Robert Duer Claydon Finch (14 May 1900 - 11 June 1995) was a Canadian academic and poet. writing in canada: authors: robert finch Finch, Robert Duer Claydon He was a professor of French at the University of Toronto for three decades, and an expert on French poetry. Finch wrote several well regarded works of poetry and he won twice the Governor General's Award for English language poetry or drama.