Off season Poetry appreciation.

[mightyrooster]

There's nothing at all wrong with men showing emotions though society has conditioned them not to do it. The only ones mot upset by the goings on are children (not yet conditioned), animals and those who don't give a stuff what society thinks (have a firm personal inner strength). Australian men think they are supposed to be macho and tough 'she'll be right mate' Aussies. If not society thinks there's something abnormal about them.

[Paddo Colt 61]

Somewhat off topic MR. You need to confine yourself to the text much more though you do touch on it (incorrectly as it turns out but don't let that deter you). Some students make the mistake of drifting off subjectively from the text with consequent loss of marks. Frivolity, such as that entertained by '08 and Andy, could, on the other hand, end with the stick of course, it did at the Marist Bros. As I say, I have no firm grip on the poem myself but I will dip an oar presently.

Also, whaddya mean by "nothing wrong with men showing emotions"? Of course there is, it's pussy behaviour and I'll have none of it on this thread. Otherwise, Detention! And I don't care that your mother might have written a note.

[Paddo Colt 61]

Les Murray was something of a bushie who went to Sydney University with the likes of Germaine Greer, Clive James Robert Hughes in the late 50s and very early 1960s. Unlike them (they weren't bushies for a start) he subscribed to that tribal Catholic thing that is always a close companion of conservative politics.

In my humble the poem is a religious rant possibly a reaction to what he saw as materialist moral decline in Australia. The weeping man is a Christ figure who is recognised by children and animals and, though surprising to most onlookers, nevertheless has a profound effect on others just as Christ or any other cult figure might have. The flocking, congregating and shouting is a result of his unusual behaviour which seems to be a lament for mankind.

The devices used are significant because they are local places like Repin's and Lorenzini's which were among the first coffee shops in the city and were all the rage with bohemians and university students so he's having a go at them. Obviously, as a bushie, he would have hated the pretension of people at the university and probably couldn't get a root for trying as well. He was no looker.

[Andrew Walker]

My thoughts are that the crying man was some sort of ethereal being. I drew that conclusion from the children and animals as I have always considered young children and animals not to have preconceived biases, they go by instinct and feel. They were drawn to this person they knew there was something different about them .

[A Country Member]

Fair start Count though some reasoning for the observation might be helpful. Language used usually provides clues as to meaning. I'm not claiming to have anything definitive btw.

In future, I will endeavour to improve my synopsis.

[A Country Member]

The English Queen
A Birthday Ode

Henry Lawson, 1892

There's an ordinary woman whom the English call "the Queen":
They keep her in a palace and they worship her, I ween;
She's served as one to whom is owed a nation's gratitude;
(May angels keep the sainted sire of her angelic brood!)
The people must be blind, I think, or else they're very green,
To keep that dull old woman whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
That ordinary woman whom the English call "the Queen".

The Queen has reigned for fifty years, for fifty years and five
And scarcely done a kindly turn to anyone alive;
It can be said, and it is said, and it is said in scorn,
That the poor are starved the same as on the day when she was born.
Yet she is praised and worshipped more than God has ever been —
That ordinary woman who. the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
That cold and selfish woman whom the English call "the Queen".

The Queen has lived for seventy years, for seventy years and three;
And few have lived a flatter life, more useless life than she;
She never said a clever thing or wrote a clever line,
She never did a noble deed, in coming times to shine;
And yet we read, and still we read, in every magazine,
The praises of that woman whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
That dull and brainless woman whom the English call "the Queen".

They say that she is "Gracious", and that she's inspired with love,
They also say that she's inspired with wisdom from above.
They say that she's a noble Queen, and can do nothing wrong,
They call on God to bless her, and they hope she'll reign for long;
And where her foot has never trod, her heart has never been,
There's many a statue raised to her whom English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
That ordinary woman whom the English call "the Queen".

They magnify her sorrow, too (it goes beyond belief),
She lost her husband and was called "Pre-eminent in Grief";
And now she's more pre-eminent because her son is dead,
Tho' pauper widows starve and hear their children cry for bread.
The cares of those who starve and freeze — the hungry-eyed and lean —
Are nothing to the grief of one, whom people call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
That fat and selfish person, whom the English call "the Queen".

She's lived a "virtuous life", 'tis true, but then there's nothing in
The useless life of one who ne'er had heart enough to sin.
She's lived a blameless life, they say — she thinks it not a crime
To take her thousands while the poor are starving half the time.
And when they blow the final trump, we rather think Faustine
Will stand as good a show as she whom English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
That pure and selfish woman whom the English call "the Queen".

The Prince of Wales is worshipped next (it is a funny thing)
For he will be the loafer whom the fools will call "the King".
They keep the children of "the Queen", and they are not a few;
The children of "the Queen" and all her children's children too.
The little great-grandchild is great because the nation's green
And Grandmama's the person whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
The dull, yet gilded dummy whom the English call "the Queen".

And yearly, on "the Queen's" birthday they praise her and rejoice,
And even far across the sea is heard the toady's voice.
They gammon Christianity, they go to church and pray,
Yet thrust HER in the sight of God, an idol of to-day,
And she is praised and worshipped more than God has ever been —
That ordinary woman whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call the Queen", —
That selfish, callous woman whom the English call "the Queen".


The Truth

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Not one of Henry's best works Skeezmeister. Prefer his takes on the bush and it's characters.

And timing my friend...on our National Day of Mourning for Her Majesty...tsk.

[Paddo Colt 61]

I like Lawson, so long overshadowed by the Establishment poet Patterson but now, and for some time past, getting much wider acknowledgement. "Sweeney" is an interesting poem of his, the character mirroring the writer.

The saturation coverage of the death of this monarch has been tedious and annoying with the ABC by far the most fulsome so this ode is interesting because it shows by contrast that the Republican sentiment has long been a element in Oz political and artistic circles and that she will not be sorely missed nor lamented by most people excepting those who believe everything and anything that they're told by the MSM, unwilling and incapable of making a reasoned decision.

Anarchy embraces personal freedom more than any other political philosophy. The idea that I could decide what's best for me and simply go about my business while the Sheeple throng off Lemming like to fight for "freedom" for the rich or some monarch or other would be a comfort.

[mightyrooster]

Not one of Henry's best works Skeezmeister. Prefer his takes on the bush and it's characters.

And timing my friend...on our National Day of Mourning for Her Majesty...tsk.

Skeez? I’ve been pondering about this but never would have guessed.

[mightyrooster]

Lawson’s poem is easy to interpret even for us dumbos and sheeple. It’s very blunt and not very interesting.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

I like Lawson, so long overshadowed by the Establishment poet Patterson but now, and for some time past, getting much wider acknowledgement. "Sweeney" is an interesting poem of his, the character mirroring the writer.

The saturation coverage of the death of this monarch has been tedious and annoying with the ABC by far the most fulsome so this ode is interesting because it shows by contrast that the Republican sentiment has long been a element in Oz political and artistic circles and that she will not be sorely missed nor lamented by most people excepting those who believe everything and anything that they're told by the MSM, unwilling and incapable of making a reasoned decision.

Anarchy embraces personal freedom more than any other political philosophy. The idea that I could decide what's best for me and simply go about my business while the Sheeple throng off Lemming like to fight for "freedom" for the rich or some monarch or other would be a comfort.

It's about respect, my dear chap. Aside from personal ideologies and values. Respect, grab some.

[Paddo Colt 61]

I think that Lawson captures the respect sentiment nicely Jax, it's all one sided. Here in Oz, our holding out when Canada and other "Dominions", not to mention the Caribbean of late, choose to sever ties, looks like a local Anglo conspiracy to assert primacy in a multicultural community and, furthermore, we've seen that in their wonderful democracy, a monarch can sack an elected government but never a conservative one.

The new ALP government is so disappointing in the way that they're playing the conservative game but that's what it comes down to when there is a right wing monopoly MSM which the masses say they don't trust but usually conform to. Australia, an oaf of a country.

[A Country Member]

I am mourning that we haven’t let go of mummy’s dress. As Lawson laments 130 years ago, his prose holds up so well it could be written today and no one would know.

Some believe in higher beings, I prefer equality.

[zac]

In future, I will endeavour to improve my synopsis.

don't worry about paddo - he can be a hard marker

[zac]

The English Queen
A Birthday Ode

Henry Lawson, 1892

There's an ordinary woman whom the English call "the Queen":
They keep her in a palace and they worship her, I ween;
She's served as one to whom is owed a nation's gratitude;
(May angels keep the sainted sire of her angelic brood!)
The people must be blind, I think, or else they're very green,
To keep that dull old woman whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
That ordinary woman whom the English call "the Queen".

The Queen has reigned for fifty years, for fifty years and five
And scarcely done a kindly turn to anyone alive;
It can be said, and it is said, and it is said in scorn,
That the poor are starved the same as on the day when she was born.
Yet she is praised and worshipped more than God has ever been —
That ordinary woman who. the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
That cold and selfish woman whom the English call "the Queen".

The Queen has lived for seventy years, for seventy years and three;
And few have lived a flatter life, more useless life than she;
She never said a clever thing or wrote a clever line,
She never did a noble deed, in coming times to shine;
And yet we read, and still we read, in every magazine,
The praises of that woman whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
That dull and brainless woman whom the English call "the Queen".

They say that she is "Gracious", and that she's inspired with love,
They also say that she's inspired with wisdom from above.
They say that she's a noble Queen, and can do nothing wrong,
They call on God to bless her, and they hope she'll reign for long;
And where her foot has never trod, her heart has never been,
There's many a statue raised to her whom English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
That ordinary woman whom the English call "the Queen".

They magnify her sorrow, too (it goes beyond belief),
She lost her husband and was called "Pre-eminent in Grief";
And now she's more pre-eminent because her son is dead,
Tho' pauper widows starve and hear their children cry for bread.
The cares of those who starve and freeze — the hungry-eyed and lean —
Are nothing to the grief of one, whom people call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
That fat and selfish person, whom the English call "the Queen".

She's lived a "virtuous life", 'tis true, but then there's nothing in
The useless life of one who ne'er had heart enough to sin.
She's lived a blameless life, they say — she thinks it not a crime
To take her thousands while the poor are starving half the time.
And when they blow the final trump, we rather think Faustine
Will stand as good a show as she whom English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
That pure and selfish woman whom the English call "the Queen".

The Prince of Wales is worshipped next (it is a funny thing)
For he will be the loafer whom the fools will call "the King".
They keep the children of "the Queen", and they are not a few;
The children of "the Queen" and all her children's children too.
The little great-grandchild is great because the nation's green
And Grandmama's the person whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen", —
The dull, yet gilded dummy whom the English call "the Queen".

And yearly, on "the Queen's" birthday they praise her and rejoice,
And even far across the sea is heard the toady's voice.
They gammon Christianity, they go to church and pray,
Yet thrust HER in the sight of God, an idol of to-day,
And she is praised and worshipped more than God has ever been —
That ordinary woman whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call "the Queen",
Whom the English call the Queen", —
That selfish, callous woman whom the English call "the Queen".


The Truth

good poem