Clarke - The even more complete book of Australian verse

Also by John Clarke A Dagg at My Table
The Tournament The Text Publishing Company
Swann House, 22 William Street
Melbourne Victoria 3000
Australia textpublishing.com.au Copyright John Clarke 1989, 1994 and 2003 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright above, no part of this publication shall be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other wise), without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book. The Even More Complete Book of Australian Verse was first published by Allen & Unwin in 1994
This edition, with new poems, published 2003, reprinted 2003 Designed by Chong Weng-ho
Reprinted by BPA Print Group Ebook ISBN 9781921776809. National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication data: Clarke, John, 1948-.
The even more complete book of Australian verse.
New rev. ed.
ISBN 9781877008801.
1. I. I.

Title.
A821.3 Front cover author photograph by Gary Gross. Front cover photograph of Ned Kelly armour courtesy of La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria. For Helen

F or many years it was assumed that poetry came from England. Research now clearly demonstrates, however, that a great many of the worlds most famous poets were actually Australians. Works by major poets have been discovered in various parts of Australia and are published here for the first time. This collection aims to put on record the wealth of imagery and ideas in Australian verse.

English is a language relatively new to Australia and obviously in a nation so young there can be no Icelandic Sagas, no Chaucer, and no Shakespeare or from Shagger Tennyson, who refused point blank to write anything down. In other respects, however, this is the most complete collection of Australian verse ever published. Such an anthology would not be possible were it not for the kind assistance of the poets, their descendants or executors. I would also thank Ms Lurleen Hopcroft for her work in typing the manuscripts and for her tireless support and cheerful presence.

Although fragments have been found around Stratford near Horsham of a work beginning Would there be any point in my drawing some sort of comparison between yourself and an absolute scorcher? Pommymandius can still be heard in pubs but no authentic manuscript exists. Stumpy Byron V.C.

Best known for swimming at night across the shark-infested Dardanelles in order to light fires on unoccupied beaches and confuse the Turks. The Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously since Stumpy caught the flu and died a few weeks later. Brian Browning; poet and cricket-lover. Rumoured to have seen every Test match played in Australia between 1922 and 1939. Best known for the work beginning, Oh to be in April now that Englands here. (From the Harleian-Davidson MSS, British Museum. (From the Harleian-Davidson MSS, British Museum.

Fragment originally found during excavations for the construction of Botany Bay Gaol, 1788.)

Tide is igoin oute Lhude yelleth yikes Water disappeareth fast Ebbeth before eyen Moon it pulleth tide oute Layeth boate on keel Sand it stretcheth meny myle Gulle it drifts on wynde Season goeth round each yeare Wind it winnow croppe Farmer reapeth harveste fulle Meade it fylleth cup Polly putte ye kyttle on We wylle all haue tea Leaf growe sere and branch growe bare Trees istandin bleak in field Flocks do fall to rest in fold Storm it beats on sturdy thatch Snowe in isolated places Above aboute ten thousande feet Rains ifallin on new seed Springeth up from groun Mare growe heavy, cowe have calf Lambe it poppeth oute in field Birds isingin, suns ishinin Fysshe ajumpin, cotton hyghe, Nature goeth on and on Boreth britches off Next page