Gustafson, Ralph

Gustafson, Ralph (Barker)

(born Aug. 16, 1909, Lime Ridge, near Sherbrooke, Que., Can.—died May 29, 1995, North Hatley) Canadian poet. Gustafson attended the University of Oxford; he settled in New York after World War II but later returned to Canada. His work shows a development from traditional form and manner to an elliptical style reflecting the influence of Anglo-Saxon verse and the metrical experiments of Gerard Manley Hopkins. His later works, usually considered his better writings, include Rivers Among Rocks (1960), Conflicts of Spring (1981), and Shadows in the Grass (1991). He also published collections of short stories.