Writing Blog Number 2

20240127 Australian Bush Poetry

Australian Bush Poetry

Australian Bush poetry is my preferred poetry form for writing and reading. I can enjoy a lot of other poetry, but this is what I like above all else.

It is also a form of poetry not recognised as a distinct form outside of Australian academia and literary circles. As such, and because I have received some flak for saying I like it, I thought I would explain it.

Now, I am not a poet. I might have sold 40-odd poems to various markets (mainly the local newspaper; they pay a bit), but it is just something I dabble in. So, if I misuse terms or technical language, sorry.

So, what is Australian Bush Poetry? (Oh, it is also known as Bush Balladry, Outback Poetry and Heidelberg Poetry, though the only place I have heard that last one was at university. I think it’s to do with the Heidelberg School, the Australian artistic Impressionist Movement. Think Streeton, Withers and McCubbin. This why Dorothea Mackellar's 'My Country' is considered a part of Australian Bush Poetry.)

It is a traditional poetry form is the most basic thing. But there are some distinctions that make it different, and things like rhyme and rhythm are constant and not to be ignored. We were told if you experiment with this form, it ceases to be Australian Bush Poetry and becomes a different poetic form. Now, this is according to the lecturers of my last university degree. I had known that I like this poetry style since I was in high school, but it took 30+ years for me to discover just what it is…

First, it tells a story or relates a vignette. It is not about emotion so much as a device for portraying an event or incident in a manner that is pleasant to the ear. Often these tales are humourous (think Paterson's 'Mulga Bill's Bicycle'), and there are often human characters involved.

Second, it rhymes. Normally AA-BB-CC or ABAB-CDCD-EFEF scheme, though sometimes even the ABCB-DEFE-GHJH can be used. But the rhyme is a huge part of it.

Third, it has a definite rhythm. Each line has the same syllable count (plus or minus one). My second poetry lecturer at university actually said the syllable count should be at least ten (utilising iambic pentameter), though she did indicate that as few as eight syllables a line is allowable. She also said that very rarely would a poet go beyond 14 syllables, as then it becomes awkward to say out loud.

This leads to the fourth point, and that is it is designed to be read and spoken out loud. There is a cadence to the speaking that the rhythm and words used dictate. This form of poetry dates back to the nineteenth century, and so it pre-dates beat poetry and poetry slams by decades. Though not available on YouTube, there is a United Etatian artist who has taken the classics of bush poetry and delivered them as raps, and it works. And Australian traditional country singer Slim Dusty released many as songs during his recording career.

To close, here is an example. The all-time classic is A.B. “Banjo” Paterson’s ‘The Man From Snowy River’ (yes, upon which the film of the same name was based). As such, I will finish this brief explanation with a reading by famed Australian actor Jack Thompson.