James McIntyre (poet) facts for kids

James McIntyre (born 1828 – died 1906) was a Scottish poet who moved to Canada in 1851. People sometimes called him The Cheese Poet. This is because many of his poems were about cheese!

The Life of James McIntyre

James McIntyre was born in Forres, Scotland. When he was 24, in 1851, he came to Canada. At first, he worked as a farm helper, doing jobs like a pioneer. These early experiences later gave him ideas for his poems.

He then settled in St. Catharines, Ontario. There, he worked with furniture. He got married and had two children, a daughter and a son named John William McIntyre.

Later, James McIntyre moved to Ingersoll, Ontario. This town had about 5,000 people and was near the Thames River. Ingersoll was known as the heart of Canada's dairy country. He opened a furniture factory by the river. His store sold furniture, pianos, and even coffins.

The Cheese Poet's Works

James McIntyre was very popular in his community. People often helped him during tough times. This was partly because he was a good poet and speaker. He was often asked to speak at social events in Ingersoll.

The area around Ingersoll seemed to inspire him. Most of his poems were about Canada's history, the beautiful nature, and the local industries. But most of all, he loved writing about cheese!

Here is a small part from his poem "Oxford Cheese Ode":

The ancient poets ne'er did dream

That Canada was land of cream,

They ne'er imagined it could flow

In this cold land of ice and snow,

Where everything did solid freeze

They ne'er hoped or looked for cheese.

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McIntyre did not let small things, like not having perfect writing skills, stop him. Newspapers like the Toronto Globe and the New York Tribune sometimes printed his poems for fun. They found his writing amusing, but this did not make him stop. He kept writing until he died in 1906.

He published two books of his poems:

• Musings on the Canadian Thames (1884)
• Poems of James McIntyre (1889)

Rediscovering the Cheese Poet

After he died, James McIntyre was forgotten for many years. But then, a writer named William Arthur Deacon rediscovered his work. Deacon was a literary editor for newspapers in Toronto. He included McIntyre's poems in his book The Four Jameses (1927).

More recently, a book called Oh! Queen of Cheese: Selections from James McIntyre, the Cheese Poet (1979) collected his poems. This book also included cheese recipes and fun stories.

However, McIntyre became most famous when some of his poems were put into a book called Very Bad Poetry (1997). This book included his most famous poem, "Ode on the Mammoth Cheese Weighing Over 7,000 Pounds." This poem was about a real, giant cheese made in Ingersoll in 1866. This huge cheese was sent to shows in Toronto, New York, and Britain.

Here are some lines from "Ode on the Mammoth Cheese":

We have seen thee, Queen of Cheese,

Lying quietly at your ease,

Gently fanned by evening breeze;

Thy fair form no flies dare seize.

All gaily dressed, soon you'll go

To the provincial show,

To be admired by many a beau

In the city of Toronto.

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James McIntyre's Legacy

Today, an annual poetry contest is held in Ingersoll, Ontario, to honor James McIntyre. The Ingersoll Times and the Town of Ingersoll sponsor this contest. It even includes a special poetry competition where poems must be about cheese!