Two Solitudes (Canadian society)
"Two Solitudes" (French: deux solitudes) refers to a perceived lack of communication and lack of will to communicate between Anglophone and Francophone people in Canada. The term was popularized by Hugh MacLennan's novel Two Solitudes.[1]
Etymology
MacLennan derived the term from the Austrian poet Rilke. As part of Letters to a Young Poet, Rilke wrote that: “Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other.”[2]
In politics
- In her 2005 investiture speech as Governor-General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean stated that "the time of 'two solitudes' had finished".[3]
References
- ↑ Survey; a short history of Canadian. Elizabeth. Waterston. Methuen. 1973. ISBN 0-458-90930-0. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
- ↑ "Howard Anglin: Canada, a love story". thehub.ca. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
- ↑ "The time of 'two solitudes' has passed: Jean". CTV Television Network. 2005-09-27. Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
External links
Look up two solitudes in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
- McGill-Queens University Press - Quebec's McGill University, with Queen's University, Press description of the novel "Two Solitudes"