The Poets Of The Tomb by Henry Lawson

[Mal McLean]

Thank you Heather.

[Stephen Whiteside]

There is a reference to Hannah Thorburn in the poem 'Do You Think That I Do Not Know?'

"She was buried in Brighton where Gordon sleeps."

This is poetic license. The Gordon referred to is Adam Lindsay Gordon, who was indeed buried at Brighton Cemetery. However, Hannah was buried at Kew Cemetery.

The short story, "That Pretty Girl in the Army" is a sketch of Hannah Thorburn. (The 'Army' is the Salvation Army.)

Lawson's dash from England to be at Hannah's deathbed was a hash all around. At first he didn't want to leave his family in England and betray his love for Hannah to his wife. Eventually, he did decide to leave, but left his run too late. As Heather says, Hannah died before he got there - a complete all-round stuff-up.

[Heather]

Stephen I read recently that Lawson's poem Ruth was also based on Hannah.

You also asked if I thought Lawson's poetry was influenced by his deafness. Have a read of these two stanzas from Ruth. Very telling I think.

And a lad with a cloud on his heart who was lost in a world vague and dim—
No one dreamed as he drifted apart that ’twas genius the matter with him;
Who was doomed, in that ignorant hole, to its spiritless level to sink,
Till the iron had entered his soul, and his brain found a refuge in drink.

Perhaps I was bitter because of the tongues of disgrace in the town—
Of a boy-nature misunderstood and its nobler ambitions sneered
Of the sense of injustice that stings till it ends in the creed of the push—
I was born in that shadow that clings to the old gully homes in the bush.
And I was ambitious. Perhaps as a boy I could see things too plain—
How I wished I could write of the truths—of the visions—that haunted my brain!
Of the bush-buried toiler denied e’en the last loving comforts of all—
Of my father who slaved till he died in the scrub by his wedges and maul.

[Stephen Whiteside]

I suppose I'm thinking of two ways the deafness might affect him - one, which seems prominent here - by driving him back inwards on himself. The other - less prominent here - by forcing him to observe greater details with his eyes to compensate for his aural deficiency. Very sad - though beautiful and very insightful of him - to suggest that 'genius' is another disability. It must be socially isolating, compounding the effect of the deafness.

[Heather]

Perhaps, Stephen, the deafness, by making him more introverted, made him "think" more rather than "see" more.

I can see how genius would be a disability. I know someone that fits that description.

Heather

[Stephen Whiteside]

Interesting thought.