One Dull Man

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



Why did you play your spade in there? (said she).
I can't think why you don't take care (said she).
You fuss and fiddle with every card
As tho' you found the game too hard
You hung on to your trumps until
They caught you napping.  Really, Will,
You think and hesitate so long;
Then in the end you play it wrong.
Why, you can't even call your hand.
You men!  I cannot understand.
You are so stupid, dull and dense.
The game requires just common-sense.
But Bridge for you holds little gain:
Yet you're supposed to have a brain (said she).

Tired?  You?  I hope I am no cat (said she)
But I must say I do like that (said she)
What about me? You go to town,
And gossip there with Smith and Brown.
And go to lunch and have a drink,
Yet in the evening you can't think.
What about me?  Your life's the best.
Why should you crave for so much rest?
Ask any doctor.  He will say
A business man should always play.
You should play more.  You know you should.
A change of occupation's good.
Yet, when I ask you to go out,
You say you're tired and moon about.
What about me?  Do I complain?
Why, it's a wonder I keep sane
With all the dull monotony
That this existence holds for me.
You'll tell me that I'm lazy soon.
Why, I played all the afternoon! (said she).

Did you, my dear? I didn't know (said he).
Well, I suppose I must be slow (said he).
Yes, slow and dull.  Again you're right -
You always are . . .Heigh, ho! . . . Good night (said he).

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:28 min read
82

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCCDDEEFFGA AAHHIIJJKKLLMMGGAAXA AAXA
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,405
Words 282
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 14, 20, 4

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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