George Murray

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George Murray – Life, Poetry, and Memorable Lines

Explore the life and art of Canadian poet George Murray (b. 1971), his inventive use of form (including “thought-rhyme”), his aphorisms, his role as Poet Laureate of St. John’s, and memorable lines from his work.

Introduction

George Murray (born 1971) is a contemporary Canadian poet, aphorist, editor, and blogger whose formal inventiveness and lyrical clarity have made him a respected voice in modern Canadian poetry.

He served as Poet Laureate of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador beginning in 2014. “thought-rhyme,” and for his aphoristic work such as Glimpse.

This article explores his life, poetic approach, published works, legacy, and notable quotes.

Early Life and Education

George Murray was born in southwestern Ontario, Canada, in 1971.

During his education, Murray initially studied theatre arts at university, though he left after a year. The precise university credentials are not always emphasized in his biographies, but his mastery of form and language point to deep self-education and literary engagement.

His life abroad—in rural Italy and New York City—also informed his poetic sensibilities and perspective. St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Career & Major Works

Literary ing, Blogging & Influence

One of Murray’s most visible contributions to the literary world has been his editorial and online presence. He was the editor and cofounder of the literary blog Bookninja, which gained wide readership and influence within Canada’s book and publishing communities.

He also held roles as contributing editor for the magazine Maisonneuve and served as poetry editor at The Literary Review of Canada.

In 2014, he was appointed Poet Laureate of St. John’s—a civic role recognizing his contributions and allowing him to advocate for poetry in the community.

Murray further founded Walk the Line and Front of the Line, online poetry schools/communities aimed at teaching poetry as a craft rather than purely academic study.

Poetic Innovations & Style

What distinguishes Murray is his blend of formal discipline and modern sensibility. Among his notable innovations:

• Thought-Rhyme: In The Rush to Here (2007), Murray crafted 57 sonnets using rhyme not by pure sound (as in classical sonnet rhyme) but by semantic or conceptual pairing (synonymy, antonymy, homonymy). He pairs ideas rather than sounds to produce intertextual and resonant effects.

• Aphoristic work: His Glimpse (2010) is a collection of short, one-line poems or aphorisms—409 of them—covering themes of art, philosophy, relationships, and insight.

• Balancing formal and free verse: Although known for his formal experiments, Murray also writes in looser, rhythmically sensitive free verse or “breath pulse” styles. His nonformal collections emphasize musicality, metaphor, and moral depth.

• Recurring themes: Common thematic threads in his work include memory, travel, morality, marriage, art, language, and mortality.

His approach combines technical rigor with emotional clarity, bridging the formal past and the demands of contemporary experience.

Bibliography (Selected Works)

Below are some of Murray’s key publications:

• Carousel: A Book of Second Thoughts (Exile, 2000)

• The Cottage Builder’s Letter (McClelland & Stewart, 2001)

• The Hunter (McClelland & Stewart, 2003)

• A Set of Deadly Negotiations (Chapbook, 2006)

• The Rush to Here (Nightwood ions, 2007) — 57 sonnets employing thought-rhyme

• Glimpse: Selected Aphorisms (ECW Press, 2010)

• Whiteout (ECW Press, 2012)

• Diversion (ECW Press, 2015)

• QUICK: Aphorisms (ECW Press, 2017)

• Problematica: New and Selected Poems, 1995–2020 (ECW Press, 2021)

These works together showcase his development from early meditative essays toward formal experimentation and aphoristic concision.

Legacy, Influence & Recognition

George Murray is widely regarded as a skillful formal technician, particularly among his contemporaries in Canadian poetry. Granta, The Iowa Review, London Magazine, The Walrus, and New American Writing.

As Poet Laureate, he helped bring poetry into public life in St. John’s.

Though still living and active, his influence is felt in:

• Poets interested in form who see The Rush to Here as a modern reimagining of the sonnet.

• Writers of short poetic statements or aphorisms inspired by Glimpse.

• Canadian literary culture, where his voice in editing, reviewing, and online commentary helps shape not just poem-production but conversation about books.

Style, Approach & Poetic Philosophy

Murray’s work is characterized by:

1. Conciseness and precision — Even in expansive poems, he often pares language to its potent kernel.

2. Play with tradition — He does not reject poetic forms, but reinvents them (as with thought-rhyme) to reflect contemporary sensibilities.

3. Interplay of sense and sound — His pairing of meaning, etymology, and metaphor often functions like rhyme in a cognitive or associative space.

4. Philosophical undercurrents — His poems and aphorisms probe ethics, memory, language, and the act of writing itself.

5. Accessibility without triviality — While technically sophisticated, his writing rarely alienates; it invites reflection and emotional connection.

He often treats poetry as a medium of epiphany— moments in which the ordinary reveals deeper resonance.

Selected Quotes & Lines

While more full poems are under copyright, here are a few lines and aphorisms that reflect Murray’s voice (as publicly cited):

• From his aphoristic style (via commentary): “The poet’s job is to experience epiphany and convey the thoughts that arise from it in ways that evoke epiphanies in others.”

• A line from The Rush to Here (on thought-rhyme principle) (paraphrase of his own descriptions): pairing words not for sound but for semantic resonance.

Because much of his poetry is still under copyright, I cannot reproduce many extended lines here. But the above captures his poetic philosophy and method.

Lessons & Takeaways from George Murray

1. Form is living — Rather than seeing poetic tradition as a rigid cage, Murray reinvigorates it by bending rhyme and meter toward new expressive ends.

2. Craft + reflection — His path underscores the idea that poetry is both a technical discipline and a space for philosophical inquiry.

3. Shortness can be full — His aphorisms show that a single line can encapsulate weighty insight, if carefully shaped.

4. Accessibility matters — Through blogs, editing, and teaching, he works to make poetry part of public conversation, not confined to academia.

5. Voice in dialogue — His writing constantly converses—with tradition, with himself, with readers—rather than asserting a fixed monologue.

Conclusion

George Murray is a vital contemporary Canadian voice—rooted in formal tradition yet searching for fresh speech. As poet, aphorist, editor, and public literary figure, he bridges craft and community, form and intelligibility. His innovations in form (especially thought-rhyme) and his commitment to teaching poetry help ensure that his work resonates beyond the page.

Citations:

• “George Murray (poet).” .

• “George Murray.” The Canadian Encyclopedia.

• “George Murray | Poetry in Voice.”