an anthology of australian verse-第3节

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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　Once〃　which；　when　published　in　London　in　1871；

gained　high　praise　from　competent　critics；　and　gave　the　author

an　academic　reputation。　　A　little　book　of　humorous　verses

issued　in　Melbourne　in　1873　almost　immediately　became　popular；

and　a　later　volume　of　〃Miscellaneous　Poems〃　（1880）；　containing　some

fine　patriotic　utterances　as　well　as　many　in　lighter　vein；

established　him　as　one　of　our　chief　singers。



The　first　important　poem　from　New　Zealand　　Domett's　〃Ranolf　and　Amohia〃　

was　published　in　London　in　1872。　　Domett　spent　thirty　years　in　New　Zealand。

He　wrote　a　good　deal　of　verse　before　leaving　England　and　after　his　return；

but　〃Ranolf　and　Amohia〃　is　the　only　poem　showing　traces

of　Australian　influence。　　It　is　a　miscellany　in　verse　rather　than　an　epic；

and　contains　some　fine　descriptions　of　New　Zealand　scenery。



The　death　of　Kendall　in　Sydney　in　1882　closed　what　may　be　regarded

as　the　second　literary　period。　　He　had　published　his　finest　work

in　〃Songs　from　the　Mountains〃　（1880）；　and　had　the　satisfaction　of　knowing

that　it　was　a　success；　financially　and　otherwise。　　Kendall's　audience

is　not　so　large　as　Gordon's；　but　it　is　a　steadily　growing　one；

and　many　readers　who　have　been　affected　by　his　musical　verse

hold　the　ill…fated　singer　in　more　tender　regard　than　any　other。

He　lived　at　a　time　when　Australians　had　not　learned　to　think　it　possible

that　any　good　thing　in　art　could　come　out　of　Australia；

and　were　too　fully　occupied　with　things　of　the　market…place

to　concern　themselves　much　about　literature。



Several　attempts　have　been　made　to　maintain　magazines　and　reviews

in　Sydney　and　Melbourne；　but　none　of　them　could　compete　successfully

with　the　imported　English　periodicals。　　‘The　Colonial　Monthly'；

‘The　Melbourne　Review'；　‘The　Sydney　Quarterly'；　and　‘The　Centennial　Magazine'

were　the　most　important　of　these。　　They　cost　more　to　produce

than　their　English　models；　and　the　fact　that　their　contents　were　Australian

was　not　sufficient　in　itself　to　obtain　for　them　adequate　support。

Newspapers　have　played　a　far　more　important　part　in　our　literary　world。

‘The　Australasian'；　‘Sydney　Mail'　and　‘Queenslander'　have　done　a　good　deal

to　encourage　local　writers；　but　the　most　powerful　influence

has　been　that　of　‘The　Bulletin'；　started　in　Sydney　in　1880。

Its　racy；　irreverent　tone　and　its　humour　are　characteristically　Australian；

and　through　its　columns　the　first　realistic　Australian　verse　of　any　importance

　the　writings　of　Henry　Lawson　and　A。　B。　Paterson　　became　widely　known。

When　published　in　book　form；　their　verses　met　with　phenomenal　success；

Paterson's　〃The　Man　from　Snowy　River〃　（1895）　having　already　attained

a　circulation　of　over　thirty　thousand　copies。　　It　is　the　first

of　a　long　series　of　volumes；　issued　during　the　last　ten　years；　whose　character

is　far　more　distinctively　Australian　than　that　of　their　predecessors。

Their　number　and　success　are　evidences　of　the　lively　interest　taken

by　the　present　generation　here　in　its　native　literature。



Australia　has　now　come　of　age；　and　is　becoming　conscious

of　its　strength　and　its　possibilities。　　Its　writers　to…day　are；　as　a　rule；

self…reliant　and　hopeful。　　They　have　faith　in　their　own　country；

they　write　of　it　as　they　see　it；　and　of　their　work　and　their　joys　and　fears；

in　simple；　direct　language。　　It　may　be　that　none　of　it　is　poetry

in　the　grand　manner；　and　that　some　of　it　is　lacking　in　technical　finish；

but　it　is　a　vivid　and　faithful　portrayal　of　Australia；　and　its　ruggedness

is　in　character。　　It　is　hoped　that　this　selection　from　the　verse　that　has　been

written　up　to　the　present　time　will　be　found　a　not　unworthy　contribution

to　the　great　literature　of　the　English…speaking　peoples。











William　Charles　Wentworth。







　　Australasia





Celestial　poesy！　whose　genial　sway

Earth's　furthest　habitable　shores　obey；

Whose　inspirations　shed　their　sacred　light；

Far　as　the　regions　of　the　Arctic　night；

And　to　the　Laplander　his　Boreal　gleam

Endear　not　less　than　Phoebus'　brighter　beam；　

Descend　thou　also　on　my　native　land；

And　on　some　mountain…summit　take　thy　stand；

Thence　issuing　soon　a　purer　font　be　seen

Than　charmed　Castalia　or　famed　Hippocrene；

And　there　a　richer；　nobler　fane　arise；

Than　on　Parnassus　met　the　adoring　eyes。

And　tho'；　bright　goddess；　on　the　far　blue　hills；

That　pour　their　thousand　swift　pellucid　rills

Where　Warragamba's　rage　has　rent　in　twain

Opposing　mountains；　thundering　to　the　plain；

No　child　of　song　has　yet　invoked　thy　aid

'Neath　their　primeval　solitary　shade；　

Still；　gracious　Pow'r；　some　kindling　soul　inspire；

To　wake　to　life　my　country's　unknown　lyre；

That　from　creation's　date　has　slumbering　lain；

Or　only　breathed　some　savage　uncouth　strain；

And　grant　that　yet　an　Austral　Milton's　song

Pactolus…like　flow　deep　and　rich　along；　

An　Austral　Shakespeare　rise；　whose　living　page

To　nature　true　may　charm　in　ev'ry　age；　

And　that　an　Austral