'Australian Bards And Bush Reviewers' by Henry Lawson
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While you use your best endeavour to immortalise in verse
The gambling and the drink which are your country's greatest curse,
While you glorify the bully and take the spieler's part --
You're a clever southern writer, scarce inferior to Bret Harte.
If you sing of waving grasses when the plains are dry as bricks,
And discover shining rivers where there's only mud and sticks;
If you picture `mighty forests' where the mulga spoils the view --
You're superior to Kendall, and ahead of Gordon too.
If you swear there's not a country like the land that gave you birth,
And its sons are just the noblest and most glorious chaps on earth;
If in every girl a Venus your poetic eye discerns,
You are gracefully referred to as the `young Australian Burns'.
But if you should find that bushmen -- spite of all the poets say --
Are just common brother-sinners, and you're quite as good as they --
You're a drunkard, and a liar, and a cynic, and a sneak,
Your grammar's simply awful and your intellect is weak.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Australian Bards And Bush Reviewers: A Critical Analysis
As a reader, it's easy to dismiss Henry Lawson's "Australian Bards And Bush Reviewers" as just another book of poems about Australia. But upon closer inspection, one can see that Lawson's work is not just another collection of poems, but rather, a social commentary on the state of Australian literature during his time. In this critical analysis, we will delve deeper into the themes, style, and structure of Lawson's work, and uncover the hidden gems that make this book a literary masterpiece.
Themes
The most prominent theme in "Australian Bards And Bush Reviewers" is the struggle between tradition and modernity. Lawson's poems speak of a time when Australian literature was dominated by British writers and their style of writing. He argues that Australian writers should break free from this tradition and create their own unique style that reflects the realities of life in Australia. This idea is best expressed in the poem "The Ballad of the Drover," where Lawson writes:
It's the plodding of the horses that appeals to me the most, It's the jog-trot, jog-trot, as they travel down the track, With the creaking of the leather and the jingling of the rein, And the old grey horse that's leading keeps on turning round again.
Here, Lawson celebrates the simple pleasures of life in the Australian bush, and argues that this should be the focus of Australian literature.
Another theme that Lawson explores is the struggle of the working class. Many of his poems deal with the harsh realities of life for those who work in the bush, such as the shearers and drovers. In "Andy's Gone With Cattle," Lawson paints a bleak picture of a young man who has to leave his family behind to work in the harsh conditions of the bush:
But Andy's gone with cattle now - with cattle in the south, No more the flowery sweet of life, shall fill his lover's mouth; With girls across the Border his dancin' done for good, With deals and roos and stockmen he'll go no more on the spree.
This poem is a reminder that while life in the bush can be beautiful, it is also unforgiving, and many people are forced to leave behind the ones they love in order to make a living.
Style
One of the things that makes "Australian Bards And Bush Reviewers" such a compelling read is the way that Lawson uses language. His writing is simple and direct, yet full of emotion and depth. He often uses colloquial language and slang to create a sense of authenticity, and his use of repetition and rhyme adds a musical quality to his work. In "The Glass on the Bar," for example, Lawson uses repetition to create a sense of urgency and desperation:
A second-hand bar with the doors ripped off, And the glass all frosted and the seltzer flat; Five drinkers drank at a five-cent bar, And the drinkers were from the uttermost parts of the earth.
In this poem, the repetition of the phrase "five drinkers" creates a sense of loneliness and isolation, and makes us feel the desperation of the characters who are drinking at this seedy bar.
Another stylistic device that Lawson uses is irony. In "The City Bushman," for example, he writes about a man who has moved from the bush to the city to try and make a better life for himself. But despite his efforts, he is still viewed as an outsider by the people in the city:
They speak of flats and offices and of rents and investments, Of soap and sugar and candlelight and suchlike blandishments; But he is thinking, thinking of the droving days instead, And of fighting round Conroy's Gap when Nicholson was dead.
Here, Lawson uses irony to show how the man's efforts to assimilate into city life are futile, and how he will always be viewed as an outsider.
Structure
The structure of "Australian Bards And Bush Reviewers" is varied, with Lawson using a range of poetic forms, from ballads to sonnets. However, there is a consistent sense of rhythm and meter throughout the book, which gives it a cohesive feel. Many of the poems are written in a narrative style, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. In "The Drover's Wife," for example, Lawson tells the story of a woman living in the bush who has to fend off a snake that enters her home:
She got up quietly, and took the child out of the bed without waking it, and carried it away to her own bed in the other end of the room. Then she went to the bark cupboard, and took out her husband's serviceable "old gun," and loaded it. She broke the stock of the gun on the edge of the cupboard, and threw the pieces aside. The children awoke while she was doing this, and asked her what she was going to do.
The narrative structure of this poem creates a sense of tension and suspense, and we feel the fear and desperation of the woman as she tries to protect her children.
Conclusion
In conclusion, "Australian Bards And Bush Reviewers" is a masterful work of literature that explores the themes of tradition, modernity, and the struggles of the working class. Lawson's use of language, style, and structure create a cohesive and compelling read, and his poems are a reminder of the beauty and harshness of life in the Australian bush. As readers, we are left with a greater appreciation for the power of poetry to capture the essence of a time and place, and to speak to the universal experiences of human life.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Australian Bards and Bush Reviewers: A Classic Poetry Collection by Henry Lawson
If you are a fan of Australian literature, then you must have heard of Henry Lawson, one of the most celebrated poets and writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works are known for their vivid portrayal of the Australian bush and its people, and his poetry collection, Australian Bards and Bush Reviewers, is a classic example of his talent.
Published in 1899, Australian Bards and Bush Reviewers is a collection of satirical poems that poke fun at the literary pretensions of the Australian middle class. Lawson was a self-taught writer who had a deep understanding of the Australian bush and its people, and he used his poetry to expose the hypocrisy and shallowness of the literary elite.
The collection is divided into two parts, with the first part consisting of poems that satirize the literary establishment of the time. Lawson takes aim at the poets and critics who looked down on the bush poets and dismissed their work as inferior. In "The Bushfire," for example, he mocks the critics who praised the work of a city poet who wrote about a bushfire without ever having experienced one:
He wrote about the bushmen's lives,
And sung the clearing's charm;
Of all the city's poets he
Alone had caught the charm.
He wrote about the "brumby's" ways,
And how the "bogan's" ride;
He'd never seen a "brumby" blaze,
Nor been on "bogan's" side.
In "The Ghost," Lawson takes on the pretensions of the literary elite who believed that poetry should be lofty and serious. He tells the story of a ghost who haunts a poet and demands that he write a serious poem about death:
"Write me a sonnet on the Dead,"
Said she, "and write it well."
For I intend to haunt your head
Till you do write, pell-mell.
I care not for your strained "All-hail,"
Your "Peace on Earth" goodwill;
The Dead are lonely, and they wail
Up there on yonder hill.
The second part of the collection consists of poems that celebrate the Australian bush and its people. Lawson was a master of the vernacular, and his poems capture the unique language and culture of the bush. In "The Drover's Wife," he tells the story of a woman who is left alone with her children in the bush while her husband is away droving:
She is left alone with the children,
The gaunt, grim children, and this
Is the way of the bush when the stations
Are few--and the faces are new--
With never a friend that can help her,
And never a chance to get near.
In "The Teams," Lawson celebrates the hardworking teamsters who transport goods across the bush:
The teams go streaming through the night,
The stockwhips crack and flicker,
And bushmen follow with delight
The wain and teamster's bicker.
The dust is like a rolling pall,
The teams go swinging on,
And towns and cities rise and fall
Like dreams that come and gone.
Overall, Australian Bards and Bush Reviewers is a classic collection of Australian poetry that captures the spirit of the bush and its people. Lawson's satirical wit and his ability to capture the unique language and culture of the bush make this collection a must-read for anyone interested in Australian literature.
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