Towards the Last Spike
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Towards the Last Spike was written 1952 by Canadian poet E. J. Pratt. It narrates the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) through mid to late 19th century.
It is written in a pseudo epic style, where characters engage in debate and physical tests. The poem also has a political context, illuminated by the debates between Prime Minister John A. Macdonald (for the railway) and William Van Horne (against the railway). The physical tests throughout the poem are challenges of nature, based on the engineering team headed by Sir Sandford Fleming. They culminate with his driving of the last railway spike while surrounded by all his engineering team.
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