an anthology of australian verse-第2章

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were　followed　by　the　feverish　excitement　of　the　gold　period　and　a　consequent

rapid　expansion　of　all　industries。　　Business　and　politics　have　afforded

ready　roads　to　success；　and　have　absorbed　the　energies　of　the　best　intellects。

There　has　been　no　leisured　class　of　cultured　people　to　provide　the　atmosphere

in　which　literature　is　best　developed　as　an　art；　and；　until　recently；

we　have　been　content　to　look　to　the　mother　country　for　our　artistic　standards

and　supplies。　　The　principal　literary　productions　of　our　first　century

came　from　writers　who　had　been　born　elsewhere；　and　naturally　brought　with　them

the　traditions　and　sentiments　of　their　home　country。



We　have　not　yet　had　time　to　settle　down　and　form　any　decided

racial　characteristics；　nor　has　any　great　crisis　occurred

to　fuse　our　common　sympathies　and　create　a　national　sentiment。

Australia　has　produced　no　great　poet；　nor　has　any　remarkable　innovation

in　verse　forms　been　successfully　attempted。　　But　the　old　forms

have　been　so　coloured　by　the　strange　conditions　of　a　new　country；

and　so　charged　with　the　thoughts　and　feelings　of　a　vigorous；

restless　democracy　now　just　out　of　its　adolescence；　that　they　have

an　interest　and　a　value　beyond　that　of　perhaps　technically　better　minor　poetry

produced　under　English　skies。



The　first　verses　actually　written　and　published　in　Australia　seem　to　have　been

the　Royal　Birthday　Odes　of　Michael　Robinson；　which　were　printed　as　broadsides

from　1810　to　1821。　　Their　publication　in　book　form　was　announced

in　‘The　Hobart　Town　Gazette'　of　23rd　March；　1822；　but　no　copy　of　such　a　volume

is　at　present　known　to　exist。　　The　famous　〃Prologue〃；　said　to　have　been

recited　at　the　first　dramatic　performance　in　Australia；　on　January　16th；　1796

（when　Dr。　Young's　tragedy　〃The　Revenge〃　and　〃The　Hotel〃　were　played

in　a　temporary　theatre　at　Sydney）；　was　for　a　long　time　attributed

to　the　notorious　George　Barrington；　and　ranked　as　the　first　verse

produced　in　Australia。　　There　is；　however；　no　evidence　to　support　this　claim。

The　lines　first　appeared　in　a　volume　called　〃Original　Poems　and　Translations〃

chiefly　by　Susannah　Watts；　published　in　London　in　1802；

a　few　months　before　the　appearance　of　the　〃History　of　New　South　Wales〃　（1803）

　known　as　George　Barrington's　　which　also；　in　all　probability；

was　not　written　by　Barrington。　　In　Susannah　Watts'　book

the　Prologue　is　stated　to　be　written　by　〃A　Gentleman〃；

but　there　is　no　clue　to　the　name　of　the　author。　　Mr。　Barron　Field；

Judge　of　the　Supreme　Court　of　New　South　Wales；　printed　in　Sydney　in　1819

his　〃First　Fruits　of　Australian　Poetry〃；　for　private　circulation。

Field　was　a　friend　of　Charles　Lamb；　who　addressed　to　him　the　letter

printed　in　〃The　Essays　of　Elia〃　under　the　title　of　〃Distant　Correspondents〃。

Lamb　reviewed　the　〃First　Fruits〃　in　‘The　Examiner'；　and　one　wishes

for　his　sake　that　the　verses　were　more　worthy。



The　first　poem　of　any　importance　by　an　Australian　is

William　Charles　Wentworth's　〃Australasia〃；　written　in　1823

at　Cambridge　University　in　competition　for　the　Chancellor's　medal。

There　were　twenty…seven　competitors；　and　the　prize　was　awarded

to　W。　Mackworth　Praed；　Wentworth　being　second　on　the　list。　　Wentworth's　poem

was　printed　in　London　in　the　same　year；　and　shortly　afterwards

in　‘The　Sydney　Gazette'；　the　first　Australian　newspaper。

In　1826　there　was　printed　at　the　Albion　Press；　Sydney；

〃Wild　Notes　from　the　Lyre　of　a　Native　Minstrel〃　by　Charles　Tompson；　Junior；

the　first　verse　of　an　Australian…born　writer　published　in　this　country。

There　was　also　published　in　Sydney　in　1826　a　book　of　verses

by　Dr。　John　Dunmore　Lang；　called　〃Aurora　Australis〃。

Both　Lang　and　Wentworth　afterwards　conducted　newspapers

and　wrote　histories　of　New　South　Wales；　but　their　names　are　more　famous

in　the　political　than　in　the　literary　annals　of　the　country。

At　Hobart　Town　in　1827　appeared　〃The　Van　Diemen's　Land　Warriors；

or　the　Heroes　of　Cornwall〃　by　〃Pindar　Juvenal〃；　the　first　book　of　verse

published　in　Tasmania。　　During　the　next　ten　years　various　poetical　effusions

were　printed　in　the　colonies；　which　are　of　bibliographical　interest

but　of　hardly　any　intrinsic　value。　　Newspapers　had　been　established

at　an　early　date；　but　until　the　end　of　this　period　they　were　little　better

than　news…sheets　or　official　gazettes；　giving　no　opportunities

for　literature。　　The　proportion　of　well…educated　persons　was　small；

the　majority　of　the　free　settlers　being　members　of　the　working　classes；

as　very　few　representatives　of　British　culture　came　willingly　to　this　country

until　after　the　discovery　of　gold。



It　was　not　until　1845　that　the　first　genuine；　though　crude；

Australian　poetry　appeared；　in　the　form　of　a　small　volume　of　sonnets

by　Charles　Harpur；　who　was　born　at　Windsor；　N。S。W。；　in　1817。

He　passed　his　best　years　in　the　lonely　bush；　and　wrote　largely

under　the　influence　of　Wordsworth　and　Shelley。　　He　had　some

imagination　and　poetic　faculty　of　the　contemplative　order；

but　the　disadvantages　of　his　life　were　many。　　Harpur's　best　work

is　in　his　longer　poems；　from　which　extracts　cannot　conveniently　be　given　here。

The　year　1842　had　seen　the　publication　of　Henry　Parkes'　〃Stolen　Moments〃；

the　first　of　a　number　of　volumes　of　verse　which　that　statesman　bravely　issued；

the　last　being　published　just　before　his　eightieth　year。　　The　career　of　Parkes

is　coincident　with　a　long　and　important　period　of　our　history；

in　which　he　is　the　most　striking　figure。　　Not　the　least　interesting

aspect　of　his　character；　which　contained　much　of　rugged　greatness；

was　his　love　of　poetry　and　his　unfailing　kindness　to　the　struggling　writers

of　the　colony。　　Others　who　deserve　remembrance　for　their　services　at　this　time

are　Nicol　D。　Stenhouse　and　Dr。　Woolley。　　Among　the　writers　of　the　period

D。　H。　Deniehy；　Henry　Halloran；　J。　Sheridan　Moore　and　Richard　Rowe

contributed　fairly　good　verse　to　the　newspapers；　the　principal　of　which　were

‘The　Atlas'　（1845…9）；　‘The　Empire'　（1850…8）；　and　two　papers　still　in　existence

　‘The　Freeman's　Journal'　（1850）　and　‘The　Sydney　Morning　Herald'；

which　began　as　‘The　Sydney　Herald'　in　1831。　　None　of　their　writings；　however；

reflected　to　any　appreciable　extent　the　scenery　or　life　of　the　new　country。



With　the　discovery　of　gold　a　new　era　began　for　Australia。

That　event　induced　the　flow　of　a　large　stream　of　immigration；

and　gave　an　enormous　impetus　to　the　development　of　the　colonies。

Among　the　ardent　spirits　attracted　here　were　J。　Lionel　Michael；　Robert　Sealy；

R。　H。　Horne；　the　Howitts；　Henry　Kingsley　and　Adam　Lindsay　Gordon。　　Michael　was

a　friend　of　Millais；　and　an　early　champion　of　the　Pre…Raphaelite　Brotherhood。

Soon　after　his　arrival　in　Sydney　he　abandoned　the　idea　of　digging　for　gold；

and　began　to　practise　again　as　a　solicitor。　　Later　on　he　removed　to　Grafton

on　the　Clarence　River；　there　in　1857　Henry　Kendall；　a　boy　of　16；

found　work　in　his　office；　and　Michael；　discerning　his　promise；

encouraged　him　to　write。　　Most　of　the　boy's　earliest　verses

were　sent　from　Michael's　office　to　Parkes；　who　printed　them

in　his　paper　‘The　Empire'。　　When　Kendall　left　Grafton；

Michael　gave　him　a　letter　of　introduction　to　Stenhouse；

which　brought　him　in　touch　with　the　small　literary　group　in　Sydney；

and　his　first　volume；　〃Poems　and　Songs〃；　was　published　in　Sydney　in　1862。

It　was　not　long　before　he　recognised　the　extreme　weakness

of　most　of　its　contents；　and　did　what　he　could　to　suppress　the　book。

He　sent　specimens　of　his　best　work　to　the　London　‘Athenaeum'；

and　wrote　a　pathetic　letter　to　the　Editor；　which　was　printed

in　the　issue　of　27th　September；　1862；　together　with　some　of　the　poems

and　a　most　kindly　comment。　　Kendall　soon　wrote　again；　sending　more　poems；

and　received　encouraging　notices　in　‘The　Athenaeum'　on　19th　September；　1863；

27th　February；　1864；　and　17th　February；　1866。　　These　form

the　first　favourable　pronouncement　upon　Australian　poetry

by　an　English　critical　journal　of　importance。　　Their　stimulating　effect

upon　Kendall　was　very　great。　　From　the　indifference　of　the　many

and　the　carping　criticisms　of　some　of　the　magnates　here；

he　had　appealed　to　one　of　the　highest　literary　authorities　in　England；

and　received　praise　beyond　his　wildest　expectations。



Meanwhile　the　colony　of　Victoria；　which　began　its　independent　career　in　1851；

had　been　advancing　even　more　rapidly　than　New　South　Wales。

‘The　Argus'　newspaper　had　been　in　existence　since　1846；　and　other　periodicals

sprang　up　in　Melbourne　which　gave　further　scope　to　letters。

‘The　Australasian'　was　established　in　1854；　and　soon　became

the　most　important　literary　journal　in　Australia。　　Adam　Lindsay　Gordon；

who　had　landed　in　Adelaide　in　the　same　year　as　Henry　Kingsley　　1853　

published　a　little　book　of　verse　in　1864　at　Mt。　Gambier；　S。A。；

and　began　to　contribute　verses　to　a　Melbourne　sporting　paper　in　1866。

These　were　printed　anonymously；　and　attracted　some　attention；

but　a　collection　of　his　ballads　　〃Sea　Spray　and　Smoke　Drift〃　

brought　very　little　praise　and　no　profit。　　Marcus　Clarke　came　to　Melbourne

in　1864；　and　soon　afterwards　began　to　write　for　‘The　Argus'　and　other　papers。

About　the　same　time　the　presence　of　R。　H。　Horne；　the　distinguished　author

of　〃Orion〃；　in　Melbourne　lent　a　lustre　to　that　city；

which　was　for　the　time　the　literary　centre　of　Australia。

Horne　corresponded　with　Kendall；　and　contributed　to　a　paper

edited　by　Deniehy　in　Sydney　　‘The　Southern　Cross'　（1859…60）。

He　was　the　presiding　genius　of　the　literary　gatherings

at　Dwight's　book…shop　in　Melbourne；　and　no　doubt　exercised

a　beneficial　influence　upon　the　writers　around　him。



In　1870；　after　a　series　of　crushing　disappointments；　Gordon　committed　suicide。

His　dramatic　end　awakened　sympathy　and　gave　an　additional　interest

to　his　writings。　　It　was　soon　found　that　in　the　city　and　the　bush

many　of　his　spirited　racing　ballads　were　well　known。　　The　virile；

athletic　tone　of　his　verse；　which　taught

　　

　　　　〃How　a　man　should　uphold　the　sports　of　his　land

　　　　And　strike　his　best　with　a　strong　right　hand

　　　　　　　And　take　his　strokes　in　return〃　

　　

and　the　practical　philosophy；　summed　up　in　the　well…known　quatrain　

　　

　　　　〃Life　is　mostly　froth　and　bubble；

　　　　　　　Two　things　stand　like　stone；

　　　　Kindness　in　another's　trouble；

　　　　　　　Courage　in　your　own〃　

　　

appeal　strongly　to　Australians。　　Gordon's　work　cannot　be　considered

as　peculiarly　Australian　in　character；　but　much　of　it　is　concerned

with　the　horse；　and　all　of　it　is　a…throb　with　the　manly；　reckless　personality

of　the　writer。　　Horses　and　horse…racing　are　especially　interesting

to　Australians；　the　Swinburnian　rush　of　Gordon's　ballads　charms　their　ear；

and　in　many　respects　he　embodies　their　ideal　of　a　man。

There　are　few　Australians　who　do　not　know　some　of　his　poems；

even　if　they　know　no　others；　and　his　influence　upon　subsequent　writers

has　been　very　great。



Brunton　Stephens；　who　came　to　Queensland　in　1866；　wrote　there　a　long　poem

called　〃Convict　O