The Canadian Poetry Association was begun as an alternative to the League of Canadian Poets. To truly promote and nurture poetry in Canada, it was felt that a grass-roots organization was necessary, a nation-wide poetry collective if you will, of individual poets and those who love poetry. The CPA was begun in Toronto as a collective on January 16th, 1985. The main aims of the Canadian Poetry Association are: To promote the reading, writing, publishing and preservation of poetry in Canada through the individual efforts of members; To promote communication among poets, publishers and the general public; To encourage leadership and participation from members and to encourage the formation and development of autonomous local chapters
The founding group discovered that some organization was necessary if they were to expand beyond the bounds where they could meet and discuss matters in person. A newsletter was needed to keep members throughout Canada, and Canadian poets worldwide, in touch with each other and aware of what other members were doing. POEMATA was born.
With the establishment of POEMATA, other matters came to light. To collect material and publish information two things were needed: dues to cover the financial costs and a committee to do the work.
Poetry, the art of creating poems, (not to be confused with verse), may be defined in opposition to prose, which is language meant to convey meaning in a more expansive and less condensed way, frequently using more complete logical or narrative structures than poetry does.
A further complication is that prose poetry combines the characteristics of poetry with the superficial appearance of prose.
In pre-literate societies, poetry was frequently employed as a means of recording oral history, storytelling (epic poetry), genealogy, law and other forms of expression or knowledge that modern societies might expect to be handled in prose.
The CanadianPoetryAssociation is a grass-roots organization dedicated to promoting the reading, writing, publishing and preservation of poetry in Canada through the individual efforts of members; promoting communication among poets, publishers and the general public; encouraging leadership and participation from members and to encourage the formation and development of local chapters.
The CPA publishes POEMATA, a quarterly journal for its members and the general public, filled with poetry, articles news and literary contests.
The CPA sponsors the Shaunt Basmajian Chapbook Award and several other poetry and chapbook contests open to both members and the general public.
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