A Romance In The Rough

Arthur Patchett Martin 1851 (Woolwich, Kent) – 1902 (Tenerife)



A sturdy fellow, with a sunburnt face,
And thews and sinews of a giant mould;
A genial mind, that harboured nothing base,—
A pocket void of gold.

The rival’s years were fifty at the least—
Withered his skin, and wrinkled as a crone;
But day by day his worldly goods increased,
Till great his wealth had grown.

And she, the lady of this simple tale,
Was tall and straight, and beautiful to view;
Even a poet’s burning words would fail
To paint her roseate hue.

The suitors came, the old one and the young,
Each with fond words her fancy to allure.
For which of them should marriage bells be rung,
The rich one or the poor?

She liked the young one with his winning ways,
He seemed designed to be her future mate—
Besides, in novels and romantic plays
Love has a youthful gait.

But well she knew that poverty was hard,
And humble household cares not meant for her;
Nor cared she what the sentimental bard
Might warble or infer.

She made her choice, the wedding bells rang clear;
The aged bridegroom figured in the Times.
The young man, after some superfluous beer,
Went forth to foreign climes.

And this is all I ever chanced to know,
Told by my mate while digging on the Creek,
Who ended with his handsome face aglow,
And with a verse in Greek.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:10 min read
81

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GXGX HIHI JKJK LMLM NONO
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,229
Words 234
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Arthur Patchett Martin

Arthur Patchett Martin, was an Australian writer and literary critic. Martin was born in Woolwich, Kent, England, the son of George Martin and his wife Eleanor, née Hill. The family migrated to Australia in 1852, arriving in Melbourne that Christmas. Martin was educated at St Mark's School, Fitzroy and later matriculated at the University of Melbourne in February 1868. Martin worked in the post office from 1865 to 1883; however he was also a casual writer in this period. Having established the Melbourne Review with Henry Gyles Turner in 1876, Martin edited the publication for six years. Martin was a member of the Eclectic Association, fellow members included Theodore Fink, Arthur Topp, Alfred Deakin and David Mickle. In 1883 Martin moved to London amid controversy in a divorce case; he became a journalist and wrote regularly for the Pall Mall Gazette. Martin was the satirist of the 'Australasian Group' - who regarded themselves as exiles - but retained an interest in Australian literature and other affairs. One of Martin's most solid achievements was the publication of a work entitled "Australia and the Empire", specially dedicated to the First Lord of the Treasury, Mr. Balfour. The opening essay in this work, entitled "Robert Lowe in Sydney," formed the nucleus of the undertaking on which Martin later worked on—the complete political biography of Lord Sherbrooke. Among other literary efforts in London may be mentioned "Oak-bough and Wattle-blossom," the first of those collective stories by "Australians in England" of which there are now quite a series. "Over-the-Sea Stories for the Children of Two Worlds" a profusely illustrated gift-book, is also a collection by Martin. Martin married a widow, Harriette Anne Bullen (daughter of Dr John Moore Cookesley) on 11 January 1886 in London. Together they wrote verse and organised the publications of expatriate Australians in various periodicals. Martin's health deteriorated and he moved to Tenerife, Canary Islands where he died on 15 February 1902. A sister, Letitia Hill Martin, who was also an accomplished writer, married the theatrical impresario Arthur Garner. more…

All Arthur Patchett Martin poems | Arthur Patchett Martin Books

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