John Reade facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Reade
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| Born | November 13, 1837 Ballyshannon, Ireland |
| Died | March 26, 1919 (aged 81) Montreal, Quebec |
| Language | English |
| Nationality |  Canadian |
| Citizenship | British subject |
| Education | Queen's College, Belfast |
| Notable awards | FRSC, FRSL |
John Reade (born November 13, 1837 – died March 26, 1919) was a famous writer from Ireland who moved to Canada. He was known as a journalist, essayist (someone who writes short articles), and poet. Many people called him "the grand old man of Canadian writing." He worked for nearly 50 years as the literary editor (the person in charge of books and arts) at the Montreal Gazette newspaper.
Contents
Life Story
John Reade was born in 1837 in Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland. His parents were Frances Smyth and Joseph Reade. He went to school at Portora School and then Queen's College, Belfast.
Moving to Canada
In 1856, John Reade moved to Canada with his family. They settled in Montreal, Quebec. Just one year later, he started his own magazine called Montreal Literary Magazine.
In 1859, he began studying law. Soon after, he became the head teacher (rector) at Lachute Academy. He also started studying to become a minister. In 1865, he became an Anglican minister. He worked in two churches before leaving the ministry in 1867 because he was not well.
Working at the Gazette
John Reade returned to Montreal in 1868. He started writing for the Montreal Gazette newspaper. By 1870, he became the newspaper's literary editor. He kept this important job until he passed away in 1919.
At the Gazette, John Reade was famous for his weekly column called "Old and New." He also wrote many other articles, reviews, and stories for the paper without signing his name. He published poems, essays, and even translated works in many Canadian magazines of his time.
His Writings and Poetry
In 1864, eight of John Reade's poems were put into a book called Selections from Canadian Poets. His own book of poems, Merlin's Prophecy and Other Poems, came out in 1870. This book was full of Victorian Romanticism, a popular style of writing then.
The main poem in his book, "Merlin's Prophecy," was about Canada and the British Empire. He wrote it to celebrate Prince Arthur's visit to Canada in 1869. Another writer, John Lesperance, said it was "the most perfect poem ever written in Canada." The book also included Reade's translations of ancient Greek and Roman writers like Aeschylus and Homer.
In 1881, Reade helped publish the collected poems of another writer, Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon, after she had passed away.
His long poem, "Madeleine de Vercheres," was printed in a magazine in 1878. In 1889, a writer named W.D. Lighthall chose "Madeleine" and two other Reade poems for his book Songs of the Great Dominion. Lighthall said that Reade was "one of the chief figures in Canadian literature, and probably the sweetest poet."
Achievements and Recognition
John Reade received many honors for his work. In 1882, he became a founding Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. This is a group of Canada's most important scholars and artists. In 1896, he was also made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature of Great Britain.
The University of Ottawa gave him an honorary doctorate degree in 1909. This is a special award given to people who have achieved great things.
Even though he was called "the grand old man of Canadian letters," his work is not as well-known today. This is because his style of poetry and writing was very typical of the late Victorian era. However, his contributions to Canadian literature were very important during his lifetime.
