Snippet for Stephen Whiteside

[Neville Briggs]

I thought Stephen ( and others ? ) might be interested in this bit of trivia. I often listen to a program on the ABC Radio national called Poetica.

They usually put on modernist poets' works.

A while ago they broadcast a program of World War 1 poems. I have only just listened to it and I was surprised to find that they included a reading of The Call of Stoush by C.J. Dennis.

I think this is the first time I have ever heard one of the " bush " poets recited on this program.

[Stephen Whiteside]

Thanks for this, Neville.

Yes, you are right, of course. I have listened to Poetica from time to time. Free verse reigns supreme, without a doubt. I imagine the programme organisers, quite reasonably, acknowledged that WW1 was still the era of rhyming verse - though all that was about to change. Nobody can reasonably deny Dennis a place in the poetry of that period.

[Neville Briggs]

The reading was done expertly by a professional actor, and as you probably know The Call of Stoush, is one of Dennis's Ginger Mick series including all the difficult phonetic argot.
I think it is difficult, I struggle with it.

[Stephen Whiteside]

That's good to hear. Yes, all of Dennis' long slang poems are a bit of a challenge.