The Canadian wilderness is both vast and overwhelmingly beautiful. Covering a total area of over nine-million square kilometres, Canada possesses some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. From its lush, green forests and tremendous mountain ranges, to its flat plains and Arctic tundra, the Canadian wilderness is truly awe-inspiring. This leaves little wonder as to why so many Canadian authors become so inspired by their surroundings that they are forced to express their wonderment on paper. Susanna Moodie, a British emigrant from England, was one of the first authors to be so inspired. Her Roughing it in the Bush (1852) series deals with the trials and tribulations of being a pioneer settler in early Canada. Almost one hundred years later, A.J.M. Smith, a Canadian poet and teacher, also felt the need to write about the country that inspired him so. The writings of both of these authors rely heavily upon the inspiration given to them by their natural surroundings, and it is interesting to note the different roles that the wilderness takes on in these writings. In the literature created by these two authors, the wilderness takes on three distinct personalities. Upon examination of a couple of key texts, we can observe the Canadian wilderness as being a harsh and cruel environment, hell-bent on destruction; as a thing of beauty to be admired, and finally as a natural habitat to many wild and majestic creatures.
             As beautiful as much of the Canadian outdoors is, parts of it are equally dangerous and unforgiving. For the early Canadian settlers, living in the Canadian wilderness was not always easy. Although Susanna Moodie was British by birthright, her writings were born from her experiences in Canada. She and her husband emigrated from England to Canada in 1832 and decided to start a new life in a pioneer colony in Ontario. However, upon her arrival in Canada, she came to the stark realization that certain aspects of...