Thomas Allen Monro Curnow (17 June 1911 – 23 September 2001) was a New Zealand poet and journalist.

Life

Curnow was born in

Timaru Timaru (; mi, Te Tihi-o-Maru) is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located southwest of Christchurch and about northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to ...

, New Zealand, the son of a fourth generation New Zealander, an Anglican clergyman, and he grew up in a religious family. The family was of Cornish origin. During his early childhood they often moved, living in

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, Malvern, Lyttelton and New Brighton. He was educated at

Christchurch Boys' High School , motto_translation = I Seek Higher Things , type = State school, Day and Boarding school , gender = Boys , song = The School We Magnify , colours = Blue and Black , established = , address = 71 Straven Ro ...

Canterbury University The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was f ...

, and obtained a PhD from

Auckland University , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

in 1964. After completing his education, Curnow worked from 1929 to 1930 at the '' Christchurch Sun'', before moving once again to Auckland to prepare for the Anglican ministry at St John's Theological College (1931–1933). In this period Curnow also published his first poems in University periodicals, such as ''Kiwi'' and ''Phoenix''. In 1934 Curnow returned to the South Island, where he started a correspondence with Iris Wilkinson and

Alan Mulgan Alan Edward Mulgan (18 May 1881 – 29 August 1962) was a New Zealand journalist, writer and broadcaster. He was born in Katikati, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, of Protestant Irish parents, on 18 May 1881, and died in Lower Hutt. In 1935, M ...

, as well as finding a job at ''

The Press ''The Press'' is a daily newspaper published in Christchurch, New Zealand owned by media business Stuff Ltd. First published in 1861, the newspaper is the largest circulating daily in the South Island and publishes Monday to Saturday. One comm ...

'', the Christchurch morning daily newspaper, having decided against a career in the Anglican ministry. At the same time, he also started a lifelong friendship with

Denis Glover Denis James Matthews Glover (9 December 19129 August 1980) was a New Zealand poet and publisher. Born in Dunedin, he attended the University of Canterbury where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts, and subsequently lectured. He worked as a reporte ...

and contributed to the Caxton Press, submitting some of his poems. He then taught English at Auckland University from 1950 to 1976, during which he spent much time at his holiday home on Lone Kauri Road in the central

Waitākere Ranges The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some of public and private land. The area, traditionally kno ...

. The ranges and Karekare Beach became major features of his later work.

Personal life

Curnow married Elizabeth "Betty" Le Cren at St Mary's Church, Timaru, on 26 August 1936. The marriage was dissolved in 1965, but they had a daughter and two sons, one of whom is New Zealand poet and art critic

Wystan Curnow Wystan Tremayne Le Cren Curnow (born 1939) is a New Zealand art critic, poet, academic, arts administrator, and independent curator. He is the son of Elizabeth Curnow, a painter and printmaker, and poet Allen Curnow. Biography Curnow was born ...

. His second marriage was to Jenifer Curnow (née Tole), a librarian and scholar of Māori culture. He was buried at Purewa Cemetery in the Auckland suburb of Meadowbank.

Career

Curnow wrote a long-running weekly satirical poetry column under the pen-name of ''Whim Wham'' for ''

'' from 1937, and then ''

The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspaper ...

'' from 1951, finishing in 1988 – a far-reaching period in which he turned his keen wit to many world issues, from Franco, Hitler, Vietnam, Apartheid, and the

White Australia policy The White Australia policy is a term encapsulating a set of historical policies that aimed to forbid people of non-European ethnic origin, especially Asians (primarily Chinese) and Pacific Islanders, from immigrating to Australia, starting i ...

, to the internal politics of

Walter Nash Sir Walter Nash (12 February 1882 – 4 June 1968) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 27th prime minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960. He is noted for his long period of political service, havin ...

and the eras of Robert Muldoon and

David Lange David Russell Lange ( ; 4 August 1942 – 13 August 2005) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 32nd prime minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. Lange was born and brought up in Otahuhu, the son of a medical doctor. He became ...

, all interspersed with humorous commentary on New Zealand's obsession with rugby and other light-hearted subjects. Curnow's publication ''Book of New Zealand Verse'' (1945) is seen as a landmark in

New Zealand literature New Zealand literature is literature, both oral and written, produced by the people of New Zealand. It often deals with New Zealand themes, people or places, is written predominantly in New Zealand English, and features Māori culture and the u ...

. He is, however, more celebrated as poet than as a satirist. His poetic works are heavily influenced by his training for the Anglican ministry, and subsequent rejection of that calling, with Christian imagery, myth and symbolism being included frequently, particularly in his early works (such as 'Valley of Decision'). He draws consistently on his experiences in childhood to shape a number of his poems, reflecting perhaps a childlike engagement with the environment in which he grew up, these poems bringing the hopeful, curious, questioning voice that a childlike view entails. Curnow's work of course is not all so innocently reflective. The satirist in Curnow is certainly not pushed aside in his poetic works, but is explored instead with a greater degree of emotional connectivity and self-reflection. Curnow's works concerning the New Zealand landscape and the sense of isolation experienced by one who lives in an island colony are perhaps his most moving and most deeply pertinent works regarding the New Zealand condition. His landscape/isolation centered poetry reflects varying degrees of engaged fear, guilt, accusation, rage and possessiveness, creating an important but, both previously and still, much neglected dialogue with the New Zealand landscape. He positions himself as an outside critic (he was far less religiously and politically involved than contemporaries like James K. Baxter, and far more conventional in his lifestyle also) and though perhaps less impassioned in his writing than his contemporaries, his poetic works are both prophetic and intelligent.

Honours and awards

*In the 1986 Queen's Birthday Honours, Curnow was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

, for services to literature. *

Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry The Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry is awarded for a book of verse published by someone in any of the Commonwealth realms. Originally the award was open only to British subjects living in the United Kingdom, but in 1985 the scope was extended to in ...

, 1989 *On 6 February 1990, Curnow was the fourteenth appointee to The Order of New Zealand. * New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal * New Zealand Book Award for Poetry; 1958, 1963, 1975, 1980, 1983, 1987, 2001 *Commonwealth Poetry Prize 1988 (for Continuum) *

Cholmondeley Award The Cholmondeley Awards () are annual awards for poetry given by the Society of Authors in the United Kingdom. Awards honour distinguished poets, from a fund endowed by the Dowager Marchioness of Cholmondeley in 1966. Since 1991 the award has be ...

, 1992 (other winners that year:

Donald Davie Donald Alfred Davie, FBA (17 July 1922 – 18 September 1995) was an English Movement poet, and literary critic. His poems in general are philosophical and abstract, but often evoke various landscapes. Biography Davie was born in Barnsley, ...

Carol Ann Duffy Dame Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, resigning in 2019. She was the first ...

, and

Roger Woddis Roger Woddis (17 May 1917 – 16 July 1993) was a British writer and humorous poet. One of his most famous poems, ''Ethics for Everyman'', deals with double-morality of ethical principles. His early writing career included some involvement with ...

) *A W Reed Lifetime Achievement Award, 2000

Bibliography

* 1933: ''Valley of Decision'' : Poems. Auckland : Auckland University College Students' Association PressWeb page titled "Allen Curnow: New Zealand Literature File"
at the University of Auckland Library website, accessed 26 April 2008 * 1933: ''Another Argo: three poems from the Caxton Club Press'' (including "Doom at sunrise"), Christchurch: Caxton Club Press * 1935: ''Three poems: Aspect of Monism, Restraint, The Wilderness'', Christchurch: Caxton Club Press * 1935: ''Poetry and Language'', Christchurch: Caxton Club Press * 1937: ''Enemies : Poems 1934–36'', Christchurch: Caxton Press,1937 * 1939: ''Not in Narrow Seas : Poems with Prose'', Christchurch: Caxton Press * 1940: ''Present for Hitler and Other Verses'', Christchurch: Caxton Press * 1941: ''Recent Poems. By Allen Curnow, A. R. D. Fairburn,

, R. A. K. Mason'', Christchurch: Caxton Press * 1941: ''Island and Time'', Christchurch: Caxton Press * 1942: '' Landfall in Unknown Seas'', poem with music by

Douglas Lilburn Douglas Gordon Lilburn (2 November 19156 June 2001) was a New Zealand composer. Early life Lilburn was born in Whanganui and spent his early years on the family sheep farm in the upper Turakina River valley at Drysdale. He attended Waitaki ...

* 1942: ''Whim-Wham. Verses, 1941–42'', Christchurch: Caxton Press * 1943: ''Whim-Wham. Verses, 1943'', Wellington: Progressive Publishing Society * Circa 1946 (year uncertain): ''Sailing or Drowning: Poems'', Wellington: Progressive Publishing Society * 1946: ''Jack Without Magic: Poems'', Christchurch: Caxton Press * 1949: ''At Dead Low Water, and Sonnets'', Christchurch: Caxton Press * 1949: ''The Axe: a Verse Tragedy'', Christchurch: Caxton Press, 1949 .e. 1950ref name=acua/> * 1957: ''Poems 1949–57'', Wellington: Mermaid Press * Circa 1957 (year uncertain): ''The Hucksters and the University : or, Out of Site, Out of Mind; or Up Queen Street Without a Paddle. A happy little poem for all the family ... read by the author at a public poetry reading in the Auckland City Art Gallery on 24 May 1957'', Auckland: Pilgrim Press (broadsheet) * 1957: ''Mr Huckster of 1958 : another and still happier little poem...'', Auckland: Pilgrim Press (broadsheet) * 1958: ''Bright Sky'', verse play, unpublished, cyclostyled copy held in University of Auckland Library, NZ Glass Case * 1959: ''Best of Whim-Wham'', Hamilton: Paul's Book Arcade *

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

: ''Moon Section'', unpublished play, performed 1959 * 1960: ''On the Tour : Verwoerd Be Our Vaatchwoerd...'', Auckland: Pilgrim Press (broadsheet) *

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

: ''The Overseas Expert'', unpublished playscript in University of Auckland Library, New Zealand Glass Case * 1962: ''A Small Room With Large Windows'', London: Oxford University Press * 1967: ''Whim Wham Land'', Auckland: B. & J. Paul *

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...

: ''Four Plays'', Wellington: A.W. and A.H. Reed, (Contains: ''The Axe'', ''The Overseas Expert'', ''The Duke's Miracle'', ''Resident of Nowhere'') * 1972: ''Trees, Effigies, Moving Objects: a Sequence'', Wellington: Catspaw Press * 1973: ''An Abominable Temper, and Other Poems'', Wellington: Catspaw Press * 1974: ''Collected Poems 1933–1973'', Wellington: A.W. and A.H. Reed * 1979: ''An Incorrigible Music'', Dunedin: Auckland University Press * 1982: Editor, ''Allen Curnow Selected Poems'', Auckland: Penguin * 1982: ''You Will Know When You Get There: Poems 1979'', Auckland: Auckland University Press *

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 **Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal enter ...

: ''The Loop in Lone Kauri Road'', Auckland: Auckland University Press *

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...

: ''Look Back Harder: Critical Writings 1935–1984'', edited with an introduction by

Peter Simpson Peter Simpson may refer to: *Peter Simpson (film producer) (1943–2007), often credited as Peter R. Simpson, a British-Canadian film producer and advertiser *Peter Simpson (Scottish footballer) (1904/05–1974), Scottish football striker who playe ...

, Auckland: Auckland University Press * 1988: ''Continuum: New and Later Poems 1972–1988'', Auckland: Auckland University Press * 1990: ''Selected Poems 1940–1989'', London: Viking * 1994: ''Looking West, Late Afternoon, Low Water'', Limited edition, designed and made by Alan Loney in collaboration with Elizabeth Serjeant,Auckland: Holloway Press *''Penguin Modern Poets 7, second series'' (1996) with Donald Davie and Samuel Menashe * 1996: ''The Scrap-book; limited edition published in conjunction with Writers' and Readers' Week, 12–17 Mar 1996'', Wellington: Wai-te-ata Press * 1997: ''Early Days Yet : New and Collected Poems 1941–1997'', Auckland: Auckland University Press * 2001: ''The Bells of Saint Babel's: poems 1997–2001'', Auckland: Auckland University Press * 2005: ''Whim Wham's New Zealand: The Best of Whim Wham 1937–1988'', edited by Terry Sturm

Edited

* 1945: ''Book of New Zealand Verse 1923–45'', Christchurch: Caxton Press * 1951: ''Book of New Zealand Verse 1923–50'', Christchurch: Caxton Press * 1960: ''Penguin Book of New Zealand Verse'', Harmondsworth: Penguin Books

Documentary

Curnow was the subject of the 2001 documentary ''Early Days Yet'', directed by Shirley Horrocks. Filmed in the final months of Curnow's life, it records him talking about his life and work, and visiting the setting of some of his important poems.

References

External links

* from the ''

Dictionary of New Zealand Biography The ''Dictionary of New Zealand Biography'' (DNZB) is an encyclopedia or biographical dictionary containing biographies of over 3,000 deceased New Zealanders. It was first published as a series of print volumes from 1990 to 2000, went online ...

''
Poems by Allen Curnow
{{DEFAULTSORT:Curnow, Allen 1911 births 2001 deaths New Zealand male poets People from Timaru People educated at Christchurch Boys' High School New Zealand people of Cornish descent 20th-century New Zealand poets 20th-century New Zealand male writers Members of the Order of New Zealand New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Burials at Purewa Cemetery