Camperdown

Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis 1876 (Auburn) – 1938 (Melbourne)



The dignity of Camperdown
Is not to be denied,
Where Leura looks upon the town
And that lush countryside
And comfortable, stout and sleek,
She wears the air of one who'd seek
  To mind her manners rather much,
  And cultivate the English touch.

A haughty lady prone to row
  Her eyebrows, when the road
Brings in some traveller whose ways
Tend to offend her code.
The robust life of modern towns
Suits ill her verdant dells and downs.
She is particular, aloof;
As witness many a manor roof.

'Tis said that Leura, long ago,
Belched flames up to the sky,
And turbulently sought to throw
Stones at the passers-by.
And her rich ashes raining down,
Bequeathed great wealth to Camperdown;
But turbulence in youth begun,
Is now taboo. It 'isn't done'.

And Camperdown, of gracious mien,
Brings joy to him who views
The glamor of her peaceful scene
And placid avenues;
A proper town, that sets the pace,
And sets the scene for civic grace.
And will might many another town
Adopt the air of Camperdown.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

54 sec read
70

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABCCDD EFXFGGHH EIEIAAAA AJAJKKAA
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 969
Words 178
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8

Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis

Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis, better known as C. J. Dennis, was an Australian poet known for his humorous poems, especially "The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke", published in the early 20th century. Though Dennis's work is less well known today, his 1915 publication of The Sentimental Bloke sold 65,000 copies in its first year, and by 1917 he was the most prosperous poet in Australian history. Together with Banjo Paterson and Henry Lawson, both of whom he had collaborated with, he is often considered among Australia's three most famous poets. While attributed to Lawson by 1911, Dennis later claimed he himself was the 'laureate of the larrikin'. When he died at the age of 61, the Prime Minister of Australia Joseph Lyons suggested he was destined to be remembered as the 'Australian Robert Burns'. more…

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