Children in bush poetry

[Stephen Whiteside]

What about children in bush poetry?

The first that comes to mind is 'Maginnis Magee' from 'A Bush Christening'.

'Youths' are common. They feature in 'The Man from Ironbark', and even TMFSR was a pretty young fella, but primary aged children and younger, less so.

[Robyn]

There's Dacey in Banjo Paterson's When Dacey Rode the Mule, which I have heard was written about an incident in Binalong.
Anybody else heard that?
Cheers
Robyn

[Peely]

Hello Robyn

I had heard that "When Dacey Rode the Mule" was based on an event from Paterson's childhood bat Binalong - I am not sure what the source was though.

Otherwise, in answer to Stephen's question,

it is another Paterson poem that sticks in my head that includes a child, "Over the Range". The girl in that one seems to be a sweet, innocent little girl that has lost her parents explaining to an adult where her parents have gone after they have died. From Paterson's descriptions, I would say she is a child of primary school age.

Another one is (even though it may be looked at as being racist by some) is "Frying Pan's Theology".

Regards


John Peel

[Stephen Whiteside]

Thank you for introducing me to these poems, Robyn and John.

Interesting that the last one is thought of as racist. It is most definitely of its time, but it strikes me as a very accurate observation, containing no malice.

Of course, C. J. Dennis 'Book for Kids' is full of children, but that's cheating, isn't it. Still, I love the child narrator of 'The Swagman'.

[Heather]

Henry Lawson's -- Bertha (his daughter), The Route March, The Water Lily.

[Stephen Whiteside]

Thanks for these, Heather. I should have thought of 'The Water Lily'.

I'm confused, though. Bertha was his wife. Did also have a daughter called Bertha? (I see his wife's mother was also called Bertha, so I guess that would make sense.) Is there a poem called 'Bertha'?

[Heather]

And the one I couldn't think of before but is probably the most touching: Brighten's Sister-in-law by Lawson.

Henry Lawson had a son Joseph Henry (Jim) and daughter Bertha Marie Louise (born in New Zealand) and a third child was stillborn.

Lawson wrote a touching poem about his daughter Bertha (can't find it on the net) and also one to his son "To Jim".

[Heather]

To Jim
Henry Lawson

gaze upon my son once more,
With eyes and heart that tire,
As solemnly he stands before
The screen drawn round the fire;
With hands behind clasped hand in hand,
Now loosely and now fast—
Just as his fathers used to stand
For generations past.
A fair and slight and childish form,
And big brown thoughtful eyes—
God help him! for a life of storm
And stress before him lies:
A wanderer and a gipsy wild,
I’ve learnt the world and know,
For I was such another child—
Ah, many years ago!

But in those dreamy eyes of him
There is no hint of doubt—
I wish that you could tell me, Jim,
The things you dream about.
Dream on, my son, that all is true
And things not what they seem—
’Twill be a bitter day for you
When wakened from your dream.

You are a child of field and flood,
But with the gipsy strains
A strong Norwegian sailor’s blood
Is running through your veins.
Be true, and slander never stings,
Be straight, and all may frown—
You’ll have the strength to grapple things
That dragged your father down.

These lines I write with bitter tears
And failing heart and hand,
But you will read in after years,
And you will understand:
You’ll hear the slander of the crowd,
They’ll whisper tales of shame,
But days will come when you’ll be proud
To bear your father’s name.

But oh! beware of bitterness
When you are wronged, my lad—
I wish I had the faith in men
And women that I had!
’Tis better far (for I have felt
The sadness in my song)
To trust all men and still be wronged
Than to trust none and wrong.

Be generous and still do good
And banish while you live
The spectre of ingratitude
That haunts the ones who give.
But if the crisis comes at length
That your future might be marred,
Strike hard, my son, with all your strength!
For your own self’s sake, strike hard!

[Stephen Whiteside]

It's a bitter-sweet piece, isn't it, Heather. I suppose he is writing as much to a younger version of himself as he is to is son - who one would imagine is not much more than a toddler at time of writing. There's some sound advice there, but also some pretty frightening stuff, too.

I know the story 'Brighten's Sister-in-Law'. I didn't know he also wrote it as a poem, though I know he did do that a lot.

[Heather]

There is so much of Henry in his poems Stephen. I'll type up Bertha because I can't find it on the net. It can't be all that well known but it is a beautiful piece.

Heather