an anthology of australian verse-第3章

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imagination　and　poetic　faculty　of　the　contemplative　order；

but　the　disadvantages　of　his　life　were　many。　　Harpur's　best　work

is　in　his　longer　poems；　from　which　extracts　cannot　conveniently　be　given　here。

The　year　1842　had　seen　the　publication　of　Henry　Parkes'　〃Stolen　Moments〃；

the　first　of　a　number　of　volumes　of　verse　which　that　statesman　bravely　issued；

the　last　being　published　just　before　his　eightieth　year。　　The　career　of　Parkes

is　coincident　with　a　long　and　important　period　of　our　history；

in　which　he　is　the　most　striking　figure。　　Not　the　least　interesting

aspect　of　his　character；　which　contained　much　of　rugged　greatness；

was　his　love　of　poetry　and　his　unfailing　kindness　to　the　struggling　writers

of　the　colony。　　Others　who　deserve　remembrance　for　their　services　at　this　time

are　Nicol　D。　Stenhouse　and　Dr。　Woolley。　　Among　the　writers　of　the　period

D。　H。　Deniehy；　Henry　Halloran；　J。　Sheridan　Moore　and　Richard　Rowe

contributed　fairly　good　verse　to　the　newspapers；　the　principal　of　which　were

‘The　Atlas'　（1845…9）；　‘The　Empire'　（1850…8）；　and　two　papers　still　in　existence

　‘The　Freeman's　Journal'　（1850）　and　‘The　Sydney　Morning　Herald'；

which　began　as　‘The　Sydney　Herald'　in　1831。　　None　of　their　writings；　however；

reflected　to　any　appreciable　extent　the　scenery　or　life　of　the　new　country。



With　the　discovery　of　gold　a　new　era　began　for　Australia。

That　event　induced　the　flow　of　a　large　stream　of　immigration；

and　gave　an　enormous　impetus　to　the　development　of　the　colonies。

Among　the　ardent　spirits　attracted　here　were　J。　Lionel　Michael；　Robert　Sealy；

R。　H。　Horne；　the　Howitts；　Henry　Kingsley　and　Adam　Lindsay　Gordon。　　Michael　was

a　friend　of　Millais；　and　an　early　champion　of　the　Pre…Raphaelite　Brotherhood。

Soon　after　his　arrival　in　Sydney　he　abandoned　the　idea　of　digging　for　gold；

and　began　to　practise　again　as　a　solicitor。　　Later　on　he　removed　to　Grafton

on　the　Clarence　River；　there　in　1857　Henry　Kendall；　a　boy　of　16；

found　work　in　his　office；　and　Michael；　discerning　his　promise；

encouraged　him　to　write。　　Most　of　the　boy's　earliest　verses

were　sent　from　Michael's　office　to　Parkes；　who　printed　them

in　his　paper　‘The　Empire'。　　When　Kendall　left　Grafton；

Michael　gave　him　a　letter　of　introduction　to　Stenhouse；

which　brought　him　in　touch　with　the　small　literary　group　in　Sydney；

and　his　first　volume；　〃Poems　and　Songs〃；　was　published　in　Sydney　in　1862。

It　was　not　long　before　he　recognised　the　extreme　weakness

of　most　of　its　contents；　and　did　what　he　could　to　suppress　the　book。

He　sent　specimens　of　his　best　work　to　the　London　‘Athenaeum'；

and　wrote　a　pathetic　letter　to　the　Editor；　which　was　printed

in　the　issue　of　27th　September；　1862；　together　with　some　of　the　poems

and　a　most　kindly　comment。　　Kendall　soon　wrote　again；　sending　more　poems；

and　received　encouraging　notices　in　‘The　Athenaeum'　on　19th　September；　1863；

27th　February；　1864；　and　17th　February；　1866。　　These　form

the　first　favourable　pronouncement　upon　Australian　poetry

by　an　English　critical　journal　of　importance。　　Their　stimulating　effect

upon　Kendall　was　very　great。　　From　the　indifference　of　the　many

and　the　carping　criticisms　of　some　of　the　magnates　here；

he　had　appealed　to　one　of　the　highest　literary　authorities　in　England；

and　received　praise　beyond　his　wildest　expectations。



Meanwhile　the　colony　of　Victoria；　which　began　its　independent　career　in　1851；

had　been　advancing　even　more　rapidly　than　New　South　Wales。

‘The　Argus'　newspaper　had　been　in　existence　since　1846；　and　other　periodicals

sprang　up　in　Melbourne　which　gave　further　scope　to　letters。

‘The　Australasian'　was　established　in　1854；　and　soon　became

the　most　important　literary　journal　in　Australia。　　Adam　Lindsay　Gordon；

who　had　landed　in　Adelaide　in　the　same　year　as　Henry　Kingsley　　1853　

published　a　little　book　of　verse　in　1864　at　Mt。　Gambier；　S。A。；

and　began　to　contribute　verses　to　a　Melbourne　sporting　paper　in　1866。

These　were　printed　anonymously；　and　attracted　some　attention；

but　a　collection　of　his　ballads　　〃Sea　Spray　and　Smoke　Drift〃　

brought　very　little　praise　and　no　profit。　　Marcus　Clarke　came　to　Melbourne

in　1864；　and　soon　afterwards　began　to　write　for　‘The　Argus'　and　other　papers。

About　the　same　time　the　presence　of　R。　H。　Horne；　the　distinguished　author

of　〃Orion〃；　in　Melbourne　lent　a　lustre　to　that　city；

which　was　for　the　time　the　literary　centre　of　Australia。

Horne　corresponded　with　Kendall；　and　contributed　to　a　paper

edited　by　Deniehy　in　Sydney　　‘The　Southern　Cross'　（1859…60）。

He　was　the　presiding　genius　of　the　literary　gatherings

at　Dwight's　book…shop　in　Melbourne；　and　no　doubt　exercised

a　beneficial　influence　upon　the　writers　around　him。



In　1870；　after　a　series　of　crushing　disappointments；　Gordon　committed　suicide。

His　dramatic　end　awakened　sympathy　and　gave　an　additional　interest

to　his　writings。　　It　was　soon　found　that　in　the　city　and　the　bush

many　of　his　spirited　racing　ballads　were　well　known。　　The　virile；

athletic　tone　of　his　verse；　which　taught

　　

　　　　〃How　a　man　should　uphold　the　sports　of　his　land

　　　　And　strike　his　best　with　a　strong　right　hand

　　　　　　　And　take　his　strokes　in　return〃　

　　

and　the　practical　philosophy；　summed　up　in　the　well…known　quatrain　

　　

　　　　〃Life　is　mostly　froth　and　bubble；

　　　　　　　Two　things　stand　like　stone；

　　　　Kindness　in　another's　trouble；

　　　　　　　Courage　in　your　own〃　

　　

appeal　strongly　to　Australians。　　Gordon's　work　cannot　be　considered

as　peculiarly　Australian　in　character；　but　much　of　it　is　concerned

with　the　horse；　and　all　of　it　is　a…throb　with　the　manly；　reckless　personality

of　the　writer。　　Horses　and　horse…racing　are　especially　interesting

to　Australians；　the　Swinburnian　rush　of　Gordon's　ballads　charms　their　ear；

and　in　many　respects　he　embodies　their　ideal　of　a　man。

There　are　few　Australians　who　do　not　know　some　of　his　poems；

even　if　they　know　no　others；　and　his　influence　upon　subsequent　writers

has　been　very　great。



Brunton　Stephens；　who　came　to　Queensland　in　1866；　wrote　there　a　long　poem

called　〃Convict　Once〃　which；　when　published　in　London　in　1871；

gained　high　praise　from　competent　critics；　and　gave　the　author

an　academic　reputation。　　A　little　book　of　humorous　verses

issued　in　Melbourne　in　1873　almost　immediately　became　popular；

and　a　later　volume　of　〃Miscellaneous　Poems〃　（1880）；　containing　some

fine　patriotic　utterances　as　well　as　many　in　lighter　vein；

established　him　as　one　of　our　chief　singers。



The　first　important　poem　from　New　Zealand　　Domett's　〃Ranolf　and　Amohia〃　

was　published　in　London　in　1872。　　Domett　spent　thirty　years　in　New　Zealand。

He　wrote　a　good　deal　of　verse　before　leaving　England　and　after　his　return；

but　〃Ranolf　and　Amohia〃　is　the　only　poem　showing　traces

of　Australian　influence。　　It　is　a　miscellany　in　verse　rather　than　an　epic；

and　contains　some　fine　descriptions　of　New　Zealand　scenery。



The　death　of　Kendall　in　Sydney　in　1882　closed　what　may　be　regarded

as　the　second　literary　period。　　He　had　published　his　finest　work

in　〃Songs　from　the　Mountains〃　（1880）；　and　had　the　satisfaction　of　knowing

that　it　was　a　success；　financially　and　otherwise。　　Kendall's　audience

is　not　so　large　as　Gordon's；　but　it　is　a　steadily　growing　one；

and　many　readers　who　have　been　affected　by　his　musical　verse

hold　the　ill…fated　singer　in　more　tender　regard　than　any　other。

He　lived　at　a　time　when　Australians　had　not　learned　to　think　it　possible

that　any　good　thing　in　art　could　come　out　of　Australia；

and　were　too　fully　occupied　with　things　of　the　market…place

to　concern　themselves　much　about　literature。



Several　attempts　have　been　made　to　maintain　magazines　and　reviews

in　Sydney　and　Melbourne；　but　none　of　them　could　compete　successfully

with　the　imported　English　periodicals。　　‘The　Colonial　Monthly'；

‘The　Melbourne　Review'；　‘The　Sydney　Quarterly'；　and　‘The　Centennial　Magazine'

were　the　most　important　of　these。　　They　cost　more　to　produce

than　their　English　models；　and　the　fact　that　their　contents　were　A