Hope: Collected Poems

by A.D. Hope

We assume that we can attempt, and even achieve, to lead a life without emotion and feelings, and to not let them influence our decisions and choices. You find happiness in the simple things in life, in the people who you have fun with in the weekends, with the partner you find you begin to love. You crave what you heart desires and accept what you have. As long as two people can enable each other, they are gifted with this notion of love. You accept this life. But deep inside, you still crave for something special, something you could have been. What if you had the greatest honor any man could receive. You were chosen for the most amazing cause. It's origin, since the beginning of intelligent life but on understanding it, you realize it's basis is wrong. Would you change everything you believed in? Would you fight it? Would you be willing to make sacrifices? When you have lost everything, when you realize all hope is gone. Would you give up the final bit of it for the greater good?

Genres: Poetry, 20th Century, Australia

Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Alec Derwent Hope was educated at Sydney and Oxford Universities. He lectured at the University of Melbourne from 1945 to 1950 and eventually moved as foundation professor of English at Canberra University College, later the Australian National University, until 1969. He was instrumental in launching the first full university course in Australian literature.

At the age of 8 years, he wrote his first poem for birthday of his mother. His first collection of poems, The Wandering Islands, was published in 1955. He went on to produce more than a dozen volumes each of poetry and criticism, winning many literature prizes and honors in Australia and, as his reputation grew, internationally. He was awarded an OBE in 1972, was made an AO in 1981 and was awarded four honorary degrees by Australian universities.

Many considered AD Hope to have been an often controversial figure who used an erudite mind and a wicked wit to devastating effect as a critic. Critics of his work, however, found a romantic and passionate impulse within the formal constraints of some of his poetry. David Brooks, who edited AD Hope's most recent edition of poetry, considered that some of his poems were among the strongest poems ever written by an Australian, real praise indeed.

Reviews

[Frank Ashe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read a bit of him at school. Didn't grab me.

[Liam Guilar · Rating 4 out of 5]

It says something about Literary fashions that a poet as good as Hope has all but disappeared. I had to use a second hand book service to find this copy of his collected. There are some fine poems in here, beautifully controlled, formal, precise. A few used to be famous. There are also some that go on for far too long as well, but at his best he has to be one of the better poets Australia has produced.