"Bush" poetry

[Heather]

I read with interest the comments by BadgerBob about what constitutes "bush poetry" (Introductions). That got me thinking (dangerous, I know).

Poetry about Australians and the Australian way of life. But does that mean we should only write about shearers, dying drovers and their faithful dogs? Does it mean that we should be pointed in our poems and make sure the reader knows it is about Australia?

Would anyone here deny that Henry Lawson wrote bush poetry? Poems like The Roaring Days and The Lights of Cobb and Co. are clearly about the Australian way of life - in the time of Lawson.

Take The Faces in the Street by Lawson. No where in that poem does Henry Lawson mention Australia or Australians, it could be placed anywhere and yet is is an iconic Australian bush poem. Does that then disqualify it from being a "bush poem"? While Lawson wrote a lot about the bush, he also wrote poems about the people in his life : To Jim, a poem to his son, Bertha, a poem about his daughter and To Hannah to name a few. Are they not bush poems?

Heather

[Heather]

Here's a little example of Lawson. This could be anywhere.

Rain in the Mountains
Henry Lawson

The Valley's full of misty cloud,
Its tinted beauty drowning,
Tree tops are veiled in fleecy shrouds,
The mountain fronts are frowning.

The mist is hanging like a pall
From many granite ledges,
And many a little waterfall
Leaps o’er the valley’s edges.

The sky is of a leaden grey,
Save where the north is surly,
The driven daylight speeds away,
And night comes o’er us early.

Dear love, the rain will pass full soon,
Far sooner than my sorrow,
And in a golden afternoon
The sun may set to-morrow.

[Heather]

You shouldn't cop flack Marty, you have valid points. I know my poem Mirth would not be considered "bushy". However, it was written by an Australian, does have rhyme and metre and to me is about the Australian bush - I see all those images in an Australian setting - I've just used different words to describe it. That is why I found some of Lawson's poems interesting because I don't think there would be a person alive who would say his poetry isn't bush poetry - I included his poem Rain in the Mountains for that reason - again, a bit like my Mirth - whimsical and descriptive and not masculine and "bush".

I don't have the experience of drovers and shearing and wouldn't try to write about it. I, like most of us, write about what I know - as Lawson, Paterson etc did - in their time and their way.

Should we therefore call it "Australian rhyming" poetry? When I spoke to Marty the other day he said the kids he went to talk to in the primary school all thought that "bush poetry" was about the bush.

[Bob Pacey]

I think you are both thinking too much !!!!!

And or australians or Australian way of life covers most .

If every poem had perfect rhyme or metre we would all be winners ? No ?

Most like me are still learning and I hope getting better at our craft, as Marty says learn what you can from all the pieces and poets on the site and enjoy writing.



Bob

[Cobber]

G'day folks.

This is my first communication. I'm not very computer literate & just feeling my way around. So, just to join the conversation:

Most likely the "old masters" thought of themselves simply as "poets". Rhyming poetry was common in those days. Judging by what we learnt at school, there was a wealth of rhyming poetry from the British Isles as well as Australia. Now-days it seems to be mainly us bush poets who love rhythm & rhyme.

Perhaps "Australian rhyming poetry" would be a better description, but "bush poetry" will do me. Whether bush or city, there's a certain language style that marks a poem as "Australian" & makes it enjoyable for lovers of bush poetry.

Although not Australian, Rudyard Kipling saw a fair bit of bush. He wrote in a style that could easily be mistaken for bush poetry. I count him as an "honorary" old master of our hobby.

Regards,

Cobber

[Heather]

Welcome Cobber and good to see you joining in. The site is easy to navigate once you get the hang of it. We'll be gentle - well, I can't speak for Bobbo (that's the original Bob, not BadgerBob or Sandy Bob) or Marty, but the girls are all gentle!

It all boils down to what you like and what you don't doesn't it in the end? Plenty of variation here for everyone to find something they can enjoy...

Do you want to tell us a bit about yourself in the "Introductions" section?

Heather

[Robyn]

I feel we are really limiting ourselves if we stick to bullock drays, droughts and the outback sort of bush poetry. Paterson, Lawson et al wrote about what they saw and felt in their daily lives, and I think modern bush poets can do the same. Lawson's When Your Pants Begin To Go isn't about the bush, but is a reflection about his life. So Heather I see you Mirth poem as a bush poem, and a good one!

[Heather]

When your pants begin to go was another one that I thought of Robyn and there are plenty of others. His poems to his children and about Hannah are personal. I totally agree with you, we should write about what we "know" and about today's current circumstances and events and what we "feel" just as Lawson et al did - otherwise people in 100 years won't have anything to know our times by...

We know all of Lawson's poetry as "bush poetry" even though it isn't all about the bush and bush themes. We assume that his poetry is about Australia because he was Australian. Perhaps "traditional poetry" would be a more encompassing term.

Thanks Robyn.... I feel I write "bush poetry" - it has metre, it has rhyme, it is about Australia by an Australian. I guess it boils down to the topics and style that appeals. Some like the more bush themed (more masculine) poems but some are able to appreciate the more descriptive ones. I don't want to limit myself to bush type topics or styles and think there is room in poetry for the reader to make their own interpretation - it shouldn't always have to be spelt out in fine detail.

I know, I know. Bob thinks I think too much. Some might think I talk too much. I'll go now shall I?

[Zondrae]

G'day Cobber,

Welcome to the site. I'm not into nicknames and prefer to know the first name of the person I am addressing. (but that's just me). You are warmly welcome whatever you wish to be called. Always good to have new people giving thoughts and posting poems to read. If you write we would be keen to see some of your poetry. As Heather has suggested, it would be a good idea to post some info in the introductions section, eg what area you live in, if you attend any festivals or have had success in any writing or performance competitions. What are your interests beside poetry and so on.

Regarding the matter of what to call our genre... When it was first suggested to me that I should join the ABPA, (in about 2005) I replied "but I'm a city girl and don't write about the bush either." Then I read the definition that the ABPA put forward to define a 'bush' poem and I joined up. I still feel that my style would be better defined as 'contemporary rhyming' poetry. I suppose to really define it I would include 'Australian', that way the odd bit of slang or idiosyncratic language would be explained.

I still don't understand the attitude I have encountered in some poets who have drawn themselves up to their tallest and (looking down their nose) declare "I write rhyming poetry but I am NOT a bush poet". Has anyone else encountered this?

[Bob Pacey]

Yep Zondrae you get that occassionally even from FREE VERSE poets but I take that as a challange to display our genre in the best light possible. I'm now a member of a couple of mixed writing groups and we alll get a chance to present our art be it poetry or short stories and it is always well accepted.



I gave a short talk at a u3a university gathering a few weeks back and one comment was, I saw a whole new side to Bob pacey today !

Cheers Bob

Never knew you did not like nicknames ??????? Or Hats ???