Oxford Book of Australasian Verse
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Oxf ord Book Of Au stralasian Verse Chosen by Walte r Mu rdoch Humph rey Milford Oxf ord Uni versity Press London Edinburgh Glasgow New York Toronto Me lbourne Cape Town Bombay I 9 I 8 P in e d Ox o d En l nd r t at f r , g a Fre derick Hall Prin ter to th e Unive rsity AL FRED DEAKIN G T U OU T O T SA ES OF CO NSELLORS , S NDES F CRI ICS , AND K T F RI END S TH B K I S I INDES OF , IS OO OFFERED N THE HO P E THAT HE W I L L FI ND ON I TS P AGES N OTHIN G U NWORTHY OF THE COUNTRY HE HAS LOVED SO FERVENTLY AND SO FAITHFU LLY SERVED PREFA CE of HAD thought of making, by way introduction to this volume , a critical survey of Australasian poetry ; but I have decided to refrain . After all , the anthologist must needs play the critic from begin ning to end of his work of selection and rejection : what of of h is need , then , any further airing likes and dis l ? ikes Besides , the book is mainly intended for readers w orld re ade rs in other parts of the , interested in Australia Ze and New aland , but as yet unacquainted with the literatures of these countries ; and it seems to me de cidedly best to allow such readers t o come straight to the poems themselves , Without the intervention of is as any editorial prosings . Here a selection , fairly to representative as I knew how make it , from the mass of verse written by Australians and New Z e a ~ or so — landers during the last hundred years , arranged , roughly, in chronological order , beginning with Went worth , whose vigorous rhetoric has an eighteenth on century ring in it , and ending a very distinct PREFACE - twentieth century note . From this gathering the — — reader Will or so I he pe b e able to get a fair idea of the kind of poetry these lands have been fashioning . It sa h ow is for him to y he likes it I , at least , will not commit the impertinence of telling him how he ought to like it . As for Australasian readers W h o already know and ow n 0 value their literature, I cannot h pe that the book of will please many them . They will blame the editor both for his exclusions and for his inclusions . They are old certain to miss many favourites . Apart from ff on e the established fact that tastes di er, I have but excuse to off er for my misdeeds : my omission of certain names—and those among the most widely — popular in their ow n land is due neither to negligence ’ nor of on to a lack appreciation the editor s part , but simply and solely to the inexorable necessities of copyright . For the most part , however , both publishers and authors have been kindness itself, and my last duty, before standing aside and letting the poets come forward , is to record my indebtedness . The Lothian Book Publishing Company has kindly allowed me to cull What I would from the books of William Gay, ’ e h cot t O D owd Sydney J p , Bernard , M . Forrest , wf c R . Cra ord , Frank Williamson , Dorothy Mc rae , c . t t Hugh Mc rae , E J Brady, M E J Pit , Huber PREFACE Church , J . Le Gay Brereton , and Louis Esson . Messrs . Whitcombe 8c Tombs gave similar permission with regard to Arthur H . Adams and Jessie Mackay ; Co . t o Messrs George Robertson , With regard H . C . Kendall , Mary Gilmore , and Elsie Cole ; the Co Bulletin Newspaper . , with regard to Roderic Quinn , James Hebblethwaite, and Louise Mack ; Messrs . 8c . Melville Mullen , with regard to J L Cuthbert ’ son ; and the Australasian Authors Agency, With regard to Dorothea Mackellar . Mr . A . G . Stephens kindly agreed to the inclusion of poems by Shaw . S . Neilson , C H outer, and J P Bourke, the copyright of which he controls . To most of the living writers represented in the book, I am indebted for permission . 8: to quote their poems . To Messrs Geo Allen 8: Co Unwin , Messrs . Constable . , Messrs . J . M . Dent 8c . 8: Sons , Mr William Heinemann , Messrs Macmillan Co o . C . , and Messrs Sampson Low, Marston , I am ’ of indebted for confirmation authors permissions . In some few cases I have had to take the permission f or e granted , not being able to discover their pres nt e whereabouts . Som where in France is, in this ou r present year of war , the address of a good many of t o younger poets a fact which, though satisfactory f or the patriot , is awkward for the anthologist . If or this reason , through an oversight , I have infringed 0 any copyrights , I h pe the writers thus sinned against PREFACE will forgive me . In conclusion , I Wish to thank the various friends wh o have helped me With advice and . of information ; especially Mr . J Le Gay Brereton , wh o Sydney, has given me ungrudging and assistance . WILLIAM CHARLES WENTWORTH ‘ From A urtmla ria ELESTIAL poesy whose genial sway C ’ Earth s farthest habitable shores obey Whose inspirations shed their sacred light of Far as the regions the Arctic night , And to the Laplander his Boreal gleam ’ Endear not less than Phoebus brighter b e am on n Descend thou also my native la d , And on some mountain summit take thy stand Thence issuing soon a purer fount be seen ’ ’ Than ch arm d Castalia or f am d Hippocrene ; And there a richer, nobler fame arise on Than Parnassus met the adoring eyes . ’ th o on And , bright Goddess , those far blue hills , That pour their thousand swift pellucid rills , ’ Where W a rragamba s rage has rent in twain ’ th u nd rin to Opposing mountains , g the plain , i No ch ld of song has yet invoked thy aid , ’ Neath their primaeval solitary shade, ’ Pow r Still , gracious , some kindling soul inspire ’ To wake to life my country s unknown lyre , ’ e That from creation s date has slumb ring lain , ’ Or only breath d some savage uncouth strain O ‘ B v Vo B WILIiIAM CHARLES WENTWORTH ‘ ‘ ‘ ’ fh at yet arf Austral Milton s song - flow Pactolus like deep and rich along, An Austral Shakespeare rise , whose living page ’ To Nature true may charm in ev ry age And that an Austral Pindar daring soar, ’ re ach d Where not the Theban Eagle before . 0 And , Britannia shouldst thou cease to ride ’ Despotic Empress of old Ocean s tide ; ’ — Should thy t am d Lion spent his former might of No longer roar , the terror the fight ’ Should e er arrive that dark, disastrous hour, ’ ’ h ield st When , ow d by luxury, thou y to power of When thou , no longer freest the free , ’ To some proud victor ben d st the vanquished knee May all thy glories in another sphere e R lume , and shine more brightly still than here — - — May this thy last born infant then arise , To glad thy heart , and greet thy parent eyes ’ u nf u rl d And Australasia float , with flag , A new Britannia in another world SIR HENRY PARKES Wa v y EARY of the ceaseless war fl Beating down the baf ed soul , Thoughts that like a scimitar n Smite us fai ting at the goal . Weary of the joys that pain Dead sea fruits whose ashes fall , Drying up the summer’ s rain Charnel dust in cups of gall l Weary of the hopes that fail , Leading from the narrow way Tempting strength to actions frail to . Hand err , and foot to stray of Weary the battling throng , False and true in mingled fight of of Weary the wail wrong , And the yearning for the night Weary, weary, weary Heart ’ c ru sh d Lacerated , and dumb . None to know thee as thou art When will rest unbroken come 3 SIR HENRY PARKES Fou r Score COUNT the m e rcif ulle st part of all ’ o God s mercies , in this c il of eighty years , Is that no sense of being disappears —I se e Or fails , the signal , hear the call, Can calmly estimate the rise and fall Of moth - like mortals in this vale of tears And all His glorious works , the heavenly spheres , ’ The ocean , and the earth s unyielding wall Remain for thought and wonder ! Marvellous ’ Is God s creation , with its endless space , law And those inhabited , bright worlds , by ’ ove rn d Divinely g , as they shine on us , Still keeping through all time their ordered place I bow my head in rapture and in awe ! Fa therla nd e old of HE brav land deed and song , Of gentle hearts and spirits strong , e Of qu enly maids and heroes grand , - ! Of equal laws , our Fatherland a bri h te r su n Though born beneath . g , w e Shall forget the marvels done , By soul outspoken, blood outpoured , By bard and patriot , song and sword SIR HENRY PARKES e h ow Forg t firm and true our sires , - fires Still lighted by their battle , ’ w e Gainst kingly po r and kingly crime, Long struggled in th e darken e d time How in se a e a rolling th y stood , ’ e e f re em en s Wh re ev ry wave was blood , l th e of i e Sha l we forget time str f , When freedom’ s only price was life ’ ’ Shall Cromwell s memory, Milton s lyre , ’ Not of kindle mong us souls fire , Not raise in u s a spirit strong of of High scorn Shams , quick hate wrong e Shall we not l arn , Australians born To on ou r smile tinselled power scorn , ’ l e to At east , a fre man s pride try, When tinselled power would bend or buy old of The brave land deed and song , ’ We ne er will do her memories wrong ’ For freedom here we ll firmly stand , As stood our sires f or Fatherland JAMES LIONEL MICHAEL The Eye of tbe Bebo/der F , as they tell in stories old , ’ I The waters of Pactolus roll d Over a sand of shifting gold If ever there were fairies , such so As those that charm the child much , ’ With jewels growrng neath their touch ’ - If , in the wine cup s sweet deceit , l There ies a secret pleasant cheat , That turns to beauty all we meet The stream , the fairy, and the wine , In the first love of youth combine To make its object seem divine .