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Eileen Duggan

November 28, 2023

Eileen May Duggan OBE (21 May 1894 – 10 December 1972) was a New Zealand poet and journalist, from an Irish Roman Catholic family.[1] She worked in Wellington as a journalist, and wrote a weekly article for the Catholic weekly The New Zealand Tablet for almost fifty years.

Duggan in 1955

Early life edit

She was born in Tuamarina near Blenheim in Marlborough, the youngest of four daughters of John and Julia Duggan. They were both from County Kerry, Ireland, and had married in Wellington on 7 October 1885. John was a platelayer on the New Zealand Railways.

She attended Tuamarina School from 1901 to 1910 and Marlborough High School. She taught as a pupil teacher at Tuamarina School from 1912 to 1913, and attended Wellington Teachers Training College from 1914 to 1915. She studied at Victoria University College, Wellington from 1916, receiving a BA in 1916, and a MA with first class honours in history in 1918, and was awarded the Jacob Joseph Scholarship. She taught at Dannevirke High School in 1918, then at Marlborough High School, St Patrick’s College, Wellington, and was an assistant lecturer at Victoria University College for one year. She was deeply affected by the death of her sister Evelyn in 1921, then by the deaths of her father and mother in quick succession in 1923, and after briefly staying with her other married sister Mary moved about 1925 to the Catholic Girls’ Hostel in Wellington. Her other sister Catherine (or Katherine) had entered the Order of Our Lady of the Missions.

Later life edit

She had continued ill health from a childhood sickness,[2] so decided to give up teaching. Partly for the same reason she decided not to marry in 1918 and in 1940. She supported herself by journalism, with a weekly article in The New Zealand Tablet, writing the women’s page under the pen name of Pippa. The first article appeared in the issue of 7 September 1927, and the last posthumously on 17 January 1973. She also wrote items for newspapers like The Dominion of Wellington. She lived in early 1950s in inner-city Wellington in Glencoe Terrace off The Terrace, in a weird canyon in the heart of the city up flights of precipitous stairs and, later, in the 1950s, in Imperial Terrace, Kilbirnie.[3]

Poet edit

Her first poems were published in The New Zealand Tablet in 1917. Soon after her arrival in Wellington she published her first volume, probably in 1921 (although other dates have been proposed: 1920, 1922 or 1924). Through her career she published individual poems in various newspapers and journals in New Zealand (including the New Zealand School Journal), Australia (The Bulletin), England (The New English Weekly) and America (America and The Commonweal, both Catholic journals).[4] In the 1930s she was New Zealand's best-known poet, with an Eileen Duggan Society in America. Her 1937 volume of poems had an introduction by Walter de la Mare. However, in spite of this, as Dr Peter Whiteford argues, "changes in literary fashion were reaching New Zealand that would ultimately see her marginalized within the literary community."[5] She stopped writing poems (to "have done with words") about 1951 but continued to earn income from her prose for another twenty years.[6] She wrote some poems on events for the Catholic Church, which treated her at times as an unofficial poet laureate, and a poem when Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage died.

Some of her poems were anthologised in books of New Zealand poems by Chapman, Bennett and Vincent O’Sullivan, but none of her poems were included in Allen Curnows influential 1960 Penguin anthology because of a disagreement over selection of them. Her reputation declined after her death, from her association with the English Georgian poets and with the inclusion of some of her poems in the 1930 anthology Kowhai Gold which was rather self-consciously New Zealand.

In the 1937 New Year Honours, Duggan was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for contributions to literature in New Zealand,[7] one of the first writers to be so honoured. In 1942 Prime Minister Peter Fraser who was a personal friend got her a small pension.[8]

Publications edit

Poems edit

  • Poems (1921)
  • New Zealand Bird Songs (1929) described by her as rhymes for children
  • Poems (1937, American edition 1938 & enlarged edition 1939)
  • New Zealand Poems (1940)
  • More Poems (1951)
  • Eileen Duggan: Selected Poems edited by Peter Whiteford (1994, Victoria University Press, Wellington) ISBN 0-86473-265-1

Biographical edit

  • A Gentle Poet: A portrait of Eileen Duggan O.B.E. by Grace Burgess (1981)
  • A New Zealand Poet for the World in Great Days in New Zealand Writing by Alan Mulgan Chapter 10, pages 90–94 (1962, Reed)

References edit

  1. ^ Whiteford, Peter. "Eileen May Duggan". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  2. ^ "possibly encephalitis" according to Peter Whiteford, p2, A View of Eileen Duggan https://ojs.victoria.ac.nz/kotare/article/view/709
  3. ^ Burgess p43, Whiteford p16
  4. ^ Burgess p68
  5. ^ Whiteford, A View of Eileen Duggan p6, https://ojs.victoria.ac.nz/kotare/article/view/709/520
  6. ^ Whiteford, A View, p11
  7. ^ "No. 34365". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 February 1937. p. 698.
  8. ^ Bassett, Michael (2000). Tomorrow Comes the Song: A life of Peter Fraser. Auckland: Penguin. p. 141. ISBN 0-14-029793-6.

External links edit

  • Poems in Kowhai Gold (1930)
  • Eileen Duggan in Kotare by Peter Whiteford (2008)

November 28, 2023
eileen, duggan, eileen, duggan, 1894, december, 1972, zealand, poet, journalist, from, irish, roman, catholic, family, worked, wellington, journalist, wrote, weekly, article, catholic, weekly, zealand, tablet, almost, fifty, years, duggan, 1955, contents, earl. Eileen May Duggan OBE 21 May 1894 10 December 1972 was a New Zealand poet and journalist from an Irish Roman Catholic family 1 She worked in Wellington as a journalist and wrote a weekly article for the Catholic weekly The New Zealand Tablet for almost fifty years Duggan in 1955 Contents 1 Early life 2 Later life 3 Poet 4 Publications 4 1 Poems 4 2 Biographical 5 References 6 External linksEarly life editShe was born in Tuamarina near Blenheim in Marlborough the youngest of four daughters of John and Julia Duggan They were both from County Kerry Ireland and had married in Wellington on 7 October 1885 John was a platelayer on the New Zealand Railways She attended Tuamarina School from 1901 to 1910 and Marlborough High School She taught as a pupil teacher at Tuamarina School from 1912 to 1913 and attended Wellington Teachers Training College from 1914 to 1915 She studied at Victoria University College Wellington from 1916 receiving a BA in 1916 and a MA with first class honours in history in 1918 and was awarded the Jacob Joseph Scholarship She taught at Dannevirke High School in 1918 then at Marlborough High School St Patrick s College Wellington and was an assistant lecturer at Victoria University College for one year She was deeply affected by the death of her sister Evelyn in 1921 then by the deaths of her father and mother in quick succession in 1923 and after briefly staying with her other married sister Mary moved about 1925 to the Catholic Girls Hostel in Wellington Her other sister Catherine or Katherine had entered the Order of Our Lady of the Missions Later life editShe had continued ill health from a childhood sickness 2 so decided to give up teaching Partly for the same reason she decided not to marry in 1918 and in 1940 She supported herself by journalism with a weekly article in The New Zealand Tablet writing the women s page under the pen name of Pippa The first article appeared in the issue of 7 September 1927 and the last posthumously on 17 January 1973 She also wrote items for newspapers like The Dominion of Wellington She lived in early 1950s in inner city Wellington in Glencoe Terrace off The Terrace in a weird canyon in the heart of the city up flights of precipitous stairs and later in the 1950s in Imperial Terrace Kilbirnie 3 Poet editHer first poems were published in The New Zealand Tablet in 1917 Soon after her arrival in Wellington she published her first volume probably in 1921 although other dates have been proposed 1920 1922 or 1924 Through her career she published individual poems in various newspapers and journals in New Zealand including the New Zealand School Journal Australia The Bulletin England The New English Weekly and America America and The Commonweal both Catholic journals 4 In the 1930s she was New Zealand s best known poet with an Eileen Duggan Society in America Her 1937 volume of poems had an introduction by Walter de la Mare However in spite of this as Dr Peter Whiteford argues changes in literary fashion were reaching New Zealand that would ultimately see her marginalized within the literary community 5 She stopped writing poems to have done with words about 1951 but continued to earn income from her prose for another twenty years 6 She wrote some poems on events for the Catholic Church which treated her at times as an unofficial poet laureate and a poem when Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage died Some of her poems were anthologised in books of New Zealand poems by Chapman Bennett and Vincent O Sullivan but none of her poems were included in Allen Curnows influential 1960 Penguin anthology because of a disagreement over selection of them Her reputation declined after her death from her association with the English Georgian poets and with the inclusion of some of her poems in the 1930 anthology Kowhai Gold which was rather self consciously New Zealand In the 1937 New Year Honours Duggan was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for contributions to literature in New Zealand 7 one of the first writers to be so honoured In 1942 Prime Minister Peter Fraser who was a personal friend got her a small pension 8 Publications editPoems edit Poems 1921 New Zealand Bird Songs 1929 described by her as rhymes for children Poems 1937 American edition 1938 amp enlarged edition 1939 New Zealand Poems 1940 More Poems 1951 Eileen Duggan Selected Poems edited by Peter Whiteford 1994 Victoria University Press Wellington ISBN 0 86473 265 1Biographical edit A Gentle Poet A portrait of Eileen Duggan O B E by Grace Burgess 1981 A New Zealand Poet for the World in Great Days in New Zealand Writing by Alan Mulgan Chapter 10 pages 90 94 1962 Reed References edit Whiteford Peter Eileen May Duggan Dictionary of New Zealand Biography Ministry for Culture and Heritage possibly encephalitis according to Peter Whiteford p2 A View of Eileen Duggan https ojs victoria ac nz kotare article view 709 Burgess p43 Whiteford p16 Burgess p68 Whiteford A View of Eileen Duggan p6 https ojs victoria ac nz kotare article view 709 520 Whiteford A View p11 No 34365 The London Gazette Supplement 1 February 1937 p 698 Bassett Michael 2000 Tomorrow Comes the Song A life of Peter Fraser Auckland Penguin p 141 ISBN 0 14 029793 6 External links editPoems in Kowhai Gold 1930 Eileen Duggan in Kotare by Peter Whiteford 2008 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Eileen Duggan amp oldid 1167291488, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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