ANTIPODEAN POETS. "Australian Ballads and Rhymes."

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 256, 18 April 1888, Page 3

ANTIPODEAN POETS. "Australian Ballads and Rhymes."

Till' "spiritual possibilities" which Mr .). A. bYoude discerned in the natural condition* which prevail in Australia and Now Zealand might loa&onably bo expected t o reach idealisation in tho domains of poetry and ait, and t-igns' arc not wanting that the acute /Ufa-atom's anticipations will not fail of fulfilment in (hose twin spheies whose iunclion it i.s to interpret the Beautiful into 'language (hat may In; " undeiblanded ot thr people. ' In the volume of " Australia?! Ballads and Rhymes' 1 * now b'doie us ample proot and promise aic gi\cn that t!.o picero^s oi Australasia in Iho hmliu ot poesy ■will bo notable in literaty history ai being marked by rapidity and solidity. Xe-w countiies here meiiV niincU ate tor tho most part hxed on p> action I nllah-s and their cnoigie^ denoted to the (onqueiinu oi the wdderuos-, nil hot than to ob->eiwng and depicting tho a'=thetio aspreN of then sui loundin^s >'"c u»htl\ eoiiMdeied to be unta\omable heid.-. tor tho development ot the tine ait 1 - 01 A>• iiJi't-- /(///!•>; ami on this account a collection of poch\ Mich a-> that under notice will, to the uitte of the hit in r, he \aluable a* gmug indubitable testimony to the tact thai m Minny Au-lral land 1 - poeii) and pionecuni; ma\ go hand in h.uid. j To hdl\ iippifciate tlio tour ot tho-e uoneial ( oneli;sions a hiiet companion ina\ be chaw n between the, lu->t ( entui^ it A mi" HMD pooh) and the achievenu tit-- ot antipodean poet*. Tho umiumi) ot the toundini; ot Austiaha hu-> ju-t. been d leluakd, and tin-- \ olume of pot. hy, indued In lite and suMioi y in Au-n.du <uid X'< w Zealand, l^ welt lit tod to niai k (he htei.m puv_;ies--ot tho< eelui \. Ina tieati-c o,i l.ie eaily poet -> of Anieliea wo Imd • |iiotation- fiom an epic b_s lionet Woliott, (WiipUM 1 ot the oxtein.inutu.n ot the I'equed Indians itl which oeeui the toilo,\ m<4 lines te^ inline then cJnel Iswieu-. . '• et lie v; M))i il, ami !o Ihe ]\lo'ia\\ks yws W lit iohe to tin'iti Ui'i j)^ \i * kinnni,' \j«) ln> w 00-. I Ami V'c\ , to( v' c tin ji.i--' lun^- ol hi-. l>H'a-.t. C'lU oil la - head, ninl all Ins i ares relea^cl ' A^.iin, hi-- tLiidenev to b itho- is l hou n by the toiiouinix [)iece ol desmptno wiiluij;. '•'Iwos.ts torn iiii'eb -ur\ e\ovo (to i\e''oiint Jii I w eon the e'islei n ami tho \\ e>tci d iiieunt , Hither i lie ftiidn ll\- ami Unj flu u iijij, ' In ]7J>3. il'Oi'^" Kichaid- ti led io w i m^ sujjie m-piiatjon out oi "The Peeiaiatum ot Independence,' l)ut hn poem on that noble -uhject h.ii -ueh \ei\ un poetical unea^ the-e " Tivkio dies an ay, and toinnuue units om -Itoie, When ii^liltoliiiul eainen i'iopei'\ iskno\. n no moie.' Tiie Anietioan Soeiali--t^ miuht <lo well to ponder that axiomatic uttoianee : but that i-> by the way. Joe! Kuhm u.i•uiotlier eaily Anieiiean poet ot lepiue. ili^ long; and fhe<u\ epii 1 "The ( oluinbiad ii.ii well ie<ei\cd b> hh t oiint i > mtn and \\a- lepu'ob-hed m London and I'ai l- : l»ul it ha- loim since been relegated to the lnnho of foi^etfnlne--. .lorl \\a- nv»'e <it limue in homeluM iheine , >^nd the -eopo o! a poem oi his in tluee eanto> may he "■ue-- ed Horn the following lntunhietoi > j hues .— '• I mi- tin' s\\ eet ■> 1 knou . tho t hanii-. 1 feel, M) iiiotina^ liiceii-'C, ami mj c\ enmy: uiOi'! 'j'!^> sweets ol lld^ty }'ud<ln)i! y I'onie. dear l)O\sl. diu'e oev my paUUo .uul inspuu m> oul ' ' j it w as moio than t\\ o bund) ed \ eais iifiei An«:lo ba\on had taken place in Ameuca, before men such as Lonirfelluw, I'.isant, Dana and I'oe <iio-e — bc.'oie, in shoit, it could \w said that, the Xt w Woi Id had pioducv-d leal poets as di,tmc;ui-hed li om meie ib}me-4ei-. Tin inner >u a eoMsideiation ot the '"Au^ti,ilian iin.ll <.<!*< atul lih\ mc^ ' collected and edited b\ Mr Sladen (himself a ])OeL ot hi^li lank), one cannot tail io besttaokbs the umfoiin e\eell( nee ot the ( Guipo-ilion* Tho reader may -cat ch t lie \olume through, and he \\\\\ not linn a li.ue ot thote bald and pio-.ne ehai.U'tPU-tK'^ that, deface oailj Anieiiean pioduetious -.on the eontiai\, he \\\U i'tid a hijfh le\el of poetic exaltation maintained -- a j>owei of perception, des-eiiption, nna^eiy ai'"d ianey Miiieh MOidd nob di-^taec; the most (ultuied community Tins i- no doubt dm nipaitto the di-ennnn.'itiou oi tho erlitoi, but in the main it is a lo.d sjiupfoin of the hteiaiy achanccment of Au-tiala^ia It is yratihino to find that Air Sladen aceon!- to Kou Zealand the eictlit. of ha\in<; ])ioduced the <;reate-t poot of the hi -J, century of antipodean }n-tot\. In the eiitual notice api>ended to t ho selection, which is wiuten N\ith eaieand ]ud^mcnt, he -ays .—". — " Isy tar tho piineip;d uehiesc ment ot Au'-tialasia in poetiy i-* Domett'- : 'llmolf and Amohia.' Thioucjh six oi i seven hundred octavo pa^es it ne\er diags It is as full ot clear ica«-onin^ as °Mr Urou'iiing'.s ma^toi pieces, «hdu ) ifc is A\iittcu in rlivmed, lhythmlcal, e\eivai>in<r mctie-. The knowledge of books, tho knowledge oi human natuie di-pla>ed in it h stupendous. ' And a<^ain ho "ays of this and other Xcw Zealand authois . — " New Zealand seenei-y - the most blending utidei he.uen of the sub tiopieal and the Alpine, a perfect f.iii\ land ot palmy iolia^e, and mountain u/itei* — has not »o far mspiicd many wnteta of moio than local fame; but/ be-ide> v Au-tial ' (Alu J (!. Wilson) scveivd of thorn ai o \ cry hiifli tla^s. Alfi ed Domett, afe we ha\e expressed an opinion abo\e. toweio o\ or antipodean ])oet> in Ins aehicN cinent s andThomas Hi acki n liash.ul a most favourable reception from tho English press (wo were unfoitunately unable- to pioeme a coj>y of hi<- jioemb for this \olumc). Alexr. W. Bat hj^ato has written poems of mature excellence - all the poem*that ho pent us being at an unusually hi^h le\el in taste and workmanship. Ebenezer StoiryHayis, unhappily, dead irohadalltho makings of a New Zealand yiiellcy, and has left u^ .some of the mo 4 exquisito little pieces in Australian liteiatuio. " Tho li-ifc of the front lank of Now Zealand poot- would not be complete without the name ot J. L. Kelly, a poot with plenty : of imagination, a great command of metre, and an eye foi the picturesque, who has made a study of the customs and traditions of the natives, and from whom <^rcat things may be expected. Great things may also be expected of Mary Colborue-Vecl, whose poems arrived too lato for thi& volume." Iv is not easy, in a brief notice of this kind, to #ive an adequate idea of tho contents of this book of 300 pages, containing .selections from the writings of homo iifty Australasian poets ; but a few ox ti acts must be made to carry out our comparison with the early poots of America. Take the following from Kendall's " Bell-Birds," as showing how high and pure a keynote is struck by antipodean poets : — " Welcome as -waters unkissccl by the Summers Arc the voices of bell-birds to thirsty farcoin or s. When fiery December sets loot m the forest, Ami tho need o£ the wayfarer presses the sores t,

* "Australian Ballads and Rhymes: Poems inspired by life and aconcry in Australia and New Zealand. Selected and edited by Douglas li. W. Sladen, B.A. Oxon.; 8.A., LL.J3., Melbourne, Australia, London, Waller Scott, 24 Warwick Lane, and Newcjistle-on-Tyne."

Pout in tho ridges for ovor and over, The boll-birds direct him to spring and to river, With liiiß and vitii ripple, like runnels wJiosc i tOITCUtS Arc toned by Ihe pebbles and leaves in the currents?." Or Ihu following on " Tho Wnm-ral " (wild dotf of Australia) :■— "Tlic Wai-ri^al's lair is pont in baic Black rocks hi. 1)10 gorges mouth ; It h bet in ways wheio Summer Mi ays W itli the sprites of Maine and droutli ; And wlu-n the heights arc touched with lights Ot ho.ir-iroM. sleet, and shine. His bed in made of tlic dend fc-blado, And l'u % leaxesol the windy puu>. He loves IhroucfJi Ihe lands otsultrj sands. He hunts m the iron ranm , I nt lined aa sur^e ol the lar mcji ver^o, And licioc, and lieklo. and olrantfe. The while man's track and tho haunts o!' the h ack Ho shuns, and shuddeis to mm 1 ; For lu!^ ]o\ he tables in lonolj wastes, \S hen- In . mates are touent and tree!" .Sp.K'c^ would fail to quote all that is quotable fioni tins coilecti-in, oi uven to <;iv( % an I'-'uniiitc ol Ihe powoisof nu:h jjoot 1 -: a-. .1. !>' union Slopliciit., Adam Lind.^oy (ioidon, (iauiet Wah.li, AiLlim I'.itehetb Mai t in, Sit Henry I'aikes and others of almost Ciju^l powers, v, hose veiy naini mo unktiouii to New Zealaml^is. \Vo would lain hope Mint. nil who take a pleasure ;in I pi idem noting tho^iowth ota ni'W liteiat me will make a point of piocui m<: a cop\ ot the^e "Austiahan UalLuls and IMijmes." \\ hit li wo may say me \eiy neatly v^ot up m .1 \o!uinv of tho C'antoibury poets hoi les. \\ c ;j;i\e thieo btun/«i - iumi Mi Sl.idm h (kniuidoii oi the book " to the I'ln^li^h of thit i' eontinent 1 -,'' and we earnestly hope th.it hi-> \ei-ic\s aie prophelie ol a closer mutual know lodg;c b\ tho'-e leteued to in the epistle dedieafory of eaeli othc 1 '- hteiatuie, lu^twi <„ and asjiiiatioiii \\ t all ar. .Mi^lnh -one m our de\olion, \\ belli. i the \oik we boast be old or new, Vnd u uetliei Boston Mu c tlie C.'ci nuin (J( i an U, lia\e the broad Atlantic m lur view. We ill ii ie l''.iiKht>h -though new Melbourne I j-on I'otl I'hihpns h J-oiithein queen. And old in d.ilt s ol Dei i)> do/i -„ A ,il h isidi.iaiilen tor a l tihtic sceiu . \\ i ailau i'.n^h.sli— hoi n m one iru'at union Oi !)lo l )tl anii lan^u vz,v. luMor\ and sum, : All l.n-'iish, .uid to elu ri-h our <. ntnmuintin \\ u w ill iiiesent a cunuuon liuiil to w ion^ r . We h.ul intended (o <j,i\c a -aniple of the fine iuui<iin.itno htiatn ot 10. S. ila},and thes\\e(tl\ Ijleiuled c(c (iiptivu andieflcL. fne w ut nrj;-* ot Alex. \\ . Bathuatc New /uil intt po, Is a^ little known to our loadt is a-- the })oels ot Au-tiah.i aio ; lmt we must < ontent ouisiheswtth letominemling' ajc ni'.il of the book it-tit 'Jo those ( 10-i'l\ aeiju. anted with Austialasian hluatuie, a kv. omissions liom tills collection will -utMiMvinspicuous; but the coinpilti iuis cxplair.t I liow the limitation ol subject shut out M>me, while ethu-weie dulunul \t) t hcii own mode-t\ oi that of their tuendsiu not forw aiding samples ot their wutui^s. The \oliiine. I s -, on ttic whole, tiuh lepie-entatn ( ot Au-tialian poet-. liiiit l)ioTici[)!iiCtil notices ot mosd ot tiic wntei- aie appended, and the cntical tstimale oi then }»owtis which is jrt\en l>\ .Mi hl.idin Us treiu-ially aceiuatc .uid dis>- ( 'lniin.u lii^;, w hilo it i-. h\ no uu ans dotfin iti, in to'ii "The liii^lish oi thice eontiiKiits ' owe u debt, ot platitude to oditoi ,ii. d pul'hshei lor pii>entn>n tlicm with -ueiiauooiicolleLtioii of An- halasun " wood note- wild '--the came-t. ot <;ie.itei tutmc .iehie\emcnts tn the ait ot melodious i\ pie- ion, fj;lo\\in<i w oid-paintin.u, and <-übtie delineation ol iroods and pas-ion-.