Agnes Ethelwyn Wetherald (1857-1940) is a well-known Canadian poet who used her surroundings as her inspiration and focused on nature. She has been coined as both a nature poet and journalist for her contributions to both literary styles.
Wetherald, born in Rockwood, Ontario, received her early education at home, she then attended both the Friends Academy boarding school in Union Springs, N.Y. and Pickering College in Pickering, Ontario.
After her schooling she wrote numerous articles for the Toronto Globe, held a position as Women’s editor of the Globe and later she was part of the Advertiser’s editorial staff in London, Ontario. Wetherald continued writing after she was finished with the papers, moved to Pelham, Ontario and published six volumes of poetry between 1895 and 1931.
Her work was known and admired by many, but also attracted the attention of Earl Grey, Governor-General of Canada in 1907 and Sir Wilfred Laurier, Prime Minster of Canada in 1911. One of her last great collections of poetry was published in 1921, a book entitled Tree Top Morning, which she dedicated to her daughter Dorothy Rungeling who also became an author.
