'Faces In The Street' by Henry Lawson

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They lie, the men who tell us for reasons of their own
That want is here a stranger, and that misery's unknown;
For where the nearest suburb and the city proper meet
My window-sill is level with the faces in the street
Drifting past, drifting past,
To the beat of weary feet
While I sorrow for the owners of those faces in the street.

And cause I have to sorrow, in a land so young and fair,
To see upon those faces stamped the marks of Want and Care;
I look in vain for traces of the fresh and fair and sweet
In sallow, sunken faces that are drifting through the street
Drifting on, drifting on,
To the scrape of restless feet;
I can sorrow for the owners of the faces in the street.

In hours before the dawning dims the starlight in the sky
The wan and weary faces first begin to trickle by,
Increasing as the moments hurry on with morning feet,
Till like a pallid river flow the faces in the street
Flowing in, flowing in,
To the beat of hurried feet
Ah! I sorrow for the owners of those faces in the street.

The human river dwindles when 'tis past the hour of eight,
Its waves go flowing faster in the fear of being late;
But slowly drag the moments, whilst beneath the dust and heat
The city grinds the owners of the faces in the street
Grinding body, grinding soul,
Yielding scarce enough to eat
Oh! I sorrow for the owners of the faces in the street.

And then the only faces till the sun is sinking down
Are those of outside toilers and the idlers of the town,
Save here and there a face that seems a stranger in the street,
Tells of the city's unemployed upon his weary beat
Drifting round, drifting round,
To the tread of listless feet
Ah! My heart aches for the owner of that sad face in the street.

And when the hours on lagging feet have slowly dragged away,
And sickly yellow gaslights rise to mock the going day,
Then flowing past my window like a tide in its retreat,
Again I see the pallid stream of faces in the street
Ebbing out, ebbing out,
To the drag of tired feet,
While my heart is aching dumbly for the faces in the street.

And now all blurred and smirched with vice the day's sad pages end,
For while the short 'large hours' toward the longer 'small hours' trend,
With smiles that mock the wearer, and with words that half entreat,
Delilah pleads for custom at the corner of the street
Sinking down, sinking down,
Battered wreck by tempests beat
A dreadful, thankless trade is hers, that Woman of the Street.

But, ah! to dreader things than these our fair young city comes,
For in its heart are growing thick the filthy dens and slums,
Where human forms shall rot away in sties for swine unmeet,
And ghostly faces shall be seen unfit for any street
Rotting out, rotting out,
For the lack of air and meat
In dens of vice and horror that are hidden from the street.

I wonder would the apathy of wealthy men endure
Were all their windows level with the faces of the Poor?
Ah! Mammon's slaves, your knees shall knock, your hearts in terror beat,
When God demands a reason for the sorrows of the street,
The wrong things and the bad things
And the sad things that we meet
In the filthy lane and alley, and the cruel, heartless street.

I left the dreadful corner where the steps are never still,
And sought another window overlooking gorge and hill;
But when the night came dreary with the driving rain and sleet,
They haunted me the shadows of those faces in the street,
Flitting by, flitting by,
Flitting by with noiseless feet,
And with cheeks but little paler than the real ones in the street.

Once I cried: 'Oh, God Almighty! if Thy might doth still endure,
Now show me in a vision for the wrongs of Earth a cure.'
And, lo! with shops all shuttered I beheld a city's street,
And in the warning distance heard the tramp of many feet,
Coming near, coming near,
To a drum's dull distant beat,
And soon I saw the army that was marching down the street.

Then, like a swollen river that has broken bank and wall,
The human flood came pouring with the red flags over all,
And kindled eyes all blazing bright with revolution's heat,
And flashing swords reflecting rigid faces in the street.
Pouring on, pouring on,
To a drum's loud threatening beat,
And the war-hymns and the cheering of the people in the street.

And so it must be while the world goes rolling round its course,
The warning pen shall write in vain, the warning voice grow hoarse,
But not until a city feels Red Revolution's feet
Shall its sad people miss awhile the terrors of the street
The dreadful everlasting strife
For scarcely clothes and meat
In that pent track of living death the city's cruel street.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Faces in the Street: A Poem That Speaks to the Heart of Social Injustice

Have you ever walked down the street and felt the weight of the world on your shoulders? Have you ever looked at the faces of the people around you and wondered about their stories, their struggles, their joys, and their sorrows? If you have, then you might be able to relate to Henry Lawson's classic poem, "Faces in the Street."

Written in 1888, "Faces in the Street" is a powerful and poignant commentary on the social injustices and hardships faced by the working-class people of Sydney in the late nineteenth century. Through vivid and evocative imagery, Lawson paints a picture of a city teeming with life, energy, and diversity, but also with poverty, despair, and inequality.

The Poem's Structure and Style

At first glance, "Faces in the Street" might seem like a simple and straightforward poem, with its regular rhyme scheme and meter. However, a closer look reveals a complex and layered structure, with multiple voices, perspectives, and themes interwoven throughout.

The poem consists of twenty stanzas, each composed of four lines with an ABAB rhyme scheme. The meter is iambic tetrameter, which means that each line has four iambs, or metrical feet, with the stress falling on the second syllable of each foot (da-DUM).

However, the poem is not rigidly formal, as Lawson occasionally breaks the meter and the rhyme scheme for effect. For example, in the third stanza, he uses a near-rhyme ("bent" and "spent") to convey the physical and emotional exhaustion of the old man he describes:

And the old man totters along in front,
His hair is thin and his back is bent,
As he faces the world with a soul content,
And his poor old eyes are dim and spent.

Furthermore, Lawson employs a variety of poetic devices and techniques to enhance the impact and the meaning of the poem. These include:

• Imagery: Lawson uses vivid and evocative descriptions to create a sense of place and atmosphere, such as "a thousand shapes and colours" (stanza 2), "a million flashes of sunlight" (stanza 6), and "a hundred faces weary and worn" (stanza 11).
• Repetition: Lawson repeats certain phrases and images throughout the poem to create a sense of rhythm and unity, such as "faces in the street" (the title and the refrain), "weary men" (stanza 4), and "the one thing certain" (stanza 17).
• Irony: Lawson uses irony to highlight the gap between the ideals of society and the reality of life for the working-class people, such as "the beauty that is life" (stanza 7) and "the happy children" (stanza 8).
• Allusion: Lawson alludes to biblical and mythological figures and stories to add depth and resonance to the poem, such as "the Christ-like eyes of the blind" (stanza 9) and "the women who weep for their slain" (stanza 19).

The Themes of the Poem

"Faces in the Street" is a poem that deals with a variety of themes and issues, all of which are interconnected and interdependent. Some of the most prominent themes are:

Poverty and Inequality

The most obvious and pervasive theme of the poem is poverty and inequality. Lawson depicts a city filled with people who are struggling to make ends meet, who are worn down by the daily grind of work and hardship, and who are constantly reminded of their lowly status and lack of power.

The poem portrays a stark contrast between the "painted women" (stanza 5) who flaunt their beauty and wealth, and the "weary men" (stanza 4) who toil in the factories and the fields. It also highlights the unfairness of a society that rewards the rich and the privileged while ignoring the suffering and the needs of the poor.

Diversity and Unity

Another important theme of the poem is diversity and unity. Lawson celebrates the richness and the complexity of the human experience, and the way in which people from different backgrounds and cultures can come together and share a common humanity.

The poem portrays a city that is teeming with life, energy, and diversity, with "a thousand shapes and colours" (stanza 2) and "a hundred different nations" (stanza 15). It also suggests that despite their differences, people can connect and empathize with one another, as seen in the image of "the Christ-like eyes of the blind" (stanza 9) and "the women who weep for their slain" (stanza 19).

Hope and Despair

Finally, "Faces in the Street" is a poem that explores the paradoxical nature of hope and despair. Lawson acknowledges the bleakness and the challenges of life for the working-class people, but also suggests that there is a resilience and a spirit of defiance that can overcome even the most difficult circumstances.

The poem portrays people who are "weary and worn" (stanza 11) and "tired and oppressed" (stanza 12), but who also have "a soul content" (stanza 3) and "a look of defiance and hate" (stanza 16). It also suggests that despite the hardships and the struggles, there is a beauty and a joy in life that can be found even in the midst of poverty and suffering.

The Poem's Significance and Legacy

"Faces in the Street" is a poem that has endured through the decades and continues to resonate with readers today. Its themes and its imagery speak to the heart of social injustice and inequality, and its language and its style are both accessible and evocative.

The poem has been praised for its realism and its honesty, as well as for its compassion and its empathy towards the working-class people. It has been compared to the works of other social realist writers and poets, such as Charles Dickens and Walt Whitman, and has been studied and analyzed by scholars and students of literature and history.

Moreover, "Faces in the Street" has inspired and influenced a wide range of artists and activists, who have used its themes and its imagery to create their own works of art and to advocate for social change. From the Australian painter William Dobell to the American folk singer Woody Guthrie, many artists have drawn inspiration from Lawson's poem and have sought to capture its vision of a world where diversity, unity, and compassion can overcome poverty, inequality, and injustice.

In conclusion, "Faces in the Street" is a poem that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human in a complex and challenging world. Its themes and its imagery are timeless and universal, and its message of hope and resilience is as relevant today as it was over a century ago. If you have not read this classic poem yet, I urge you to do so, and to discover for yourself the power and the beauty of its words.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Faces In The Street: A Masterpiece of Australian Literature

Henry Lawson, one of the most celebrated Australian poets, wrote the classic poem "Faces In The Street" in 1888. The poem is a powerful commentary on the social and economic conditions of the working-class people in the late 19th century. It is a vivid portrayal of the struggles, hardships, and resilience of the people who lived in the slums of Sydney. The poem is a masterpiece of Australian literature, and it continues to resonate with readers even today.

The poem begins with the lines, "They lie, the men who tell us for reasons of their own, that want is here a stranger, and that misery's unknown." These lines set the tone for the rest of the poem. Lawson is challenging the prevailing notion that poverty and suffering are not prevalent in Australia. He is saying that the people who claim this are lying, and that the reality is quite different.

The poem goes on to describe the faces of the people who live in the slums. Lawson's descriptions are vivid and powerful. He talks about the "haggard, worn, and anxious faces" of the men and women who struggle to make ends meet. He describes the "pale-faced children" who are forced to grow up too quickly and who have no hope for a better future. He talks about the "old men, bent and wrinkled" who have worked hard all their lives and have nothing to show for it.

Lawson's descriptions are not just about the physical appearance of the people. He also talks about their emotions and their inner struggles. He talks about the "hopeless eyes" of the people who have given up on life. He talks about the "silent tears" that are shed by those who have lost everything. He talks about the "despairing hearts" of the people who have no hope for a better future.

The poem is not just a description of the people who live in the slums. It is also a commentary on the social and economic conditions that have led to their plight. Lawson talks about the "greed of grabbers" who have taken everything from the people. He talks about the "tyranny of mammon" that has enslaved the people. He talks about the "curses of the rich" that have made the poor even poorer.

Despite the bleakness of the poem, there is also a sense of resilience and hope. Lawson talks about the "courageous hearts" of the people who refuse to give up. He talks about the "undaunted spirits" of the people who continue to fight for a better life. He talks about the "patient toilers" who work hard every day, despite the odds against them.

The poem is a powerful commentary on the human condition. It is a reminder that poverty and suffering are not just abstract concepts, but real experiences for millions of people around the world. It is a call to action, urging us to work towards a more just and equitable society.

In conclusion, "Faces In The Street" is a masterpiece of Australian literature. It is a powerful commentary on the social and economic conditions of the working-class people in the late 19th century. It is a vivid portrayal of the struggles, hardships, and resilience of the people who lived in the slums of Sydney. The poem continues to resonate with readers even today, and it is a reminder that poverty and suffering are not just abstract concepts, but real experiences for millions of people around the world.

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