Solely based on the poem- “The Last Picture in the World,” by Al Purdy- Al Purdy is perceived as a country peot aweing nature by describing nature with imagery, symbolism and metaphors. However, based on Howard White’s article, the poet is “...a strong nationalist, he achieved greatness in a way different and perhaps more fittingly Canadian than any writer before him.” (“Poet of the People,” by Howard White) Thus, these two perceptions- of Al Purdy- contradict themselves; in other words, Howard White’s article didn’t effectively characterized the kind of poet Al Purdy was.
The poem, The Last Picture in the World, starts by beautifully describing a crane; the imagery in the poem (“The Last Picture in the World”) allows readers to picture the poet watching over the crane in the countryside. Even from the start, readers immediately are provided with symbolism that enhances the sense of calmness and peace. “A hunched grey…show more content… With Al Purdy reputation as “...one of Canada's greatest poets,” (“Poet of the People,” by Howard White) and his background, one would be disappointed or misled if they read “The Last Picture in the World” after they read the article. Furthermore, when the article listed Al Purdy’s poems’ titles such as “Wild Grape Wine (1968), Sex & Death (1973), Sundance at Dusk (1976),” (“Poet of the People,” by Howard White) it implies that Al Purdy is only known for poems with strong references to people’s lives rather than awing nature’s beauty. Perhaps the article could had at least note Al Purdy’s impactable ability to create a vivid image to readers or his nature
