Birney, (Alfred) Earle (1904-1995)

Canadian poet. His work bridges the gaps between traditional and experimental writing, and his handling of everyday language has been widely influential. Collections include Selected Poems (1966), The Poems of Earle Birney (1969), and Collected Poems (1975).

He was professor of medieval English literature at the University of British Columbia 1946-63, where he established the creative writing department, of which he was chair 1963-65. Among his other works are recordings, books on the writing of poetry, a play, novels (Turvey 1949 and Down The Long Table 1955), and short stories.