from a poem by Shelley.
- “Invasion”: Next spring (from the previous poem), in southern England 1944. Just before D-Day, when bombers were flying overhead at a rate of one thousand a day. Written for Margaret Crossland.
- “D-Day”: Written on the evening of D-Day in Surrey. Birney “feeling very much out of it.”
- “Caverned”: Written later that same year (1944), when in Belgium. Written for two Belgians who hosted Birney, were compelled to host Birney but were not compelled to be his friends. Wrote this poem for them when he left for Holland.
- “VE-Night”: Back in England after hospitalization. Walked out of the hospital to the center of London on VE Night, wrote this poem in a pub some point that night.
- “Death”: Written just before coming home, 1945.
NOTES
RELATED WORKS
Citation:
The Strait of Anian