Kenneth Owen Arvidson (1938–2011), was a New Zealand poet and academic.

Early life

Arvidson was born in Hamilton and attended Catholic schools there and in Auckland. His secondary education took place at Sacred Heart College.

Formation

As a student at Auckland University he began publishing poems in ''Kiwi'' in the late 1950s while studying science. Arvidson transferred to an Arts course, studying German (as a preliminary for MSc) and attending lectures by Bill Pearson, John Reid, M K Joseph,

Allen Curnow Thomas Allen Monro Curnow (17 June 1911 – 23 September 2001) was a New Zealand poet and journalist. Life Curnow was born in Timaru, New Zealand, the son of a fourth generation New Zealander, an Anglican clergyman, and he grew up in a relig ...

and others."Arvidson, K.O.", Robinson and Wattie, ''The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature'', Oxford, Auckland 1998, pp. 27 and 28. While studying for his MA in English, Arvidson taught senior English at St Peter's College from 1961 to 1963. Notably, he taught and considerably influenced the poet Sam Hunt in the lower sixth form in 1963."Hunt, Sam", Robinson and Wattie, ''The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature'', pp. 249 and 250. Terry Locke, another poet, also benefited from his teaching. He endowed a prize for poetry at St Peter's, which was awarded to Sam Hunt in that year.''St Peter's College Magazines 1960-1963''.

Academic career

Arvidson lectured at

Flinders University of South Australia Flinders University is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across 11 locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of British navigator ...

from 1967 to 1970 and in 1971 moved to the University of the South Pacific to develop a degree programme in English and Commonwealth literature. He joined the staff of the University of Waikato in 1974 and later became a professor of English there. Arvidson's research interests include John Henry Newman,

Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was an English poet and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame placed him among leading Victorian poets. His prosody – notably his concept of sprung rhythm – established him as an innovato ...

, Victorian literature, Irish literature, Pacific literature and

Australian literature Australian literature is the written or literary work produced in the area or by the people of the Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding colonies. During its early Western history, Australia was a collection of British colonies; as such, ...

Poet

Arvidson's verse has appeared in literary magazines in New Zealand and internationally, and has been anthologised in Australia and Japan as well as the Penguin, Oxford and other New Zealand collections. Temporal and spiritual matters balance one another in much of his poetry, in keeping with his Catholic cast of thought.

Publications

For Biographical and professional information including a list of Arvidsons publications see: ''Aotearoa New Zealand Poetry Sound Archive/ Arvidson K O''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arvidson, K. O. 1938 births 2011 deaths New Zealand poets New Zealand male poets People educated at Sacred Heart College, Auckland Roman Catholic writers University of Auckland alumni People from Hamilton, New Zealand Academic staff of the University of Waikato St Peter's College, Auckland faculty Catholic poets New Zealand Roman Catholics