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| Perhaps I might add, "Try to always write on a subject you know and understand. I have seen some wonderful poems written by city dwellers on shearing sheds or droving trips that were spoilt by one glaring blunder. I hasten to add that the city blokes write just as well as the bushies, but they must write on topics they understand. Some poets do, of course, research their subject very diligently and gain an amazing amount of knowledge. However, there is usually something like the way a good horse grinds the bit between his teeth. the smell of a shearing shed after sheep have been locked up all night, or the eerie echo of a fox s bark as he scouts the scrub at night that escapes them. These things can only be fully understood by those who have accepted them as part of every day life—no amount of research reaches quite that far. A look at Bruce Simpson's poems will show you the importance of authenticity. I am wary of writing a poem about the sea or a trip to China, for example, as I do not fully understand such things. Of course it is not unusual to see a judge who does not understand these things, either—thus it is possible to see a poem with ignorance of subject win a prize."
I believe the writing of Bush Verse is now of a higher standard than at any other time during the twenty-five years I have been competing in competitions. Many good writers are emerging, apart from the old stayers still plugging away. There are a increasing number of poets making their presence felt in Bush Verse competitions throughout Australia.
Ellis Campbell |
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